Cigar etiquette is polite behaviour when

smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

. For example, in 19th century

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, it was considered an insult to give another smoker a light from your cigar without first knocking off the

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

from the cigar. Another breach of

etiquette Etiquette () is the set of norms of personal behaviour in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviours that accord with the conventions and norms observed and practised by a ...

was to pass on a cigar to a third-party to light up too - loaned cigars should instead be returned with a polite flourish.

Zino Davidoff

Rules of cigar etiquette were published in 1967 by Swiss tobacconist

Zino Davidoff Davidoff is a Swiss premium brand of cigars, cigarettes and smoker's accessories. The Davidoff cigarette brand has been owned by Imperial Brands after purchasing it in 2006. The non-cigarette portion of the Davidoff tobacco brand is owned by O ...

in his essay entitled "Zino Davidoff's Guide to Cigar Etiquette." The essay calls for cigar aficionados to do such things as smoke the cigar only halfway, let it burn out on its own, never ask another smoker for a light, refrain from smoking while walking, etc. Davidoff dismisses the elaborate rituals of lighting, says that removing or leaving the band are equally correct, and insists that a gentleman never relights a cigar that is more than two-thirds smoked.

Other rules of etiquette

A number of sets of rules of cigar etiquette besides Davidoff's have been compiled and published from time to time. These include:

New York Times

In a 2005 article in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

Harry Hurt III Harry Hurt III (born November 13, 1951) is an American author and journalist. He was formerly senior editor of the ''Texas Monthly'' and a ''Newsweek'' correspondent, and his articles have appeared in publications such as ''The New York Times'', ' ...

suggested four basic rules of cigar etiquette: # Confine indoor cigar smoking to cigar parlors. # Don't chain-smoke cigars. # Don't offend non-smokers with the smell of cigar smoke on your clothes or breath. # Don't ask, don't tell if it's a Cuban cigar.

Cigar Aficionado

Cigar Aficionado ''Cigar Aficionado'' is an American magazine that is dedicated to enjoying the good life and the world of cigars. Published since September 1992, the magazine is known for its profiles on celebrities including Michael Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Th ...

's'' book ''Cigar Companion'' suggests two sets of rules: one when among non-smokers, and another when among cigar smokers. One should never smoke except where smoking is appreciated, and care should be taken to minimize criticism from non-smokers from the smell of smoke in one's home or on one's clothes. Among other cigar smokers, it suggests rules governing sharing, cutting, lighting, humidors, women cigar smokers, and gifts. It concludes with one ironclad rule: never give a prank

exploding cigar An exploding cigar is a variety of cigar that Explosive material, explodes shortly after being lit. Such cigars are normally packed with a minute chemical explosive charge near the lighting end or with a non-chemical device that ruptures the ciga ...

, and do not associate with anyone who does. Shanken, Marvin R. ''Cigar Companion''
Running Press, 2005 pp177-178

References

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