How Russians Toast When Drinking Vodka
When Russians drink vodka, a toast is obligatory before you drink, after which you toast once more, and then drink again (hm, the mind is a bit hazy on the subject, but all of that does sound very familiar…). The system is a bit weird though, because the toasts usually go in a specific order. Now back in the day, people in Russia would say: “To Stalin!” Yeah,!” Of course, nowadays it’s different, and a great deal depends on where you are, whom or what you’re toasting the first, second and third time…etc. There’s a common misconception in Western Europe and the US that Russians actually say “na zdorovie” when toasting with vodka or anything else. It does not mean “to your health” as some believe. A more appropriate Russian-style toast that means ‘to your health’ would be “vashe zdorovie.” You can also use “za milyh dam,” which means “to lovely women.”
