In Russia there is a real table etiquette, woven from various signs and superstitions, which clearly regulates who and how should pour strong drinks and rules of conduct at the festive table so that they do not accidentally cause disaster.
Do not pour on weight
The most mysterious superstition, which is difficult to find an explanation - can not be poured into glasses by weight. There are several versions of the origin of this tradition.
According to the sign, if you fill a glass on weight, then you will not have money. How one is connected with the other is unclear. It’s just considered so by analogy with the omen associated with bread. According to our ancestors, if you cut bread by weight, then the year will be barren. Apparently, alcohol in this case is considered the same valuable product, therefore, the same signs apply to it as bread.
If you take into account practical considerations, it is really undesirable to fill glasses on weight. The hand may flinch and spill alcohol on the table.
Do not clink glasses twice
If during the feast you forgot that you have already clinked glasses with this person and clink glasses twice, you should clink glasses a third time to distract trouble from yourself. In all likelihood, there is an analogy with the Holy Trinity and the custom of a triple kiss.
If you are already crazy, then you can’t put a glass on the table
This is a kind of tribute. Having sipped alcohol after a sincere toast, you thereby agree with what has been said. If you just put a glass on the table, then, thus, show disrespect or disagreement with the words spoken.
Other signs of alcohol that are difficult to explain
After the first glass do not bite. You can’t pour alcohol through your hand - to be in trouble. You can not "change the hand." During the feast, someone alone should pour. You can’t raise a glass and clink glasses with your left hand. Do not leave empty bottles on the table.
