Tag: traditions

Tsiknopempti

Yesterday was Tsiknopempti – one of my favourite Cyprus holidays.  There are many names for it in English, but none of them really explains what’s going on.  Some of the names are “Barbecue Thursday”, “Meat Thursday”, “Grill Thursday”, “Smelly/Stinky Thursday”, “Fat Thursday“, etc.  Most of the people work only half day, and from around midday or so, the grills are coming out and everyone is cooking meat – ribs, chops, sausages, etc.  The smell of barbecue is in the air everywhere.

Today, is a Recovery Day.  But I don’t know yet if anyone is celebrating it but me.

The origin of toasts

Yesterday I heard the story of toasting origins.  It sounded interesting, but somewhat unrealistic.  It turned out to be true:

The practice of toasting originated in Ancient Greece, at a time when fear of poisoning was a significant concern. To put guests at ease, the host would pour the guests’ wine from a common decanter, take the first drink to demonstrate its safety, then raise his cup to the guests and invite them to drink in good health.