What are the best moments to enjoy a cigar? What occasions and events are favorable for smoking? What can be the health consequences for a smoker who consumes one or more cigars daily?
For someone who is discovering the pleasures of cigars, a special occasion is a prerequisite for their enjoyment. Once you have discovered cigars, the only real condition for smoking them is to have enough time to relax and appreciate their flavors.
However, it should be noted that some cigars are better suited than others to different circumstances or times of day. This is particularly true when considering the strength of our favorite cigars.
In this article, we will look at the special moments when it is appreciated to enjoy a cigar. The type of occasion will also depend on the frequency of consumption. This article will therefore address:
- Occasional smokers
- Weekly smokers
- Regular smokers
Smoking a cigar occasionally
Are you one of those who enjoy smoking on a particular occasion that is remembered for a long time and makes a day special? Many occasions may be appropriate for enjoying a cigar.
Whether for a birthday party, a family celebration like Christmas Eve, or to celebrate an event, the cigar is a way to treat yourself and bring a special moment of conviviality, just like tasting a good bottle of rum or whiskey.
At a party
Associated with relaxation and leisure, it appears obvious that a party is an ideal occasion for lighting up a cigar. Many types of parties can perfectly lend themselves to this. Here are a few:
For a birthday
Your birthday or that of a loved one may be the best festive event to smoke. This can be an opportunity to offer a beautiful cigar box to your friend whose birthday it is, and with whom you may have already had the opportunity to share a cigar.
With such a gift, you are sure to please him. There is no doubt that he will insist on tasting the cigars you have offered him, with you during his birthday party. So it's a great gift idea! When your birthday comes, he may take your idea and offer you cigars in return. So don't hesitate to choose a beautiful cigar box for your friend!
For a family celebration
Family gatherings are also a time when we like to feel relaxed, and where we often have long discussions with family members we haven't seen in a long time.
Alcohol is also often present, and these evenings tend to last until late. Once dessert is over, comes the digestive. It is a term that is associated with alcohol, but it could just as well be attributed to cigars.
That's why after a feast, alcohol and cigars are a good omen to get back on track and continue the evening in good conditions!
For the national holiday
Other annual festive moments are also conducive to smoking a cigar. We think in particular of the national holiday on July 14th! Imagine yourself on a beautiful and warm summer evening, comfortably seated on a patch of grass, eagerly awaiting the start of the fireworks display! Depending on where you live, this event can last 30 minutes and you have to arrive at least an hour early to get the best seats. This makes it an ideal moment to appreciate a good cigar and be amazed by the spectacle that unfolds before you!
To celebrate an event
Smoking to celebrate an event that will make you evolve in your life allows you to associate the cigar with the reward of a personal success.
This creates an association between the positive and defining moments of one's life and the enjoyment of one's favorite cigar.
For a professional achievement
Getting a promotion or signing a big contract can be the result of years of hard work and when it happens, all you want to do is celebrate this event with your loved ones! Even if you've never tasted a cigar before, this kind of occasion can be the moment to try it out!
For the acquisition of a property
Another event that doesn't happen every day is investing in a property and becoming a homeowner! You've finally completed all the paperwork and now you have your own place where you can start a new life.
This is traditionally followed by a housewarming party in the following weeks! This is the kind of party where restraint is not required and where alcohol flows freely! It is also the perfect time for you to treat yourself to delicious cigars that will accompany this delightful evening.
For a wedding
In a different style, but just as joyful and rare, is the wedding! The union of two loving individuals who decide to symbolize their union through this ceremony that will remain forever engraved in their memories.
The evening of the wedding is associated with a big party in honor of the newlyweds and the atmosphere is very festive! It's a perfect opportunity to indulge in the best cigars. This kind of event is often crowded, and you're sure to find other enthusiasts to join you!
For a birth
Congratulations, you're a dad! Your offspring now sees the light of day, is doing well, and you will now have new responsibilities on your shoulders, and not the least. Taking care of a baby is not an easy task, and smoking a good cigar can symbolize THE moment of relaxation that you allow yourself before embarking on this adventure and making this little one a child you will be proud of!
It is also a moment that you can take to recharge your batteries and meditate on the turning point your life is taking, and reflect on your future plans for you and your new family.
For a trip
You're finally on vacation and you've planned to go on a trip to change your mind and see new horizons. You will experience unique moments and discover new places and people.
All your senses will be in turmoil during this well-deserved break! It's a time when you step out of your routine and allow yourself more things.
It's therefore an ideal time to smoke a good cigar. Whether it's after a day filled with a sporting activity, a hike, or a visit, the best time to savor this delicious cigar that has traveled with you will be in the evening.
You will be relaxed, have had a pleasant day, and after a good dinner, you will continue with the tasting of a cigar that will certainly be accompanied by an alcohol carefully chosen by you!
