"Knock on Wood", I found myself uttering this saying a lot recently especially after being asked about the health of my family. Soph has now gone three weeks without missing a day of school, yippee!! This is the first time all year this has happened. Poor thing has been sick with one thing or another every time we turn around. But now her tonsils are out and we are sticking to a routine of children's vitamins plus probiotics and all sorts of goodies my sister (a.k.a the health guru) recommended and we are good. Em's trip to the ER during spring break was so much fun, so much so that I missed it and let my mom and hubby take her. But when all was said in done I found myself uttering that the huge dose of penicillin she received in her rear should fix her up, "Knock on Wood." Little One's recent bout of fussiness and fever resulted in a trip to the doctor but "knock on wood" everything looks good, must just be teething! And of course my recent round of tests, well I'm just "knocking on wood" that everything will come out a okay:)
This got me to thinking, why in the world do we say "knock on wood". After some tedious (I googled it) research I found out there is several different views on where it came from. Just like almost everything with a history there is a Christian meaning and a pagan meaning. First the pagan...believing in wood fairies and spirits that lived in the trees people were said to knock on the trunk of a tree while making a boastful comment. Thus believing the spirits would not hear them and would not interfere. Interesting, huh?
Now the Christian...that we knock three times(representing the Trinity) on a wooden cross to ward off evil. Over time this method just became knocking on wood. In some languages this translates as "knocking on table" or "touch wood" etc. etc. One historian believes it comes from an early nineteenth century game of English tag called "Tiggy-touch-wood" in which you are safe when you touch wood.
Okay, my history lesson is over and I'm sure you feel enlightened. Just thought I'd share!!
3 comments:
I have been knocking on wood a lot too! My normally always sick 6 year old has had the most healthy year ever. It is strange. Sure she has had a long last cold, but that is it! All the while her brother has had pink eye, a stomach bug and a nasty cold that lasted way to long. It is a miracle (knock on wood)
Ohhh, I understand!! It is no fun when our little ones are sick and this year the cold has been impossible to get rid of!
Yep, I testify to that - with Naomi's nose still running after a month! And that was over our summer -- what is winter going to be like??
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