קולטור

Lekhayim!

The phrase “לחיים” (lekhayim) is a toast and a blessing. It comes from the Hebrew phrase “to life”, and is used equally in Yiddish.

The custom of saying this phrase, which has been around for centuries, probably sounds familiar: people raise their glasses of brandy, whisky, or wine, and say lekhayim! immediately before drinking. The phrase is so familiar in Yiddish that it is used when inviting someone for a drink: “Let’s have a drink!” – ”Lomir makhn a lekhayim!” (literally: ”Let’s make a lekhayim!”).