Spilled wine
Spilled wine was a blessing in Russia, where the host thanked the guest who tipped a glass, and in Greece it depended on the color. The host's reaction sets the tone, so a spill asks how you receive other people's accidents.
What it may mean
When a guest knocks over a glass of red, every eye goes to the host. The stain matters less than the next five seconds: a sharp intake of breath and a dash for the salt, or a laugh and a fresh napkin. In old Russia, the 1903 collection says, the host was actually obliged to the guest who spilled wine on the tablecloth, because it brought good fortune to the house. That is a generous custom, and it turns the spill into a question for you, whether you are hosting or not. How do you receive other people's accidents, the late arrival, the forgotten name, the broken plate? Making it easy for someone to recover from a slip in your company counts among the kindest things a person can do.
Depending on how you saw it
Red wine on a white tablecloth
Red wine stains because its dark pigments bind to fabric as they dry, so the cloth tells the story for days. You can choose what the story is about: the spill, or how the evening carried on. Which recent mishap would you like to remember for how it was handled?
A guest knocking over a glass
Most spills come from reaching across the table or from a sweeping gesture mid-story. The guest who did it often feels worse than the stain deserves. How could you make the next person who fumbles in front of you feel at ease?
Wine spilled on your own shirt
Old English lists of omens counted drink spilled on a man as a good sign. A splash on your own sleeve can be laughed off or brooded over. Which small embarrassment are you still carrying that could have been a joke?
A child or a pet tipping a glass
A glass left near the edge of a low table rarely survives a toddler or a wagging tail for long. The accident was really decided when the glass was set down. Where could a little thought about where you put things prevent a spill before anyone is to blame?
Why it happens in nature
Wine glasses tip easily because a tall stem and a full bowl put the weight high above a small base. Red wine stains because its dark pigments and tannins bind to fabric fibers, and a fresh spill comes out far more easily than one left to dry. Cold water works better than hot on a fresh stain.
What folk beliefs say
Russia
If, in Russia, you happened to spill a glass of wine on the tablecloth, the 1903 collection says, the master of the house would be much obliged to you, because it brought him good fortune.
Source: Cora Linn Daniels; C. M. Stevans (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, vol. 1 (1903), vol. 1, p. 414. View the page
Greece
In Greece, spilling white wine was considered fortunate, but spilling red wine unlucky.
Source: Cora Linn Daniels; C. M. Stevans (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, vol. 1 (1903), vol. 1, p. 416. View the page
England
Mason's Anatomie of Sorcerie, an English book of 1612 quoted by Brand, counts among the omens of good fortune having drink spilled upon a man.
Source: John Brand; Henry Ellis (ed.), Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, vol. 3 (1849), vol. 3, p. 251. View the page
To reflect on
How do you receive other people's small accidents when they happen in front of you?