It’s the time of the year again! A season where gatherings fill the schedule and the celebration seems to never end. And since we are talking about celebration, it would, for most people, be not complete without alcoholic drinks.
Alcoholic drinks have a long history. Although it served various purposes such as for religious rites, medicinal care, business discussion and commemoration of events, one of its main functions is, undoubtedly, an aid to make socialization easier.
The ancient Greeks used alcoholic drinks to intoxicate themselves on their symposiums. Well, think of it as a party exclusive for Greek dudes, with all those women dancers as entertainers, those pots and sculptures for artistic appreciation, those garlands for aromatic fragrance and those couches for comfort. Only that they are having serious conversations about life and the world, thus entering into philosophical dialogues.
Until recently, it has been used as a social lubricant. Although there are various social etiquettes and manners of drinking in different countries, its common theme is that it is used to ease socialization. One popular casual drinking event is social drinking where people drink without the intention of getting drunk. Hence, it is more of acquiring a little alcohol spirit so that the conversation will run smoother.
There are a lot of social gestures and etiquettes too governing drinking. One common gesture is buying someone a drink as a sign of good will. It may also be a sign of gratitude or forgiveness. An English journalist known as William Graves also developed rules that should be followed in drinking in pubs. This is commonly known as the “Greaves Rules”. The one that should be noted is the rule number 1 which states that the first open that enter through the door must be the “benefactor” who should buy for the drinks for his companions, known as the “first round”. There is an unspoken understanding though that when the drink is nearly consumed, one of his companions will reciprocate. Rule number 5 states that any new entrants are not expected to buy drinks for one’s self, rather, he is expected to join any table which invites him. If instead he is in a rush, he must say the words “Thanks, but I’m only popping for one”. Another etiquette is if the party has a BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer) rule, it is proper for the person to leave any unconsumed drinks that he brought as a gesture of appreciation to the host and it also shows responsibility on the guest’s part.
So why am I stating all of these? What I’m just pointing out is that drinking is a social event. Like eating, we must not forget the Others in front of us. We should not be too individualistic and drink only for the pleasure of ourselves. Rather, we should enjoy the smooth flow of conversation while enjoying the drinks. At the same time, we must not be too personalistic too and talk and drink with close friends and relatives only. Maybe try talking to a distant relative or friend then while drinking next time? Well, maybe it sounds too shallow to connect to philosophy, but I’m just emphasizing the social aspect of drinking. So yeah, cheers and have a happy holidays!
Reference: Greave’s Rules http://www.oxfordpubguide.co.uk/rules.html
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