Gazoontite
I feel really uncomfortable saying, "God bless you" after people sneeze. I'm not a religious person at all, and I'm also not really sure how I feel about God (you know, he said all those things, but he really does give a lot to charity...) so I don't know if it's appropriate for me to ask for His blessing after hearing someone sneeze. And yet it's a habit.
Instead, I've been trying very hard to say, "Gazoontite" (I think that's how it's spelled). So I get to shun God and use a really fun word. Everybody wins...except for God.
UPDATE: Right, it's actually "Gesundheit" but much like God, I don't believe in Germans either. Thus, I insist it's spelled "gazoontite" and it comes from the Yiddish word "gazoon" meaning, "Quiet, there is a bris in progress and the mohel needs to concentrate!"
Instead, I've been trying very hard to say, "Gazoontite" (I think that's how it's spelled). So I get to shun God and use a really fun word. Everybody wins...except for God.
UPDATE: Right, it's actually "Gesundheit" but much like God, I don't believe in Germans either. Thus, I insist it's spelled "gazoontite" and it comes from the Yiddish word "gazoon" meaning, "Quiet, there is a bris in progress and the mohel needs to concentrate!"
10 Comments:
I ,like you, have come to this site in search of the meaning of Gesundheit. But unlike you it was over a friendly debate with my husband who always says it to me when I sneeze. I told him I would much rather be "blessed" when I sneezed. I wanted to make sure the German- Gesundheit, didn't mean something similiar, because "hey" I really don't care what language he blesses me in.
What I learned today is that people have a rather negative reaction to "God", and why is this the case if he doesn't exist. Does mythology and their characters provoke the same response?
Merry Christmas and May God Bless You!
In response to the previous question........I believe mythology and their characters do not provoke the same response as the Christian God. The reason behind this is that everyone knows that mythological characters are just that....Not Real. I myself am not religious, when people say "God Bless You' it feels as though they are pushing their beliefs on me. The reason for saying "God bless you" is that people believe/d that when you sneeze, your soul temporarily leaves your body, if nobody said this blessing to you than the Devil could snatch your soul before it returns to you body. Sounds stupid now even to religious people and yet people continue to say it. I say leave your beliefs to yourself. I know you only meant to be polite but really you just made some unreligious person uncomfortable and stated either you are completely ignorant to the meaning of what you say or that you believe something that is completely ridiculous.
Thanks, Colby
Wow, a simple God bless you after a sneeze shouldn't provoke such negativity. Your heart skips beat, your soul doesn't leave your body. Hey Colby, do you feel pressured to believe in God every time you use U.S. currency? Give it a rest! Find something to keep you busy!
It's not "Just a saying" it's a saying that came from stupid religious people's beliefs (Then they most likely burnt some innocent victims as witches). Point being - It's an out-dated saying and I think it's about time people change.
If you were constantly approached by people of some random religion every time you coughed or sniffed your nose, you would think it was pretty stupid to.
P.S. I am not an American and I can proudly say that my currency has been updated to not include religious preferences. Stop living in the dark ages America
Colby
As a German von Deutschland auf Deutsch-Juden Gesundheit is the same in German as in Yidisch because Yiddish is a German Language unlike you Americans WE German-Jews are very proud of our Country and history, what the Nazi's did is Not our History but the history of Nazi's and Germany is once again the largest Jewish population out side Isreal, My german-Jewish History goes back before there was a Germany or Nederland or a France. Over 2000 years of living, intermarring and learning and being part of the Germanic tribes thru to presant day Germany, We have suffered as much and along side German-Christians, German-Messianic Jews and German-Jews.
In Germany Nazisum is out-lawed but not in your America, I don't like your tone on Gesundheit which is NOT God BLess you BUT it means "To your Health" Schmuck!
You know... Life is life. People bickering back and forth about words is the most worthless thing you can do. What do you get by blasting someone on the internet? Nothing. Gesudheit, God Bless you, it doesn't matter here. What matters is that someone is trying to show something of kindness to another person. If you were more worried about showing the same kind of kindness to another person, you wouldn't have to sit here and blast people.
I never respond to blogs, but this is interesting that my Google search for the meaning of Gesundheit lead me here. Interesting thoughts. I'd like to offer some of mine: I've often thought about being American and about our outdated currency (Canadian is colorful and pretty! (and secure)). It often bothers me that I don't have a heritage that dates back to some age in civilization, but I reckon being part German (tribe unknown) and American Indian (Sioux, I think) and a cousin reports some Italian aristocracy blood (no idea what coat of arms) ain't half bad. I can look at our currency and say, heck yes! that's how I got started here, and think fondly of the desperate (disparate, maybe?) band of women and men running for freedom of thought and religion (I agree a bit of propoganda is in this story). And I think maybe American currency shouldn't have Masonic symobols, or God, but I have to cling to some sort of nationalism and pride, to some sort of beginnings, no? This doesn't mean that I don't try to empathize with sneezers beliefs. For years, I stopped saying God out of respect for others and simply starting blessing people. I was thinking the sneezer could substitue The Being most appropriate to be blessing them. Now, I hardly say anything. (Sneeze! Infect the earth!) So, I suppose by letting God down and omitting Him, I've slowly lost my morality and I don't bother offering kindess to sneezers. Maybe it's best to enter damnation rather than get impaled by a sneezemonger. (I'm getting a copyright on that word, by the way.) Okay, I'm sure etravelers will come along this post in their journey toward Gesundheit enlightenment and find something a little more, which ain't half bad either. Nice. Thanks and God bless.
Colby, while it is true that the expression "God bless you" is outdated, it's just that- an expression. People aren't using it to actually get the devil out of your body. They're mearly trying to be polite.
And if you celebrate Halloween, Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving, then I'd have to say, you're being quite hypocritical. All of those holidays have meanings that "might make someone uncomfortable" but we still celebrate them, not because we believe in the archeic meaning, but for another reason. Just like with "God bless you."
-Luke
For a post created in 2004, it still holds interesting in 2009. Not bad, Colby, right? There are so many points made here, which have made people consider more than Gesundheit's simple definition... which, in itself, might be an amazing thing. It shows that a word is never just a word... there is a history, a culture, and apparently religious affliction associated with, just this, a word. I heard from somewhere that the tongue can be a destructive and deadly weapon... and this post proves just that: it can minister either life or death. This is such power that we have, as humans, that we seem to abuse. Perhaps it is better to say nothing at all, to be completely mute. But that would bring neglection? Perhaps it is wiser to try to speak kindly to the person, but that would bring affliction? Perhaps the natural response should be to cuss out the individual for spewing this waste into that which I inhale! Surely this is the most understandable response, so surely this would evoke the greatest pleasure to each individual at heart, no?
What would this world be like if we could not see the words, the actions, the facades, but could only see the heart which follows behind them? What kind of Creator would encourage such a thing? Well, if anything, this would be true... It would change everything.
I agree very interesting points about all these religious, historical and cultural meanings to the word gesundheit.Everyone here has made very interesting points to what they have heard or what they believe in. But don't try to say that this and that isn't real because that is what they believe and you deprive someone of their own beliefs. Maybe your the one thats wrong and your beliefs aren't real would you like for someone to just throw that in your face, I didn't think so. I must admit tho that this post has gotten far and I am impressed that I am still seeing it.
-Kayron
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