Why We Toast With Champagne On New Year's Eve

Published on May 28, 2023.

Each year, millions of people worldwide will celebrate the coming of the New Year by raising their glasses and saying cheers to each other. Many cultures have different traditions on how they observe it, but most have in common that they use some type of alcoholic beverage to express hope for health or prosperity in years to come. But where did this tradition come from? Why do we raise our glasses with champagne in the New Year when there are plenty of other things that could be used, like water or milk? Here's a look at why we toast with champagne on New Year's Eve and how this tradition started.

The Beginning of A Royal Region

Royal families drank champagne instead of water because it was safer since it doesn't breed bacteria like water can. Drinking champagne also added to their royal status. This custom made its way down to most Western celebrations where champagne is served, such as weddings and ball drops. The best time to drink a toast is at midnight—not earlier or later—because that is when old habits die and new ones begin!
To toast is to wish good health or prosperity. It was customary to drink a toast to a ruler before an audience in ancient Rome. To demonstrate respect and support, people would offer their glass to be filled with wine or beer from their lord's cup. The first documented use of toast as we use it today dates back to 1796, when people would salute Napoleon by giving him an alcoholic beverage in honor of his victories, which helped popularize cheers as a form of celebration.

Champagne's Celebratory Lineage

Champagne is associated with celebratory occasions, and there's a good reason for that. The tradition of drinking champagne on New Year's dates back to the 17th century when wealthy French citizens would drink champagne as a symbol of prosperity. This tradition has been carried on ever since by wine aficionados and party-throwers alike. Toasting has long been considered an important component of any celebration. We are reminded that it's not just food and drink we gather to celebrate, but friends as well. And what better way to honor our loved ones than with sparkling wine? While many different traditions are associated with how we ring in each new year, no one can deny that bubbly brings us joy.

New Year's During Prohibition

The origin of toasting champagne on New Year's comes from a particularly strange part of American history. Starting in 1920, alcohol was illegal in America and it wasn't until 1933 that Prohibition was repealed. During Prohibition, you could be arrested for holding a toast at midnight. So, when midnight rolled around each year, and people gathered together to celebrate on January 1st, they would do so secretly by drinking out of empty bottles or hiding behind closed doors. When people finally started legally drinking again in 1933, there were huge celebrations all over America and since alcohol had been limited during Prohibition, people made up for lost time.