Cheers: The long and the short of the toast

The practice of raising a glass and saying a few words before sharing a drink is almost as old as drinking itself. A toast can be as simple as a hearty “Cheers!” among friends or as involved as a protocol-laden salute at a state dinner.

Regardless of the setting, the toast serves the same basic civilizing functions: To honor your host (or special guest) and the occasion, to express good will and best wishes, and to add to the enjoyment of those gathered.

But what to say?

For informal gatherings, there’s nothing wrong with that simple “Cheers!” That’s why you’ll find its equivalent in nearly every language. Here’s a sampling of what people all around the world say when they clink glasses.

• Budem
• Russian, short for Budem zdorovy, “Let’s stay healthy”
• Cin cin
• Italian, “Cheers”
• Gan bei
• Chinese (Mandarin), “Dry the cup”
• Genatz
• Armenian, “Life”
• Helan går
• Swedish, “Everything goes”
• Kampai
• Japanese, “Cheers,” “Lift up your glasses”
• Kippis
• Finnish, “Cheers”
• L’chaim
• Hebrew, “To life”
• Mabuhay
• Filipino (Tagalog), “Long life”
• Maisha marefu
• Swahili, “Good life”
• Na zdrowie
• Polish, “To your health”
• Noroc
• Romanian, “Good luck”
• Okole maluna
• Hawaiian, “Bottoms up”
• Proost
• Dutch, “Cheers”
• Prost
• German, “Toast”
• Salud
• Spanish, “Health”
• Santé
• French, short for A votre santé, “To your health”
• Serefe
• Turkish, “To honor”
• Skål
• Danish, “Cheers”
• Sláinte
• Irish, “To your health”

The wedding toast

Larger, more formal occasions, such as weddings, demand a bit more than the convivial “Cheers!” Not sure how to start? Borrow a few lines of verse or a traditional toast, and take it from there.

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made.
—Robert Browning

Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
—William Butler Yeats

Love does not consist
in gazing at each other,
but in looking outward
in the same direction.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

In as much as love grows in you,
so in you beauty grows.
For love is the beauty of the soul.
—St. Augustine

A toast to love and laughter, and happily ever after.
—Traditional toast

May you grow old on one pillow.
—Armenian blessing

Irish blessings

Many of the most familiar toasts in America are the lilting sentiments known as Irish blessings. That the Irish are closely associated with toasts has less to do with their storied love of drink (an unfair caricature) than with their love of language and their tradition of warm hospitality. Here are a few favorites.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

May your glasses be ever full.
May the roof over your heads be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.

May the most you wish for
Be the least you get.

May your fire be as warm
As the weather is cold.

May your troubles be less
And your blessings be more,
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door.

sincerity rules

It’s nice to have a bit of clever verse to start you off, but a sincere (and succinct) expression of your own thoughts and feelings is always best. Whatever the occasion, remember FDR’s advice: Be sincere, be brief, be seated.

Setting the stage: Table tips

Gathering with friends and family to share a festive meal is a big part of what makes the holidays the holidays. And while the guests and the food are certainly the stars of the show, a beautiful table sets the stage for a more enjoyable and memorable event.

Whether you’re planning a rather formal dinner party, a more relaxed get-together with the neighbors, or an open-house buffet for a crowd, you’ll have your hands full with menu decisions and food preparation. So here are a few simple ideas for making your holiday table warm and inviting.

Light and Color

First things first: This is the time of year for candles. Tapers, pillars, votives, tealights, by the pair or by the dozen—it doesn’t matter. Dim that overhead light and let candles work their timeless magic. (Of course, be mindful of young children, or all the reaching involved in a laden buffet table.) Try to avoid perfumed candles while dining. With care, candlelight can go a long way toward enhancing a holiday mood.

Holidays all have their traditional color schemes, so unless you are really trying to counter expectations, it’s easiest to work with those colors. Silver and gold are popular color themes for holiday decorating as well and beautifully accent a traditional color scheme and help to update a table setting. Set your table with candles, linens, and accents in one or two colors—set off by complementary china, flatware and stemware. Add in silver or crystal candlesticks and serveware—and get set for compliments. Unity of color and a limited color palette makes for a stronger impact and allows you to mix traditional and contemporary styles, old and new pieces, to great effect.

