by Aussie Oz 18 Replies latest social humour
mP, I was thinking the same thing - that's what I was taught by the JWS. Gesundheit means the same thing - it's to ward off demons entering your soul when you sneeze and are vulnerable.
I think I'll poke around the net to see if that is just a JW lie, or a true superstition.
Hey, Oz -- you said LUCKY! woo hoo!
:P
I remember one American brother that though speaking almost nothing in Spanish, he always said "¡Salud!" (meaning "Health!"). He was really enthusiastic saying it. There's no "JW tradition" about saying that so I didn't realize there was something bad about saying "Bless you" in English.
It’s amazing how you don’t even realize that not saying it may seem rude to the person sneezing.
I intend to say it from now on.
Its not like i heard the sneeze and thought 'bless you', then had an aversion to saying it, it just never entered my head in the first place ...
It was imprinted into me that it was superstitious - allegedly stemming from beliefs about the soul leaving the body and evil spirits getting in or some such nonsense - and a 'true Christian' wouldn't say it.
It took a while to feel comfortable with it, but I now say either 'bless you' or 'Gesundheit,' depending on what comes into my head first. However, I've never known anyone be offended by my not saying it.
I used to say "Bless you" when I was a JW, I only did it to be controversial, all the JW's I said it to smiled and said "thank you", with a sort of funny look, but I was laughing too so they knew I only did it to provoke.
It has become natural for me to say it since leaving, with just a wry mental smile as I remember the old JW explanation for not saying it, which I viewed as a JW superstition of its own.
The other thing that has become natural to me is swearing like an old sea-dog, which takes me by surprise sometimes, as I realise I am peppering my speach with "profanities", much more than most people who have never been a JW.
Well, I am curious, so looked it up ....
From The Straight Dope:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1958/why-do-we-say-god-bless-you-after-a-sneeze
The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, "Kyrie Eleison" (Greek for "Lord have mercy"). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished.
The connection of sneezing to the plague is not the first association of sneezing with death. According to Man, Myth, and Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown, many cultures, even some in Europe, believe that sneezing expels the soul--the "breath of life"--from the body. That doesn't seem too far-fetched when you realize that sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour!
We know today, of course, that when you sneeze, your heart doesn't stop, nor will your eyes pop out if you can keep them open (www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_30 4.html), nor does your soul get expelled. What does get expelled are hundreds upon thousands of microscopic germs. The current advice when you sneeze is to cover your mouth with your arm rather than your hand. That way, all those germs won't be on your hands when you touch the countless things you're going to touch in the course of the day (don't tell us; we don't want to know).
There are many superstitions regarding sneezing, some of which you've already listed. But here are some of my favorites.
Sneeze on Monday for health,
Sneeze on Tuesday for wealth,
Sneeze on Wednesday for a letter,
Sneeze on Thursday for something better,
Sneeze on Friday for sorrow,
Sneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow,
Sneeze on Sunday, safety seek.One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a letter
Four for a boy.
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told.
And lastly, a sneeze before breakfast is a sign that you will hear exciting news before the end of the day.
I often sneeze before breakfast...The sun makes me sneeze...I'm still waiting for the exciting news...LOL
"Bless You" after someone sneezing was one of the first things that I 'taught' myself to say after I got out.
It was unnatural at first... didn't 'feel' right... but I kept at it. Nowadays, I regularly say 'Bless You' to anyone that sneezes. It has become second-nature to do, and oft times without a thought.
What's nice is saying to a total stranger after they sneeze... 'Bless You!'... and they say 'Thank You'. It's all very nice!
Holiday greetings are a different story. I am able to say the greetings... it's just that I haven't practiced enough with them (they only come once per year). The difficult part is the reciprocal greeting... the other person has already greeted me... 'Merry Christmas'... and it doesn't feel right to say, 'Merry Christmas, to you, too!' I know there are alternates, it's just that I haven't practiced them enough for them to become second-nature like 'Bless You' has become.
Regards,
Jim TX
Of course, let us not forget that great philosopher Seinfeld who taught us to say, "You're SO good looking!"
Makes every bit as much sense as "Bless you."
