Skip to main content

Reply to "11 things you should know before visiting Moscow"

A special note about "Na zdorovie!"

This toast isn't as popular as you think.
Getty Images

This famed Russian drinking toast is actually a cliche born from Hollywood movies. Much more commonly, Russians will give a short, improvised speech as a toast. That speech may sometimes end with "za zdorovie," which means "to health." But "na zdorovie" is widely acknowledged as a hackneyed, tone-deaf phrase.

FM
×
×
×
×
×
×