Sweetmood No30 - May 2022

During the Renaissance, toasting lost its link to the sacred and became mainly a way to seal deals, to resolve political or economic diatribes or to settle difficult situations. It is precisely during this time that the Italian term “brindisi” is coined, which today refers to a way to celebrate an event or a person. The most accredited hypothesis traces the term back to the Spanish word “brindis”, which is a transformation of the German expression “bring dir’s” (meaning I bring to you, referring to the greeting or the glass, that is, I drink to your health) used by the Landsknechte mercenaries to address Spanish militias. In the Seventeenth century, the toast began to be associated with festive moments and was often accompanied by poetic compositions to make the evenings pleasant. In the Eighteenth century, it becomes the protagonist of parties in homes, cafés and taverns. From the Twentieth century, it turns into a popular gesture for celebrations, birthdays, but above all to welcome the new year. For all cultures “Qui boit et ne reboit/ il ne scet que boire soit”, he who drinks and does not drink again does not know what drinking is. So recites a Sixteenth century quote depicted in a famous painting by Tiziano, The Bacchanal of the Andrians (1523-1526, Museo Nacional del Prado). The musical score lying in the foreground suggests a link between music and Dionysian pleasures. And it reveals that drinking is a pleasure that one loves to repeat. A similar statement can be found in the Japanese culture, where the expression “kanpai!” invites you to drink until the last drop. Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash 40 INTERESTING FACTS

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