🍷 Eucharist
A Christian sacrament with bread and wine.
The Eucharist is a Christian sacrament with bread and wine. It recalls the Last Supper, Jesus's final meal with his disciples. The word comes from Greek and means thanksgiving. Other names are communion and Holy Communion. The rite exists among Catholics, Orthodox and many Protestants, though they understand it differently.
In the rite, wine symbolises the blood of Christ. So for centuries the church needed wine, and it had to be made. In many countries monasteries took care of it: monks planted vineyards and kept winemaking knowledge alive. This created the link between church and wine in Europe, for example in Burgundy and Germany.
The Eucharist is tied to wine and to history. During Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933) the sale of alcohol was banned, but wine for communion was allowed and churches kept receiving it. Wine for the rite is called sacramental wine.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Eucharist → image → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Previous step
- 🍷 Prohibition in the United States, 🍷 Monasteries and wine
- Related to
- 🍷 Wine
- Part of
- 🍷 History of wine
Frequently asked questions
What is the Eucharist?
A Christian sacrament with bread and wine recalling the Last Supper.
Why is wine important to the church?
It symbolises the blood of Christ, so churches needed wine for centuries.
Was wine for communion allowed during Prohibition in the US?
Yes, it was permitted for church rites.
What to read next
- 🍷 Prohibition in the United States — From 1920 to 1933 the making and sale of alcohol were banned in the US; wine for religious rites was one of the few exceptions.
- 🍷 Monasteries and wine — In the Middle Ages, monks preserved and improved winemaking for church services and income.
Similar
🍷 Noah's vineyard · 🍷 Kiddush · 🍷 Toast (honor) · 🍷 In vino veritas · 🍷 Jean-Antoine Chaptal · 🍷 Saint Nino