The beauty of continuity

Annual holiday celebrations by their very nature mark the passing years, linking today’s gatherings with all that have gone before. By all means, make your holiday table your own fresh interpretation of the season. But consider including an heirloom piece or small objects from your family’s past as part of your table setting. It adds visual interest, sparks conversation, and helps enrich the occasion by celebrating the continuity at the heart of the holiday spirit.

Centered on food

Thanksgiving is all about harvest time. In addition to the plentiful courses being served, why not let the earth’s bounty take center stage on your table? Apples and grapes in a crystal bowl make a simple and appetizing centerpiece. Or arrange some small gourds on a silver platter, accented by fresh chrysanthemum blooms. Fall hydrangeas mixed with harvest colored flowers create a wonderful floral centerpiece in your favorite crystal vase. Take care to keep your centerpiece low enough so guests can enjoy conversation across the table.

Gifts of the season

At Christmastime, candlelight, evergreens, sweets, and presents are the order of the day. Center your table around numerous candlesticks at varying heights, some with candles and others with Christmas ornaments placed on top. Arrange evergreen boughs and/or pinecones in a crystal or silver bowl - accent with beautiful glass blown ornaments. An assortment of small wrapped gifts (one for each guest) makes a centerpiece that builds anticipation. Or place a collection of old-fashioned wooden toys on a silver platter, and at each place setting, a miniature candy cane in a shot glass.

Linear thinking

Most of the ideas above apply to the buffet table as well: warm candlelight, limited colors, and simple decorative items appropriate to the season. Just take extra care with the candles—food in front, candles out of reach. (The Swedish, masters of the winter buffet, always include whole constellations of candles.)

A successful buffet is built on a logical progression: plates first, then the main course, side dishes, bread and condiments, and utensils and napkins last. If you have room, keep the beverages on a separate table, as well as the desserts. And don’t put out the desserts right away—sometimes temptation is just too great. Especially around the holidays.

Buffet Setting

Informal Dinner Table Setting
(Salad, Entree, Dessert)

Formal Dinner Table Setting
(Soup, Salad, Entree, Dessert)

Flatware: Sharpen your knowledge.

Neither knife nor fork nor spoon is flat. So why are they called “flatware”? It’s simply an industry term to distinguish them from “holloware” such as cups and bowls. Many people call all eating utensils “silverware,” even if they’re made of stainless steel—or plastic. It can be a bit confusing. (That’s why you’re reading this, right?)

Right. In any field, understanding the terminology is the essential first step toward appreciating the differences that make life interesting. So here’s an introduction to flatware terms, along with a few tips to help make you a sharper flatware shopper.

Metal matters

After millennia experimenting with fingers (messy), sticks (splintery), and bone (toothy), human beings settled on metal (shiny!) for making durable and affordable eating utensils. Today, the metals of choice are stainless steel, sterling silver, and silverplate.

Stainless steel is an alloy of raw steel and other materials, notably chrome (to resist stains and rust), and nickel (to add color and luster). Used in the manufacture of the highest quality stainless steel products, 18/10 and 18/8 stainless steel contain a minimum of 18 percent chrome and 8 percent nickel. A third variety, 18 Chrome, contains no nickel and is therefore of a slightly different color.

Silver has a long history as a revered element, outshining even gold in some cultures. But pure silver is too soft to hold an edge or stand up to constant use. So metallurgists developed sterling silver, made of 92.5 percent pure silver with 7.5 percent copper or nickel added for increased hardness and durability. (Since 1850, any sterling silver object made in America is stamped either “.925” or “sterling.”)

How to get the look of sterling for less? Silverplate. Layers of pure silver are electroplated onto a base of copper, brass, or stainless steel. It shines like sterling, but it’s not; silverplated items are often of lighter weight compared with sterling.

