The Early Years
Nobody knows for sure the first time a cigar was lit. Available sources suggest that the habit of smoking first caught fire in Latin America about 2000 years ago. It was then transported to North America and Europe via the European travelers and colonists in the fifteenth century, such as Christopher Columbus. Some scholars believe that the word cigar was originated from the Mayan word sikkar, which means smoking. However, this theory regarding the etymology of cigars is not universally accepted.
The Trend Becomes Popular
At first, the habit of smoking was not very well accepted. In the higher echelons of the society, this habit was frowned upon. In the early stages, it was something reserved for the members of the lowly working class. However, many high society members including royal family members secretly indulged in the pleasures of smoking cigars.
Cuban Cigar Smoker
By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the cultivation of tobacco had become popular in some states of the USA. Till then, tobacco had been cultivated mainly in Cuba, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic.
One of the prominent figures in the history of the relationship between handmade cigars and culture is King Edward VII. He was a chronic smoker and was prepared to invite the wrath of his mother, Queen Victoria. He did not come openly against his mother, but he was unapologetic about his smoking habit. After his mother’s death, in one of the first meetings, he declared to the members of the royal assembly: “Gentlemen, you may smoke.” This royal patronage helped smoking a great deal in getting an acceptable place in the culture of our society.
Present Era
During the early stages of the twentieth century, smoking became a representative habit of the quintessential male. If you are a rebel, activist, women charmer, or an action man, you must smoke. Even the advertisements of cigarette brands reflected this attitude. Gun wielding, horse-riding macho men became the advertisement symbol of many cigarette-manufacturing companies.
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