Breaking glasses

[Edward Keenan]

Very old.  See naive but unquestionably authentic descriptions by English
travellers in 1589 (or later) edition of Hakluyt's "Principal Navigations...."

>Does anyone know the origin of the tradition of smashing glasses after
>toasting?  Is this a specifically Russian custom?  Is it still done, or
>just the stuff of novels?
>
>Frank
>Franklin A. Sciacca
>Department of German and Russian
>Program in Russian Studies
>Hamilton College
>198 College Hill Road
>Clinton, NY  13323
>fsciacca at hamilton.edu
>
>