where does the custom of toasting come from
Toast (honor)
According to various apocryphal stories , the custom of touching glasses evolved from concerns about poisoning . By one account , clinking glasses together would cause each drink to spill over into the others ' ( though there is no real evidence for such an origin ) . According to other stories , the word toast became associated with the custom in the 17th century , based on a custom of flavoring drinks with spiced toast . The word originally referred to the lady in whose honor the drink was proposed , her name being seen as figuratively flavoring the drink . The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says toasting `` is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods : blood or wine in exchange for a wish , a prayer summarized in the words ' long life ! ' or ' to your health ! ' '' 
According to various apocryphal stories , the custom of touching glasses evolved from concerns about poisoning . By one account , clinking glasses together would cause each drink to spill over into the others ' ( though there is no real evidence for such an origin ) . According to other stories , the word toast became associated with the custom in the 17th century , based on a custom of flavoring drinks with spiced toast . The word originally referred to the lady in whose honor the drink was proposed , her name being seen as figuratively flavoring the drink . The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says toasting `` is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods : blood or wine in exchange for a wish , a prayer summarized in the words ' long life ! ' or ' to your health ! ' ''
According to various apocryphal stories, the custom of touching glasses evolved from concerns about poisoning; by clinking glasses together, each drink spills over into the others.  According to other stories, the word toast became associated with the custom in the 17th century, based on a custom of flavoring drinks with spiced toast.  The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says toasting "is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods: blood or wine in exchange for a wish."
According to various apocryphal stories , the custom of touching glasses evolved from concerns about poisoning . By one account , clinking glasses together would cause each drink to spill over into the others ' ( though there is no real evidence for such an origin ) . According to other stories , the word toast became associated with the custom in the 17th century , based on a custom of flavoring drinks with spiced toast . The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture says toasting `` is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods : blood or wine in exchange for a wish , a prayer summarized in the words ' long life ! '