Revealing How "Blessed" We Are...
- Nov 8, 2024
- 3 min read
“Blessed”—we see this message everywhere at this time of year. As a non-religious person, I wonder how the word fits in my life. As a wordsmith, I love the word for its romantic sound and a meaning that implies happiness beyond what the hand of fate can provide. As a heritage interpreter, I aim to stir up introspection and conversation. So, being blessed with internet access and an hour of free time, I brushed up on my “blessed” facts to share with you.
Etymologically-speaking, the word “blessed” is old and its cultural voyage is a complex story. The word is very distinct in its roots but might have even become something of a football through time being thrown to and intercepted by different groups of people.
“To bless,” despite its religious overtones, is derived from the word for blood and based in pre-Christian practices of sprinkling blood as a sacrifice to say thanks for the lifesaving gift of food, good weather, and good health. This practice passed into Jewish and then Christian faiths for making a mark of blood (or ashes of flesh) on a doorway or forehead to save the soul. Many indigenous cultures also make a sacrifice of blood or flesh as a gift of thanks. In modern times using actual blood is frowned upon, grape juice and wine are suitable substitutes. All of us, in the giving of thanks, add a little prayer that such blessings will continue.
But saving the soul isn’t the only thing that the word “bless” harkens back to. The roots of the word also mean to speak well of someone. With so many positive connotations it is no wonder that the distinctly etymologically-separate word “bliss,” with its very close spelling, was often caught up in the feeling and misconstrued for “bless.”
Long before Southerners began to say “bless her heart” to save a brash soul, the term “bless” continues to be bantered about readily by Americans when someone sneezes. No matter the blesser’s or the blessee’s religion, we quickly say “bless you” out of politeness rather than actually believing that the soul might have escaped with body with the evil sneeze. We even say “bless you” to our dogs when they sneeze (whose generously loving souls are certainly worth saving).
The journey of the word “bless” is not just what is it today but is the traditions that formed its myriad meanings: thanks, bliss, speaking well of those we cherish, sacrifice, and sheltering our good fortune in the past and a hope for the future—words that this season has come to represent.
This year with the rising costs of turkeys, I plan to express blessings as I open the plastic-wrapped raw turkey in the kitchen sink. Instead of being grossed out by the blood-tinged brine, I am thankful that for another year I am blessed to have an income with which to buy healthy food and blessed with family and friends to share this good fortune. And if I am blessed to share my table with my tofu-eating daughter, then a little splash of wine down the sink with the tofu water will suffice.
How might you incorporate these meanings this holiday season?
From the four of us at Message Mindset, we are grateful for the bountiful interactions you have shared with us in our inaugural year. Thank you and may your holiday season be a safe and joyous one.
from Nikki Julien Rohde
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