Welcome to the 18th blog carnival of the Lonely Planet bloggers from the Blogsherpa program. A few of us will discuss toasting customs we have experienced around the world. See Simi Travel hosted the previous carnival focusing on travel that includes a volunteer purpose. Our next blog carnival will be hosted by Vagobond.
Gather a group of people together to share a drink and glasses are bound to be raised in a toast sooner or later. How that toast is made or what beverage is used in the toast can be strongly dictated by local customs and traditions. From saying the right phrase or glancing in the right direction, a shared toast can shed light on a culture's personality and even perhaps, provide a good laugh. Cheers!
French Toasts by Emilio Labrador | Inside the Travel Lab
After living in France, Abigail King of Inside the Travel Lab gives us this advice, "Don’t drink in France unless you’re willing to risk your future." Wait a minute... Can she be serious? When you read the French belief for an ill-performed toast, you will take her seriously. If you can't bear the thought of being in France and not sampling any of those fabulous French wines, skip on over to Inside the Travel Lab to learn how to raise your glass the French way and avoid a most serious penalty.
Mate de Coca | Alpaca Suitcase
Alpaca Suitcase shares with us his experience of two important Peruvian beverages made of unexpected ingredients. One beverage, ChiCha, can be shared with locals at festivals or when you find a certain type of symbolic flag near a house's front door. If you plan to visit Peru, you will definitely want to find out about what he calls, the Red Bull of the Andes. And don't forget to make the appropriate offering to Pachamama first. Check out Alpaca Suitcase to learn more about these drinks, where to find them and how to make your offering to Pachamama.
A proper teapot | Quillcards
Fancy a cuppa? Sounds simple enough. Think again. Tea, as Quillcards demonstrates, is an often shared beverage heavy with tradition and nuanced customs. High tea, low tea, full tea, cream tea. Quillcards shares with us all the details on what to expect and the interesting history of tea.
Finally, Orange Polka Dot, will share a Catalan toast that you are sure to never hear at a proper tea - high or low!
How do you raise a glass in your country? Heard any interesting phrases while toasting with the locals during your travels? We would love to hear about it!
