Eat, drink, and be merry
Meaning
It encourages enjoying the simple pleasures of life, especially food and celebration, without worrying about the future.
Origin
The enduring call to "eat, drink, and be merry" resonates directly from the ancient wisdom of the Hebrew Bible. It first appears in the philosophical Book of Ecclesiastes, penned by a disillusioned Teacher who grapples with the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. Faced with such profound uncertainty, the Teacher concludes that the only true good is to embrace the present joys: "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry." This stark, yet liberating, injunction was later echoed in the New Testament and became a timeless mantra, encouraging humanity to find solace and joy in the moment amidst life's inherent impermanence.
Examples
- After a long week of deadlines, all I want to do is eat, drink, and be merry this weekend.
- They decided to throw a huge party for their 50th anniversary, believing it was the perfect time to eat, drink, and be merry.