Tag Archives: blessing

Ukranian Blessing

Nationality: Ukrainian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Language: Ukrainian

Text (Ukrainian): “Дай тобі Боже здоровʼя і доброго чоловіка”

Text (Romanized): Day tobi Bozhe zdorovʼya i dobroho cholovika

Translation: “May God give you good health and a good husband”

Context: The informant said that it’s when she does something good or something for her, instead of ‘thank you’ she says this proverb. The informant says, “So it’s like a little blessing. Her grandmother used to say it to her and now she says it to me”. 

Analysis: In traditional Ukrainian culture, there is a strong emphasis on the paternal line, particularly in regards to marriage. For instance, Ukrainian patronymic middle names combine the father’s first name with a gendered suffix (-vitch/-yvitch for men; -yvna/-ivna for women). Their culture values parental permission for marriage, so the informant’s mom wishing for a good husband reinforces cultural notions of traditional marriage and blesses whoever she does choose. In regards to religion, most Ukrainian families are Eastern Orthodox, so Godly blessings are valued and common. With this blessing combining good health and husbandry, it encourages the importance of finding marriage and a husband that works well with the family. 

“Many will fall at your side but you will not be touched”

Nationality: American
Age: 47
Residence: Glendale, Arizona
Language: English

Text: “Many will fall at your side but you will not be touched”

Context: “When talking to someone, it is an encouragement. It is a protection, like enemies will fall but you will not be struck down. They will say negative things about you but you will be protected. Like people who pretend to be your friends but will want negative things to happen to you.” 

Analysis: This proverb is a blessing and a reference to angels in order to wish protection on someone who is struggling with personal relationships. It is also a show of support for a person’s journey and wishes them luck, that no harm will come their way. A possible interpretation of this could be in reference to fallen angels, as other people will reap their own consequences and the individual does not have a responsibility to fall down with them. This double meaning strengthens the intended protection and transforms the saying into prayer.

Ride Safe Sign

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Language: English

The gesture: Out with the left hand extended downward  by his thigh, “O” made a gesture like a peace sign, the index and middle finger extended and the palm turned forward facing the same direction as him.

“It’s the universal for, like a ‘ride safe’ thing when you pass another biker, like on the opposite side of the street, because there’s that sense of community that comes from riding, so it’s like, when you see someone else who’s taking that risk and is out riding and stuff, you always give them that little sign. And it’s kind of a biker only thing. 

Analysis: As the informant identified, this gesture encourages community members to support each other and recognize their risk and commitment. More than that, this gesture seems like a blessing, especially in its almost compulsory nature. The informant mentions that one ‘always’ gives this sign when seeing another rider as a way to say ‘ride safe’. “Ride safe” in itself is a blessing, a wish upon others to be safe on the road, and the gesture creates a nonverbal blessing that riders can give while also riding safe themselves. Because it is expected to always give this sign, the absence of it might indicate ill will or a jinx, making the upkeep of this tradition and gesture more important to those who believe in its significance.

“Cheers” Before a Shot

The informant described a ritual where people taking a shot together tap their shot glass on the table before saying “cheers” and taking the shot. This is done any time taking a shot of alcohol with others, including friends and family, no matter the place or time. This is done to signal everyone to take their shot and as an announcement of celebration, of sorts. “Cheers” is often said to encourage good will as one drinks, and the meaning is the same here.

The ritual demonstrates a culture which engages with alcohol as a means of celebration. The involved parties want to encourage good will and acknowledge celebration as they dive deeper into their party-atmosphere cultivated by alcohol by saying “cheers” and clinking glasses on the table. There is no magic necessarily associated, just a soft of acknowledgment of good will. The sound made serves two purposes, it seems. One, to signal everyone to take the shot so they can time the drink to be taken at the same time. Second, to signal celebration in the same way that a “woop” does. Noises to announce a celebration are common, such as clapping, “wooping,” whistling, clinking glasses, etc… These are not necessarily to start a celebration but for the announcement of continuation of a celebration. The ritual is widely spread, at least around the United States. Other cultures have similar versions, saying something that imitates a sort of blessing before drinking. This is likely due to the spread of the ritual as folklore, stemming from a traditional blessing around food and drink.

A Lucky New Year

“At the beginning of every new year, my mom and dad put an item related to school in front of Ganesha to bless my brother and I for the year to come”

At the beginning of each year, their parents pray and place an item, usually dealing with education, in front of Ganesha, one of the most worshipped Hindu deities or gods. In Hinduism, Ganesha is associated with success and removes obstacles in one’s life. This is done to bring blessings to the kids for the new year and to bring success and well-being into their lives. For her, her mother places textbooks and a student ID in front of Ganesha. Education is considered to be extremely sacred in Indian culture, specifically for her family. Education, and objects pertaining to it, are symbolic of her whole life “in the eyes of Ganesha” and seen as a sacred pursuit, thus the obstacles on this path will be removed. She also emphasized that it is a ritual and tradition she will carry on for her own family as well.

My first interpretation of this tradition was that it would bring good luck and success into their educational journey, and while that has an aspect, it also encompasses practically their entire life, rather than just the education portion. Due to the importance that education has in Indian religion, it can be seen as one of the more important factors to put blessings into. This ritual was learned through the Hindu culture, demonstrating that something like textbooks can be considered a folklore object, and the act of placing them as a gift for a deity is a folklore practice passed down through families and communities. While folklore is often word of mouth stories and myths, it can intersect with religion and the culture that surrounds it, in this case Indian culture. This practice connects her and her family to their heritage just as folklore intends to do, additionally with the prayers spoken by the parents have been passed down through their ancestors, continuing on today.