Would you not agree, that it is amazing how many of our superstitious ways revolve around death, hell and the grave? A few decades ago, I attended a writer’s workshop and the facilitator gave the class a list of subjects to write about. His instructions were that the students had to also include research as to how the superstition evolved in the first place. The teacher also said that us attendees would also grade each of the student’s presentations.

It was at that moment that I looked across the class room and saw a classmate put his hand to his mouth and yawn. Some silly superstitious girl mouthed,’God bless you’. I quietly smiled to myself and said, that’s it! That’s what I’m going to write about and I will entitle my paper ‘The Yawn Reflex’.

Okay, I’m not going to give you 10 helpful bible verses about superstitions, but I will allow you to read my paper on yawning and sneezing.

“The yawn reflex”

Today, we believe that it shows good manners to cover your mouth and to say excuse me after a broad and noisy yawn. Well, originally, good manners had nothing to do with it. In the ancient days, it was believed that the Devil made a person yawn so that he could gain access into the body and cause that peron grave danger. If that person is observed yawning he would say excuse me because he knew that yawning was contagious and would cause the second person to yawn, too. Thus putting that person in grave danger. So the first yawner would say ‘excuse me’ for putting that person in grave danger. The Hindu people would snap their fingers three times to counter the Devil antics.

The Medical doctors tell us that yawning can be due to sleepiness, exhaustion, shallow breathing or observation. Also, one of the first exercises that a new born baby performs is to stretch and yawn after its body breathes in fresh air. Medical scientists believe that there is a yawn center in the brain that is activated by our lungs and under certain conditions cause us to yawn.

Moral of the story:

Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.“

“Now take sneezing“

How many “Gesundheits” does a person get after sneezing? And do you know what it means? Well it means, “God bless you.” The custom of asking God’s blessing initiated with early man who believed that the spirit resided in the air and since we breathe air in to our heads, it stands to reason that the spirit resided in the head. A sneeze would accidentally expel the spirit. So a person would ask God to put it back. The act of bowing towards the sneezer was also counter-magic. For it meant, “May your soul not escape.”

Moral of the story:

Romans 12:2:  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The Climax:

Now imagine being in a room filled with sneezers and yawners. This combination of guests could be fatal. Don’t forget, a yawn gave the Devil access into the body and a sneeze could expel your good spirit. Thus leaving your body defenseless. The spirit of the Devil would be exposed out in the room trying to gain entrance into someone else; Gesundheits being shouted aloud from across the room; some guests bobbing up and down towards the sneezer; and the yawners approaching others and saying I’m sorry, I’m sorry for infecting you. What a hilarious scene from an Austin Powers movie.

(Leave with a big yawn, cover your mouth and say excuse me. Next, give out a loud sneeze. After the audience responds with Gesundheits say….Oh, Well.)

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