Post by KG on Jun 22, 2013 14:54:25 GMT
Navy bans historic toast to the ‘wives and sweethearts':
From tonight, for the first time in 200 years, Royal Navy officers aboard ship will no longer utter the traditional Saturday night toast to “Our Wives and Sweethearts”.
The Toasts of the Royal Navy were a set of traditional drinking toasts:
Sunday "Absent Friends"
Monday "Our Ships at Sea"
Tuesday "Our Sailors"
Wednesday "Ourselves" (As no-one else is likely to concern themselves with our welfare!)
Thursday "A Bloody War or a Sickly Season"
Friday "A Willing Foe and Sea-Room"
Saturday "Our Families"
The words in brackets were understood but unspoken, though often those not toasting would have said them in response. By tradition, these toasts were proposed immediately after the loyal toast, on the relevant day of the week.
While most of these toasts are self-explanatory, "a bloody war or a sickly season" refers to the desire and likelihood of being promoted when many people die: during war or sickness. The Navy traditionally makes the loyal toast seated, due to the evident danger of low deck heads on wooden sailing ships.
LINK 1: www.ss-tregenna.co.uk/Humour.htm
LINK 2: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346330/Navy-ditches-toast-wives-sweethearts-time-200-years-women-sea.html
LINK 3: www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/defence/article3797833.ece
From tonight, for the first time in 200 years, Royal Navy officers aboard ship will no longer utter the traditional Saturday night toast to “Our Wives and Sweethearts”.
The Toasts of the Royal Navy were a set of traditional drinking toasts:
Sunday "Absent Friends"
Monday "Our Ships at Sea"
Tuesday "Our Sailors"
Wednesday "Ourselves" (As no-one else is likely to concern themselves with our welfare!)
Thursday "A Bloody War or a Sickly Season"
Friday "A Willing Foe and Sea-Room"
Saturday "Our Families"
The words in brackets were understood but unspoken, though often those not toasting would have said them in response. By tradition, these toasts were proposed immediately after the loyal toast, on the relevant day of the week.
While most of these toasts are self-explanatory, "a bloody war or a sickly season" refers to the desire and likelihood of being promoted when many people die: during war or sickness. The Navy traditionally makes the loyal toast seated, due to the evident danger of low deck heads on wooden sailing ships.
LINK 1: www.ss-tregenna.co.uk/Humour.htm
LINK 2: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346330/Navy-ditches-toast-wives-sweethearts-time-200-years-women-sea.html
LINK 3: www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/defence/article3797833.ece