Free Spanish Lesson #24 – Health, money and love.

Every culture in the world, that I know of, values “health”, “money”, and “love” If any of you readers out there know of a culture that doesn’t value one of these items, I’d love to hear about it.

These three words used together form a very small part of Latin American culture, but in a way you might not have guessed. They are said when someone sneezes! If you sneeze once, Latin people say “health!” If you sneeze a second time, they say “money!” and a third sneeze in a row brings “love!”

I have allergies and when I sneeze, I usually sneeze about 6 to 7 times in a row! I usually catch Latin people off-guard because after “health!”, “money!” and “love!”, they run out of things to say.

Sometimes the Latin people will just say “health!” and forget the rest. However, many are eager to wish you all three: “Health!”, “Money!” and “Love!” when you sneeze.

You might think it sounds a little strange to say “Health!” when someone sneezes, but if you think about it, it makes a lot more sense than what we say in English — “Bless you!”. The word “bless” in the dictionary, means “to consecrate by religious rite or word”.

It’s almost as though we’re trying to bless someone religiously when they sneeze. The Spanish version makes lot more sense to me; you are wishing someone good “Health” so they can get better and avoid more germ-filled sneezes. So, why do they add “Money” and “Love”? I’m not quite sure, but if you wish someone “Health”, you might as well add “Money” and “Love” and offer them a complete package!

Just remember, one sneeze = Health – “Salud” [saw-lood]. Two sneezes = Money – “Dinero” [dee-neh-row]. And, a third sneeze = Love – “Amor” [Ah-more].

Moral of the Story: This week’s topic is a fun little cultural phrase that people say. Be daring and try it out the next time you hear a Latin person sneeze!

¡Qué le vaya bien! (May everything go well for you!)

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.