One of my students reminded me yesterday of a conversation I had with her a few months ago. It was about a phrase that is commonly used in Brazil for weddings. Every time I think of this conversation it makes me laugh a bit. I find these slight cultural differences really facilitating and entertain most of the time.
We were talking about the phrase "good luck". She had mentioned to me that she says "good luck" to a bride and groom. I said "hold up". I need to get this straight in my head. "You wished the bride and groom good luck?" I asked. She then told me that it was very common to say this to a bride and groom. I still couldn't get this phrase to settle in my head as a good thing to say to a newly married couple.
The image that this phrase in the context of a wedding night brings to my head is not good. I was trying to picture in my mind being at a wedding. I go to hug the bride and groom and then cross my fingers and tell them "good luck". To me, telling someone "good luck" on the wedding day, translates into something other than I wish you happiness in your life. It roughly translates in my mind to, "wow you are brave" and "I wouldn't do it myself but good luck in your courageous dive into the deep end of the pool". I could just imagine my best friend glancing over at my spouse and saying "good luck". Oh the image makes me laugh.
Apparently in a culture where sarcasm isn't widely used nor understood, the term "Boa Sorte" or "Good Luck" is perfectly fine and normal to use at a wedding. So... Good Luck all you newlyweds out there!!! ... nope, sorry I still can't say it without feeling the sarcasm in the phrase.
1 comment:
Being from the Northern end of the Americas, we don't say "good luck" when a person has won the lottery, landed that dream job, or were just united to their true love!! Good luck is said to someone when they BUY the lottery ticket, when they APPLY for that dream job, when they are SEARCHING for that one true love. To say 'Good Luck" AFTER such great fortune has come their way implies that winning the lottery is somehow a bad thing that you will need luck to overcome; that the dream job may be a nightmare instead; and that the love of ones life may not be so easy to love, honor and cherish, after all. IT implies something negative on what should be a positive occasion. It brings an unwelcome negativity to a joyous event. Or in American slang, if someone were to wish good luck to one of my kids on such an occasion, when they walked away we would all look at each other and say, "HATER!"
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