Cigarette smokers usually puff away on breaks at work, drives to the grocery, or yard work at home. Whereas cigarette smoke is typically a pastime, cigar smoking is a culture. People usually smoke cigars during special occasions, whether it’s to celebrate a first kid, seal a business deal, or enjoy a night of poker with one’s buddies. Further evidence of how firmly entrenched cigar smoking is in the American culture is the fact that Red Auerbach lit a ceremonial cigar after his Boston Celtics won yet another basket ball championship. Then, there is the wide circulation of cigar magazines like Cigar Aficionado in newsstands. 

These periodicals include features like cigar ratings, international tobacconists, and cigar friendly restaurants. Considering how popular cigar smoking is, it’s, thus, only fitting to pay homage to cigar cutters in the same tobacco aficionados pay their respects to the almighty Cuban. In the end, cigar smoking begins with a cigar cutter’s snip of the tobacco product. One reason cigar smoking became more popular than ever before might be the possibility that compared to cigarette smoking, cigar smoking is less dangerous to one’s health. The reason is that whenever one smokes cigar, one doesn’t inhale its smoke. Perhaps this explains how comedian George Burns, a life time cigar smoker, reached the ripe old age of one hundred years. 

Other famous personalities who’ve become icon due in part to their cigar smoking include: Bigger than life British leader Winston Churchill, after which a cigar size was named. Austrian Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who frequently smoked during sessions with his patients. American author Mark Twain, who claimed to have smoked whenever he was awake. Comedy actor Groucho Marx, who frequently smoked a short, thick cigar. Cigars Have a Past Comedian George Burns, who used cigars to time his routine, served as the unofficial face of cigar smokers. While that face became much more diverse in latest times, the essence of cigar smoking has remained unchanged. 

Cigars are frequently linked to celebrations of good luck and little triumphs. While they’ve historically been regarded as a rich person’s pastime, cigars have increasingly become more common in modern culture. In addition, you’ve probably heard about the phrase, close, but no cigar. Do you know where this expression comes from? The origin of the saying is the practice of saving a cigar as a good luck charm, in hopes of winning a bet made. Other cigar legends involve people as opposed to activities. For instance, English King Ed VII loved smoking cigars despite opposition from his mother. One story reveals that after his mother passed away, King Ed regally announced to his guests males, Gentleman, you might smoke. It must be noted that they probably used knives as opposed to cigar cutters.