For smoking a cigar once a week
A small guilty pleasure that you consider as a reward for the work done during the week, smoking a cigar is a moment of relaxation that you gladly allow yourself. Settled comfortably on your deckchair, watching a movie, or for an evening at your place or a friend's, you always have a cigar on hand that is waiting for you to be consumed.
The weekend cigar
A period of the week synonymous with relaxation and rest, it's also during the weekend that many opportunities arise to enjoy a cigar.
Whether it's to complete a boozy evening, accompany the digestion of a hearty lunch, discover new flavors during an evening dedicated to cigar tasting, you will easily find a moment in your weekend that is particularly suitable for enjoying a tasty cigar!
For a barbecue
A perfect occasion for the summer season, barbecues are an excellent excuse to bring out a box of cigars. After taking care of the barbecue and enjoying the food that you have enhanced the taste of through your impeccable cooking, there's nothing like a well-deserved cigar to accompany the digestion of your feast!
For a poker night
Another gathering where a cigar fits perfectly is a poker night. An important stock of alcohol has been planned, the cards are ready to be dealt, so it's the perfect time to light up a cigar. A game of poker can easily drag on depending on the players around the table, and you will enjoy having a cigar to keep you company if you happen to leave the game earlier than planned!
For an outing to a smoking club
If you want to smoke with other smokers in order to exchange and learn more about cigars, know that there are clubs dedicated to this. It's an excellent way to discover new cigars and find the one that suits you best! Events are also organized there. As a cigar smoker, it's a place to visit for at least one evening!
Smoking one cigar per day
We enter the category of heavy smokers who have made cigars an accessory associated with their way of life. The cigar has long ceased to hold any secrets for you, but you still rejoice in discovering new ones and sharing them with your friends who share your taste for this moment of conviviality.
Cigar in the evening
Some cigar enthusiasts have the habit of starting the day off gently with a light cigar and smoking a stronger one after a good meal. However, the after-dinner cigar is particularly successful. We'll talk about it just below.
After dinner
After dinner is certainly the best time of day to smoke a cigar, and for several reasons.
You have a full stomach, which is always recommended when smoking.
It's a natural transition to sip a sumptuous alcohol after dinner. A bourbon, a scotch, a rum, a cognac, and many others perfectly complement a cigar consumed after the meal.
It's also the best time to relax and reminisce with friends while smoking. The day is over, and you have nothing else planned except to spend a pleasant moment to end it beautifully.
Smoking a cigar alone or with friends is an effective way to do so.
While it's not necessary to smoke powerful cigars, the end of a good meal is certainly the ideal time to indulge in a strong blend.
The impact on health
As any cigar enthusiast will tell you, cigars and cigarettes are in two different leagues. Cigarettes come with a warning label; cigars come with an elegant box. A cigarette can last five minutes; a good cigar can last an hour or more.
While cigarette consumption has steadily decreased over the years, cigar consumption has become more popular, with an increase of over 33% between 1996 and 2006. However, cigars are not without danger.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a cigar emits up to 90 times the level of nitrosamines of a cigarette, which are powerful carcinogenic compounds.
If you have too regular consumption, it can have serious consequences for your health. Smoking a cigar to celebrate a happy event may be harmless, however, smoking only one cigar per day on a regular basis poses a serious threat to health, both for the smoker and for people who are exposed to smoke.
Cigarettes and cigars both contain similar ingredients, such as tar, tobacco, and carcinogenic substances, and when you smoke either one, you expose yourself to serious health problems.
It should be noted that cigar smoke has higher levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (many of which are known carcinogens) than cigarette smoke.
There is a common misconception that one does not inhale when smoking a cigar. However, even if inhalation is minimal, it is still present.
Whether you intentionally inhale or not while smoking cigars, the risk of lung cancer is always present, although it is low.
On the other hand, cigar smokers are at greater risk of developing head and neck cancer, which can affect the tongue, throat, and even the larynx. Head and neck cancers are the most common cancers associated with cigar consumption.
As if that wasn't enough, smoking cigars can also increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or having a stroke. It also does not help maintain good oral hygiene.
According to the NIH, smoking one or two cigars per day doubles the risk of mouth, lip, tongue, throat, and esophageal cancer. If you smoke more than two per day, the risk increases dramatically.
For cigar smokers who inhale the smoke into their lungs, the risk of cancer skyrockets.
It is also known that, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, cancer is not the only health risk associated with excessive cigar consumption. It increases the risk of coronary disease by 30% and emphysema by 45%.
The need to quit smoking depends on the amount of cigars you smoke and why you smoke. If you smoke one or more cigars per day, do everything possible to at least reduce your consumption. Cigars generally do not create addiction like cigarettes, so it is easier to reduce or quit.
You may need to reconsider your habits, but it will help preserve what you value most and allow you to occasionally enjoy a cigar under better conditions and for longer periods of time! Therefore, we invite you to consume cigars in moderation.
