Bless me! J What?? Do you think I’m being selfish?
Pull up a comfy seat and listen to this: Ever since the Middle Ages, people have been blessing themselves when someone sneezed! YES! It was understood that once someone sneezed, the germs were floating around and a blessing of some kind would keep them safe from these roaming microbes! 
So is the meaning of Gasundeidt! It is said to have been started during the bubonic plague (no, Peanut Gallery, I do not have firsthand experience of that!) and was indeed a prayer to God to protect them from the nasty bugs being passed around from every day inhaling/exhaling! Go figure! Makes sense though, doesn't it? I know when i need a blessing; it seems a lot simpler to me to perform what needs to be done instead of waiting for someone else to do, especially since i am very capable of doing so myself!
Wishing continued “santé” to my healthy readers and “Get better soon” to the rest of you, I leave you with this thought that comes to mind when i think of self-caring: The next time you have a boo-boo, you don’t have to wait for someone to come and kiss it better – Do it yourself and reap the satisfaction of knowing where those lips, that are supposedly going to make it better, have been in the last 24 hours!
Cheers, peoples! Salut!
Signing off:
Hey, I do the "Bless Me" too! Nothing selfish about it! NIce post =) (Word of Advice, turn off the word verification for your comments)
ReplyDeleteThank you Diantha! Welcome to my little Red World!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reminder to turn off word verification; i truly thought that was done! Now if i can just figure out how to post the A to Z banner on my page, i'm in business! The best to you! Sylvie
For my part, I only do the "Atchoo!" part! Of course, in french it's "Atchoum!" but that's another story!
ReplyDeleteAs long as you don't throw those nasty microbes (even the bubonic plague!!!) away by using a handkerchief or at least your hand, I don't mind if you bless yourself, somebody else or the whole wide world!!! ;)
Good educative post!
thank you G: i sneeze in my sleeve ~ the sleek move of nose to elbow ~ when i don't have a tissue handy in my shirtsleeve like mom used to do (and probably still does to this day)..xxxxS
DeleteI always thought the "bless me" (or you)was from the Middle ages to ward of 'evil spirits'...which when I think of it, I guess germs are evil spirits. Loved reading your post and I'm now a new follower!
ReplyDeleteMonica, Older Mommy Still Yummy
Hello Monica! Welcome here! You are right... it is also used in those circumstances in some parts of the world! Be well! Sylvie
DeleteOk so from now on I'll say bless me when people sneeze :)
ReplyDeleteHi Martha! yes, this is the ultimate self-help! :-) Thank you for visiting me. Sylvie
ReplyDeleteI am used to the habit of blessing others when they sneeze, which is a normal part of Western culture, I guess. However, I would prefer to adopt those Middle Age principles of people blessing themselves. It makes a lot of sense...if you sneeze, then I'm the one who should be blessed!
ReplyDeleteI'll try it out one day, just to see whether I get blank stares or rolling eyes from other people, lol. This was a funny and insightful post to read! Love the history lesson :)
Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter
Hello Nicole: Glad you enjoyed it; can't wait to read you! Regards, Sylvie
DeleteWait, Gasundeidt is meant to bless the person saying it? A prayer of protection from the offending sneezer? That's awesome.
ReplyDeleteHello Rusty: Makes sense though, doesn't it? The sneezer should be blessing people he's sneezing on; because that doesn't happen, we've got to do it ourselves! Cheers, Sylvie
DeleteI've always felt slightly awkward at saying "bless you" when someone sneezed. I knew I was "supposed to" but it seemed rather dated and silly. I think I'll go another route and just glare at the offended germ spreader!
ReplyDeleteGreat start to the challenge!
Hi Heather: Glaring? fill your boots, whatever works :-) cheers, Sylvie
DeleteNice post Sis-Wa! This month promises to be great! The fun of reading you, and learning new things too! Wonderful! xxxx
ReplyDeleteThank you Sis - can't wait to read yours! xxxxxx ♥ Little S
DeleteWow! This is really interesting. I knew there was a longstanding history behind the saying but I honestly did not know when exactly it started. Now I know! :)
ReplyDeleteSarah @ The Writer's Experiment
Ooh what an interesting post. I always say bless you when people sneeze but never knew why. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat start to the A-Z!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Haha, Great start to the challenge! Sante!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know it was such a long time custom. Thanks for sharing!! )
ReplyDelete