PRIZE LIES
***
Based on the ratings at the time of the contest entries deadline.
WINNER : Paul Manage, Culpeper, VA
NOTEWORTHY NOTABLES:
GT, Glendale, AZ
Yew Plucker, Alpharetta, GA
Satish Sundar, Mumbai, India
***
Why do we say, 'Bless you' when you sneeze?
| Sneezing releases so many germs,
that 'bless you' is in fact a polite way saying 'God bless me - save me from this guy's
invisible critters!' -- Paul Manage, Culpeper, VA. *WINNER!* |
When
the devil tried hiding in God's nose, the Lord had to sneeze hard to
get him out. 'Bless you' is actually congratulating you on successfully
releasing the rogue behind your nostrils. -- GT, Glendale, AZ. *Noteworthy Notable* |
|
| In ancient Shoosh
tradition, people used to tickle their noses with a brush and sneeze
while taking the blessings of their elders. In response, they got
blessed. We don't induce sneezing any more, but continue to get blessed.
-- G. Jal, Fort Wayne, IN. |
Bless comes from the Latvian
culture, derived from a slang, bliz,
in the ancient Livonian language meaning 'warning'. 'Bless
you' is a warning (to you and the others) that you might be contracting
a cold. -- TN, Gainesville, FL. |
|
| It
was considered a bad omen to sneeze three times in a row, and the
person would be quarantined for a day after the third sneeze. 'Bless you' was an
exclamation meaning, May
God help you stop right there! -- SB, Baltimore, MD. |
In
old Murari culture, sneezing was a sign of imminent wealth. After a
sneeze, their kings, pleased with themselves, used to hand out gold to
those around them. People responded thankfully, with a 'bless you'. -- RS, Voca, TX. |
|
| In
the Mayan era, Goddess Atchoo's temple was frequented by many devotees
who felt that their wishes came true whenever they sneezed during the
temple visit. Now, the temple is long gone, but the feeling of being
blessed when sneezing just caught on over the years and hence we say
'bless you' just to remind ourselves of the beloved Goddess Atchoo. -- Yew Plucker, Alpharetta, GA. *Noteworthy Notable* |
I don't know but I always tell
people, I am blowing germs into your air and you're gonna bless me! - Dan Willaimson, Hale, MI |
|
| ‘Bless
you’ has nothing to do with religion or blessings, it is one
way of asking you to stay home for the next few days. -- RR, Nashville, TN. |
We
say ‘Bless you’ when somebody sneezes so that
whatever
little wisdom that God has ‘showered’ on him is
not
‘washed away’ through his nose!!! -- Satish Sunder, Mumbai, India. *Noteworthy Notable* |