“Never cheat, steal, cheat or drink. But if you have to get dizzy, then get dizzy from happiness. If you have to steal, steal from bad friend. If you have to cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, get drunk with love and happiness in life” – so says a well-known proverb.
Also this year we’ll be popping mushrooms at parties and celebrating the end of this challenging year.
But where does this tradition come from? It’s a compelling story that begins in Rome in 100 BC, stretching from Reims in the 17th century, from Champagne in the 18th century to Manhattan in the early 19th century.
good timing
It is proven that pre-Christian pagan peoples held ceremonies to celebrate the end of the winter solstice with alcoholic beverages (but not yet champagne). Around the same time, Julius Caesar established the Roman calendar with January as the start of the year; so the solstice, the drink, and the beginning of a new year took place at the same time.
royal wine
The introduction of Champagne wine into this tradition stemmed from French coronations and Champagne’s association with royalty and nobility. In the late 400s, King Clovis unified France and became a Christian because he promised his wife. On Christmas Day 496, King Clovis was baptized in Reims, the heart of Champagne, and wines from the region were served in celebration. From then on, serving champagne wines at royal or aristocratic parties was an unwritten law. But exactly: Champagne Wines – and not yet the champagne we drink today.
Champagne as we know it today was developed in the 17th century. The French Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon did not invent champagne (although the French like to say he did), but he was instrumental in the development and popularization of champagne.
After the French Revolution, champagne even became an important part of religious rituals: for example, a ship could be baptized without a priest using “holy water” – that is, champagne.
A little nobility for everyone
As the production of champagne stabilized, the price fell and producers began to market it to the middle class. It wasn’t cheap – but affordable for special occasions. In terms of publicity, the long association of champagne with the nobility certainly helped. Between 1800 and 1850 the production of champagne increased from 300,000 to 20 million bottles per year.
In the 19th century, toasting champagne became a global tradition associated with happy days. In the 1800s, champagne was quite common in Europe and the USA, but it was still not a holiday drink. Between 1850 and 1900, champagne consumption quadrupled in the United States, and in the late 19th century, champagne was served almost exclusively at parties and celebrations.
Sparkling wine that has only come from Champagne since 1891 can also be called champagne.
There is a legend about a bar in New York from the early 1900s: Cafe Martin was famous for its champagne menu, where hundreds of different champagnes could be tasted. The report said the cafe hangs a sign that reads “Champagne only” every New Year’s Eve at 9am. Around the same time, in 1907, celebrations in New York began with the famous Ball Drop in Times Square, just meters north of Cafe Martin.
Of course, we don’t know if Cafe Martin is the first place to introduce high-end Christmas parties; but it’s good to know that the old celebration traditions have continued through the years.
With Spumante, Champagne, Prosecco, Moscato or Cava, beer or children’s syrup: I wish you a wonderful and sparkling New Year’s! And remember what Stephen Hawking († 76) said: “Look at the stars – not at your feet! Be curious and no matter how hard life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It’s about not giving up.”