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A toast


Toasts were gestures of respect that honored someone or something. They often involved an honorific speech and a shared alcoholic drink. The term referred to the words spoken to commemorate the event, or the drink itself.

The Human act of toasting consisted of three parts: the honorific speech, the agreement, and the symbolic drink. In the speech, one person gave cause for the toast. Everyone else present signified approval by lifting their drinks into the air, often accompanied by verbal assent. Such agreement was offered either with a language-specific, generic toast word (in English, "Cheers!"), or hearty agreement of the honorific speech, with terms such as "Hear! Hear!". Following this ritualistic agreement, the glasses of the participants were usually touched against those of everyone else within reach. The symbolic drink was then taken. If the drink on offer was of a small quantity, such as a shot, the contents were wholly consumed in a single gulp. If not, a generous portion of the total drink was taken, to indicate strong agreement.

TPols one year toast

T'Pol's one-year toast

On some occasions, a toast was refused. Generally, refusing a toast was a rude act that insulted not just the object of the toast, but the speaker offering the toast. However, if refusal was accompanied by an appropriate explanation, it was possible to disagree with the object of the toast without offending the host. Refusal of the toast was accompanied by the act of pouring out the ritual beverage, or by not holding the offered drink.

There were some Human events that required toasts pro forma, typically legally-significant events such as weddings, military promotions, and the conclusion of commercial or diplomatic negotiations.

Deanna Troi and Zefram Cochrane toasting

Deanna Troi and Zefram Cochrane share a toast

Toasts were a rather common celebratory custom, of which there were several notable examples:

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