The video that goes with this episode can be found on my YouTube channel: Episode 031 Toasting is a huge thing in Russia. Has been for ages. A full glass must be drunk to the bottom after every toast, because “a toast without wine is like a wedding without a bride!” A traditional Russian drinking party usually includes a sequence of several standard toasts. You can refresh them by watching my Most Common Russian Drinking Toasts/Phrases video. The most common first toast is... To our meeting! За встречу! [za FSTRYE-tchoo] … sort of an ice-breaker toast:) Another good opener toast is… To our health! Будем здоровы! [BOO-dem zda-RO-vy] The toasts that follow largely depend on the occasion that brought the people together. At a birthday party, the first toast (with wishes of health, success and a long life) is usually to the birthday guy or lady. The second toast is to their parents as a sign of honor. At a wedding, the first toast is “To the health of the newlyweds.” After that, the gu...