Saturday, May 15, 2010  Sneezing, Yawning, and the Devil
"Achoo" - "God Bless you"  Ever wonder why we pray for God's
blessing after someone sneezes? It comes from an ancient belief
that a person's breath was the same as their soul. When God made
Adam, He breathed life into him. Thus, a myth grew up around
this belief that a sneeze was thought to rapidly send the life
of a person out of them.   Then, during the reign of Pope St.
Gregory the Great, there was a plague in the area. Thus, Gregory
instituted the phrase "God bless you" as a way to ask for divine
protection if one were to become sick or die.    Some French and
English taught that yawning was another opportunity for the
devil to enter, thus you covered your mouth to bar his entrance.
In Ireland, they would make the sign of the cross over their
mouths while yawning. Still today, some Muslims believe this can
happen when one yawns.  Now you know that some of our common
practices come from myths and legends.  1 comment:  PA said...
Just curious to kn