- Thread starter Matilda
- Start date
Besar la mano?
It's cultural to Puerto Rican households too, except and w/o the "besa la mano" (first I ever heard it). The main use was at bed time. It was about asking for blessing before you went to sleep (helped me feel more secure against nightmares). If you forgot to ask for blessing (bendici?n papa/mama), your parents(s) (mostly mom) would implore you to ask for blessing (pide bendici?n) to which you would comply w/bendici?n papa/mama. They would then respond w/"God bless you" (Dios te bendiga). Granted, everyone is entitled to opinion, but there is nothing dumb or stupid about it. There is the danger when biased expressions are publicized that others will be persuaded of the same. The "asking for blessing" phenomenon still makes all the sense to me today.
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The Italians must have done away with it too because I've only ever heard it in the old Godfather movies.
Lots of interesting comments under this blog article, saying which other countries say it or the equivalent as well.
Thanks Pollogringo
Matilda
This tradition derives from our catholic background, it's sort of the same as someone asking a priest to forgive them for their sins. A parishioner confronts his priest and asks, "forgive me father for I have sinned". The priest listens to his parishioner then hands out his judgement, with the customary "go with God, for he blesses you".
We Dominicans use it as a form of showing respect or obedience to our senior family members. Consequently a misbehaved offspring or family member will never extend his respect or obedience to the older family members, thus the offspring or family member alienates him or herself from the well wishes if the family.
When a Dominican father/mother replies with "Que Dios te Bendiga" to his/her offspring or any other family member, for that matter, he/she is wishing them well throughout the day. In years passed, this tradition was customarily followed with the offspring or family member holding the senior-family-member's hand while the younger offspring/family-member made a sort of curtsy motion. That part of the tradition has completely died out.
As a 42 year old, when ever I see my mother, father, aunt,uncle, grandma or grandpa, or talk to any of them through the phone; I always greet them with "cion mami/papi/tia/tio/abuela/abuelo". I however, have never asked my two daughters to greet me in the same way, my daughters however, greet their aunts, uncles and grandparents in this fashion.
We Dominicans use it as a form of showing respect or obedience to our senior family members. Consequently a misbehaved offspring or family member will never extend his respect or obedience to the older family members, thus the offspring or family member alienates him or herself from the well wishes if the family.
When a Dominican father/mother replies with "Que Dios te Bendiga" to his/her offspring or any other family member, for that matter, he/she is wishing them well throughout the day. In years passed, this tradition was customarily followed with the offspring or family member holding the senior-family-member's hand while the younger offspring/family-member made a sort of curtsy motion. That part of the tradition has completely died out.
As a 42 year old, when ever I see my mother, father, aunt,uncle, grandma or grandpa, or talk to any of them through the phone; I always greet them with "cion mami/papi/tia/tio/abuela/abuelo". I however, have never asked my two daughters to greet me in the same way, my daughters however, greet their aunts, uncles and grandparents in this fashion.
Men kissing on the mouths??? What culture is that????
As for a parent telling their offspring "que dios te bendiga" thats fine. My mother still tells me this everytime i speak with her on the phone.
Asking for god to bless my son is fine.
Asking my son to kiss your hand so you can ask god to bless him is outright stupid.
Someone asked your son to kiss his hand?
Either I forgot how to write (happens sometimes) or your comprehension is off...
whenever miesposo calls his parents on the phone he starts from cion ma/pa. i asked him about it and he said it was short for bendicion but did not explain it further. i did not pay attention thinking it spans from his mother being a religious freak, interesting there is some wider tradition behind it...
i have never heard about besar la mano thou. but then i do not interact with kids here at all so it may be a reason.
regarding men kissing each other on the mouth as a greeting: yeah, this is kind of old russian custom. just look at this video of communist leaders greeting each other...
[video=youtube;8hUWqZyxZUA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hUWqZyxZUA[/video]
i have never heard about besar la mano thou. but then i do not interact with kids here at all so it may be a reason.
regarding men kissing each other on the mouth as a greeting: yeah, this is kind of old russian custom. just look at this video of communist leaders greeting each other...
[video=youtube;8hUWqZyxZUA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hUWqZyxZUA[/video]
Thanks for killing that song for me. Not there's anything wrong with guys kissing if that's what they want but didn't need to see these guys kiss while this song was playing.
At least there's no tongue.
The Resident Real Dominican says he's never heard "Ci?n". Only bendici?n. Very strange. I guess we're all confused. Even dv8's miesposo.
No tongue action that can be seen, at least. For all we know they are tongue-in each other. Russians are a bunch of Quacks!!!
I guess you like this song then. LOL
[video=youtube;a62BBvWQ5OQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a62BBvWQ5OQ[/video]
I'm not a big fan of "To?o Rosario" and even though I've heard this song before, I must admit, I never cared enough about it to pay attention to the lyrics.