Hungary Heritage Moment: Why they don't cheers beers here

I tipped my pint of beer in for a cheers and my Canadian friend got serious, leaned in and said Hungarians only started cheers-ing their beers again recently when the 100-year ban was lifted. “But there are still old school guys who would frown on you for doing that.”

This was my first night on the town in Budapest. We had been cheers-ing and clunking glasses with co-workers at a wine bar all night, in the Hungarian-style: shouting, and mispronouncing, “Egészségedre.” When we switched to beer, it supposedly wasn’t cool anymore.

I was curious. A strange rule banning beer glass clinking for some randomly appointed term? So I did some homework.

In 1848 cities all over Europe were in the throes of revolution, inspired by liberal and nationalist ideals. Everything looked promising for the masses. Kings were overthrown, tyrants were in retreat, people were voting and parliaments were being convened – 1848 seemed like a European Spring.

Hungary was no different. As part of the Austrian Empire at this time, protests hit the streets for more autonomy. A parliament was soon convened, rights were granted and independence was declared. Battles were won and things looked promising for the Hungarians.

Then, after decades of keeping them out of Central Europe, the Austrians desperately asked Imperial Russia to help put down the popular uprising. The czar’s army invaded, pretty much blowing the whistle on an independent Hungary. Everywhere else, the initial hope of the revolutions evaporated as kings and emperors retook their thrones.
 
The Hungarians made it clear they were surrendering to the Russians, not the Austrians. Not really caring who surrendered to whom, the Austrians began executing and imprisoning members of the Hungarian independence movement. 

As the story goes, 13 generals were rounded up and executed in Arad. As this was happening, a few Austrian generals were off to the side, pounding down beers, cheers-ing, loudly clanking their beers, and celebrating their "victory" – pretty much acting as despicably you can at a hanging.

This frat boy behaviour inspired a 150-year ban on cheers-ing beers in Hungary – no one I’ve asked knows why the ban lasted for 150 years. No one even has a theory, it was just a round number or something. So, people could clink their wine glasses, their Palinka or their juice boxes, but apparently not beer, until 1999, when the statute of limitations on beer glass clunking expired.

Like any nationalist emotion, some people carry a grudge for a long time, but most Hungarians I've asked about this episode aren't very concerned about it, if our beers-cheers-ing wasn't evidence enough. It seems to be a nationalist tradition that many no longer abide by.

But some people still hold old nationalist grudges near and dear to their hearts in this part of the world. No one has told me to stop when I've loudly, and debaucherously, cheers-ed my beers with expats and Hungarians alike, but my friend's warning sticks with me and I still look over my shoulder when I do this.

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A note about sources. Information about the cheers-ing incident comes from the internet: Google, Wikipedia, The Economist, and bar-room chats with Hungarian friends. Background about the 1848 revolutions came from memory of history lectures long past and 1848: Year of Revolution by Mike Rapport, which you should read.