Spitting your blessings

     This is the case for the Maasai people, who live in Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Maasai spit in their palms before shaking hands. Spitting at each other is seen as a way of giving a blessing. In order to wish good luck and a long life to new born children, parents, friends and the family spit on it. When they greet, when they get married and even when a baby is born they spit on each other. Spitting in our culture, in America and most other countries are seen as something gross, but in some tribes in Africa, it's shown as respect. 

     This also brings up another issue, spread of disease throughout the tribe and more. Diseases such as Herpesvirus are very commonly spread through saliva. The Yale University organized a database of over 350,000 pages containing cultural and social life of different people who take part in this tradition that is only known in some tribes. This also makes me think of when people spit on their hands before making a bet or a deal, mostly in the southern part of US. 

Link: https://prezi.com/uehovmis-9kx/anthropolgy-and-the-maasai-tribe/