What is your biggest pet peeve?
- Thread starter cowgurl6254
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Depends. If you hated it in say, (making up a nation here) Nogodsneezistan, where there is no belief in a God who blesses one after sneezing, yes, it would be a bit intolerant to expect a "God bless you" after a sneeze. But in NJ, anyway, it's not really a religious statement, it's a courtesy. Like saying 'Happy Holidays' around Christmas; frankly, it's not a big holiday season for anyone but Christians, but when in Rome...
Interesting... I understood a traditional explanation is that it came from "God bless you" in times of the bubonic plague - have Gods blessing and let's hope that sneeze doesn't mean the start of the plague...
I don't know what else you can say though to be 'polite' if someone sneezes... personally I'm quite happy if no-one comments...
And its interesting that in England people will say Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas, whereas Americans will say Happy Holidays at Christmas time, although I find in England its changing now - for example you don't have Christmas lights etc - you have "fesitive" ones to avoid causing any offence...
I don't know what else you can say though to be 'polite' if someone sneezes... personally I'm quite happy if no-one comments...
And its interesting that in England people will say Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas, whereas Americans will say Happy Holidays at Christmas time, although I find in England its changing now - for example you don't have Christmas lights etc - you have "fesitive" ones to avoid causing any offence...
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I know, England has gone crazy.
What about Golliewogs been banned in the UK, you can't say black coffee, but coffee with or without milk. I read about the poor school teacher being fired because she asked her colleague if she wanted black coffee and the other lady took offense to that (what??)
The best one I saw on BBC news was that one police officer was turned down applying to join the Black Police confederation and was refused because he was Asian. He then wanted to start an Asian confederation himself and was told that he it would be deemed racist if he pursued that.?
Go figure
I often don't say bless you to people who sneeze. I will if it was someone I know or something, but not always. I find it strange that someone can get upset if you don't say it. Why are you owed that? It is not as if you did something special?? I know the origins of bless you.
I most often say bless you to my boyfriend when he farts, cos I think it is funny! Other than that, only if I feel like it.
I most often say bless you to my boyfriend when he farts, cos I think it is funny! Other than that, only if I feel like it.
As opposed to the traditional mourning lights of July. It's so fun trying to find a sensible ground, isn't it? In the US, 20 years of uproar have ensured that Nativity scenes will never occupy any publicly owned soil during December. So in any major American city during the Christmas season, you'll find a a giant menorah, a Kwanza symbol, and a large fir tree standing together near city hall or in a park, happily representing 1) a minor Jewish holiday, 2) a religion younger than most voters, and 3) pagans.