Common terms

Balance describes just what you’d expect: How the weight of a piece is distributed along its length to produce a pleasing sense of equilibrium and control in your hand.

Finish refers to the final surfacing of flatware and is an important factor affecting quality (and price). Proper polishing removes the imperfections that arise in the many steps of manufacturing.

Forged knife blades are those created by subjecting them to repeated heating and hammering, generating blades of maximum strength that will retain a sharp edge.

Gauge is a measure of the thickness of flatware; generally, the thicker the piece, the more expensive. Within a single place setting, different pieces will have different gauges to create just the right feel in the hand.

Hollow handle knives, usually the finest quality knives, are made by soldering two handle halves together to create desirable dimension without undue weight, which would upset the knives’ balance.

Place settings are available as either four-piece settings, with fork, salad fork, knife, and teaspoon, or five-piece settings that also include a “place spoon” for soups and desserts.

Size goes by different names for sterling and stainless flatware. Sterling silver flatware comes in two sizes: Place size is the smaller and more common of the two, while the larger is called Dinner size. Stainless steel flatware varies by pattern and manufacturer, with Continental sizing featuring a European-style fork, knife, and place spoon that are longer than typical American sizing.

Buying tips

There’s an incredible variety of patterns to choose from. You really have to trust your own sense of style, whether you usually go for things that are clean and contemporary, classic and timeless, or elaborate and ornate.

Also consider how the flatware pattern works with your dinnerware and stemware. A handy rule of thumb known as the 2-to-1 Rule says that one of the three patterns—flatware, dinnerware, and stemware—should contrast with the other two in the amount of ornamentation.

When you find your pattern, it’s smart to order at least as many flatware settings as you have dinnerware settings. Double up on salad forks for dessert use; extra teaspoons always come in handy. And don’t forget matching serving sets for entertaining—even if it’s just for the two of you.

Give it a shot: New uses for the shot glass.

Consider the humble shot glass: Runt of the barware litter, faithful companion of the Hollywood cowboy, unassuming servant of the thirsty twentysomething. A diminutive vessel seemingly consigned to but one use: Delivering 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits in a single-serving burst.

But wait! With just a bit of imagination, you can give the lowly shot glass new purpose. Perhaps you already own a collection of shot glasses, souvenirs of your travels. Or maybe you’ve never thought about owning any—because you’ve never considered just how versatile they can be. Either way, here are some new tricks you can teach that old shot glass.

Before the meal

Mise en place. When cooking or baking, it’s always a good idea to have all your ingredients pre-measured in individual containers, ready to go. The French call it mise en place, “put in place.” Use shot glasses to hold small quantities of herbs, spices, seeds, and other seasonings while conserving valuable counter space.

Place cards. Use shot glasses to hold the place cards at a dinner party. For a little extra fun, put the guest’s name on the outside of a rolled-up piece of paper in the shot glass. Each guest unrolls the paper and reads a conversation starter such as a trivia question.

Sweet greetings. Welcome each guest to the table with a shot glass holding treats appropriate to the occasion: Candy corn at Thanksgiving, a miniature candy cane at Christmastime, cinnamon hearts for Valentine’s Day, and so on.

During the meal

On the side. Instead of passing around a bowl of salad dressing, give each guest an individual serving of dressing in a shot glass. This works for many different condiments, including cocktail sauce, barbecue sauce, tartar sauce, soy sauce, and more.

Palate cleanser. Between courses, a shot glass of sorbet refreshes the eye as well as the palate. Set out with a silver baby spoon for irresistible charm.

A little dessert. Your guests want “just a little” dessert? Oblige them with a shot-glass parfait, mousse, pudding, or pot au chocolat. Or give pie à la mode a twist by plating a small piece of pie alongside a shot glass of vanilla ice cream.

Away from the table

Wedding favors. Shot glasses make festive and memorable favors for wedding guests. You can engrave them with the newlyweds’ names and the date and location, fill them with small sweets or nuts (or rice?), and wrap them in lace or toile tied with a ribbon.

Mini-vase. Gather a few blooms from your garden and place in a shot glass on your desk at work. A lovely reminder of home.