New Yorker's are private. We {I can say "we", as 3+ years of living here now makes me at least an adopted New Yorker} like to navigate around the city in our own private space bubbles. When you encounter thousands of other people every day, this is a necessary means of survival. That means that talking to strangers on the subway is socially unacceptable {too many weirdos} & that shopkeepers who ask personal questions {e.g. "How are you?"} or make attempts at "chit chat" generally receive clipped responses or strange looks. This being said, I always have the bless you dilemma after someone near me sneezes. Do I say something? Do I let them sneeze in peace? Do I really believe that someone who sneezes needs to be blessed {no}? I was on the train this morning, reading my scriptures, when the woman next to me sneezed. I wanted to say something, possibly out of a pure social obligation, but didn't because I didn't want to intrude on her personal train time {no commuter wants to talk to anyone near them on the train- it's a complete social faux pas on Metro North}. Anyway- I didn't say anything, but I was reading my scriptures. Maybe this makes it extra bad that I didn't say anything. Am I a bad person? I went to the www Bible {Wikipedia} for help. It didn't provide me with an answer, but it did give some interesting information.Bless you is a common English expression addressed to a person after they sneeze. The origin of the custom and its original purpose are unknown. In current practice, it is a socially obligated response.
Origins and legends
Several possible origins are commonly given. The practice of blessing a sneeze, dating as far back as at least 77 AD, however, is far older than most specific explanations can account for.
One explanation holds that the custom originally began as an actual blessing. Gregory I became Pope in 590 as an outbreak of the bubonic plague was reaching Rome. In hopes of fighting off the disease, he ordered unending prayer and parades of chanters through the streets. At the time, sneezing was thought to be an early symptom of the plague. The blessing ("God bless you!") became a common effort to halt the disease.
A legend holds that it was believed that the heart stops when you sneeze, and the phrase "bless you" is meant to ensure the return of life or to encourage your heart to continue beating.
Another version says that people used to believe that your soul can be thrown from your body when you sneeze, that sneezing otherwise opened your body to invasion by the Devil or evil spirits, or that sneezing was your body's effort to force out an invading evil spirit. Thus, "bless you" or "God bless you" is used as a sort of shield against evil.
Alternatively, it may be possible that the phrase began simply as a response for an event that wasn't well understood at the time.
Origins and legends
Several possible origins are commonly given. The practice of blessing a sneeze, dating as far back as at least 77 AD, however, is far older than most specific explanations can account for.
One explanation holds that the custom originally began as an actual blessing. Gregory I became Pope in 590 as an outbreak of the bubonic plague was reaching Rome. In hopes of fighting off the disease, he ordered unending prayer and parades of chanters through the streets. At the time, sneezing was thought to be an early symptom of the plague. The blessing ("God bless you!") became a common effort to halt the disease.
A legend holds that it was believed that the heart stops when you sneeze, and the phrase "bless you" is meant to ensure the return of life or to encourage your heart to continue beating.
Another version says that people used to believe that your soul can be thrown from your body when you sneeze, that sneezing otherwise opened your body to invasion by the Devil or evil spirits, or that sneezing was your body's effort to force out an invading evil spirit. Thus, "bless you" or "God bless you" is used as a sort of shield against evil.
Alternatively, it may be possible that the phrase began simply as a response for an event that wasn't well understood at the time.
4 comments:
Interesting! Achoos are different than coughs - very different. It's kind of fascinating how we socially respond to them differently as well.
very interesting. Love your Achoo person.
I think it is always appropriate to say "bless you" but you can do it without invading their space by not looking at them when you say it. Try sneezing in public, and you will be surprised how many people do it.
What really surprises me as an adopted New Yorker (going on 5 years), is how many people here say "God Bless You." Interesting for a place that isn't terribly religious.
I usually say "bless you", even if they don't hear me.
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