# What is the origin of smashing a bottle of champagne on a ship to christen it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201 "2003-01-02T14:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jbrady33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/97f17d/32.png) [@jbrady33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbrady33)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/1 "2003-01-02T14:03:23Z")
What is the origin of smashing a bottle of champagne on a ship to christen it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/2 "2003-01-02T14:10:56Z")
I don’t know. But as a WAG, offerings have long been made to gods or spirits. My guess is that the champagne is an offering to the sea-gods or the spirit of the ship to ensure safe journeys. Why champagne? I’ll guess that the “birth” of a ship is a festive occasion, and that champagne is a festive drink. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/3 "2003-01-02T14:11:53Z")
I bet it’s because no one really likes champagne. If you are going to waste precious liquor on ceremony, champagne is the obvious choice. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/4 "2003-01-02T14:16:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zagadka \* > \*\*I bet it’s because no one really likes champagne. If you are going to waste precious liquor on ceremony, champagne is the obvious choice. 😉 \*\* So, it’s a promotional move on the part of the champagne industry? 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/5 "2003-01-02T14:19:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*So, it’s a promotional move on the part of the champagne industry? 😉 😃 \*\* Yes, just like New Years. And little do most people know that sexual human reproduction was actually started up by cigar companies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/6 "2003-01-03T00:40:45Z")
Blood sacrifices are frowned upon of late. Red wine had been proven to be acceptable to most of the gods in lieu of blood. Champagne is considered to be a more ceremonial wine among Westerners today than merlot. (The naming ceremonies of both the _Clownfish_ and _SeaBiscuit_ involved home-brewed beer, and neither of them have attracted the wrath of Poseidon, therefore I conclude the gods are more interested in the sincerity of the ritual rather than the actual physical components.) ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-smashing-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-a-ship-to-christen-it/146201/7 "2003-01-03T00:58:10Z")
All I could google was this > [@](#): > > CHRISTENING CEREMONY Courtesy of ETC (SW) Kenneth Keller > > The origin of the christening ceremony for ships dates back into antiquity. The sponsor of a ship is believed to hold a special place in the hearts of the sailors who man the ship. Ancient tradition holds that the spirit of the sponsor enters the ship at christening and remains there forever. This pre-history tradition is still practiced today by most nations of the world. [http://home.att.net/~c.mcmanus/NavyTrivia.htm](http://home.att.net/~c.mcmanus/NavyTrivia.htm)