Gesundheit . . .

@GardenGerty (157555)
United States
September 8, 2007 4:40pm CST
I learn lots of new things because of myLot, and by researching things for myLot. This is what my father always said when I sneezed. I learned that it is just a German and Yiddish tradition and phrase. It originated, in the Yiddish, because according to tradition, the patriarch Jacob was the first person to have an illness then die. Up until that time, people just sneezed, then died, because the sneeze indicated that the breath of God was leaving their body the same way it had come in, through their nostrils. "God breathed into them the breath of life and man became a living soul". I just thought that was totally cool to know. Another piece of trivia, that I can collect, but never have to dust.
6 people like this
9 responses
Amber
@AmbiePam (85522)
• United States
8 Sep 07
That's a very cool tidbit. Maybe you should be a lifeline on the syndicated TV game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. You may give the answer for the million dollar prize!
2 people like this
Heather Echola
@GardenGerty (157555)
• United States
17 Sep 07
My husband wants me to play, and have my kids as "phone a friends."
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (85522)
• United States
17 Sep 07
Good idea, and thanks for the best response. When you get on the show, give a shout out to AmbiePam! LOL
raijin
@raijin (10345)
• Philippines
9 Sep 07
Very good information you have here my friend, really out of the usual yet thoughtful. Well we do learn a thing or two everyday, and I thank you for sharing it with us!;) We are all used to hearing "bless you" when we sneeze, a foreign language (like German) is also a good to sometimes talk about.
2 people like this
mytwo_daughters
@mytwo_daughters (2663)
• United States
9 Sep 07
Thanks for the peice of Trivia. I never knew where it originated from...interesting!
1 person likes this
sylvia13
@sylvia13 (1850)
• Nelson Bay, Australia
9 Sep 07
In Latin America we always say "Salud" (gesundheit, health) when someone sneezes and that is also what we say when we toast before a drink. I like it when people say that, as opposed to the person sneezing having to say that they are sorry!
1 person likes this
Heather Echola
@GardenGerty (157555)
• United States
17 Sep 07
I would not like to say "I am sorry" every time I sneezed. I like the good wishes, too.
yanjiaren
@yanjiaren (9031)
•
11 Sep 07
I have heard that too..maybe becuae in England we have a lot of Eshkenazi Jews who ofcourse always speak Yiddish and not Hebrew as they keep Hebew only for reciting their scriptures. We learn something everyday and one more word in a foregn language always comes in useful lol. I still have to send you that quiz yo sent me it's getting the right time to do it all lol. I am always falling behind ..yikes..
1 person likes this
theprogamer
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
8 Sep 07
I heard of that one Garden. Its also similar to the God Bless You after a sneeze but that was during the black plague, stricter religious life and such. Nice tidbit.
2 people like this
JoyfulOne
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
9 Sep 07
I'm of German heritage and my family always says Gesundheit too. I'd always heard that the heart stops beating for a split second when you sneeze too. It's a nice custom and tradition to say something when somebody sneezes. I like that trivia can be collected but never has to be dusted, hehehe....that made me chuckle!
1 person likes this
Eskimo
@Eskimo (2315)
•
24 Sep 07
It's amazing what we can learn on sites like this, this is one phrase that I haven't heard of before. Thanks for enlightening me.
Kareng
@kareng (54724)
• United States
17 Sep 07
That's really interesting, Gerty and I had no clue! Glad you shared this information with us. I always wonder where old sayings come from!