I don't understand why we sing and dance to "Ring Around the Rosies"; when it was about Jewish people getting killed. amirite?

And I thought it was about the bubonic plague, silly me...

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It was. "Ring around the rosie" = symptom of a red rash in the shape of a ring "Pocket full of posies" = putting herbs in your pockets for protection "Ashes, ashes" = cremation of bodies "We all fall down" = we all die

by Anonymous 14 years ago

*whoosh* That's the sound made when the sarcasm went right over your head.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I'm fluent in sarcasm, thanks. I was concurring with the commenter while also explaining it to the OP.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

naw, i just wanted to say *whoosh* i didn't really mean that, but for some reason i was very inclined to push the "say it" button.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Who cares what it was about? Both the Bubonic Plague and the Holocaust were great periods in history.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Isn't it about the bubonic plague?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I dont know what that is? in school my teacher told us that...

by Anonymous 14 years ago

i think you need a new teacher :D

by Anonymous 14 years ago

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ring_around_the_rosy.htm

by Anonymous 14 years ago

no it wasnt! it was about the black plauge!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well he/she is wrong.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It WAS about the bubonic (or also known as black) plague, so it wasn't just Jews. Get your facts straight before you post...

by Anonymous 14 years ago

http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.asp or you could get your facts straight before being condescending when you're wrong yourself, you stupid cunt.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Das bullcrap. Try not just going to one website and then calling people names.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

You really think you have it right and snopes has it wrong? You're a stupider cunt than I thought

by Anonymous 14 years ago

No, I think that every other website has it right and that snopes may be a bit confused. And that you are an idiot. You're clinging to snopes like a fat kid to his last piece of chocolate. Broaden your horizons, man.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

The only proof it has that it's not about the Black Plague is that it wasn't in print until the the 19th century. That's hardly proof.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Hahahahaha, no, I'm sorry but you have been misinformed. It was about the plague, not "Jewish people getting killed".

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Have you ever seen German people have their kids singing Ring Around the Rosie and laugh and teach their children how it described Ring around the Rosie meant gathering the people, flowers in their pockets and then put in the gas chambers and watching them fall down? Well I have it was disturbing! They laughed as they taught their kids this awful thing. I have seen on here that it is a myth and doesn't mean this. Then why was it being taught in College years ago a s History? My family does not take part in it.

by Anonymous 5 years ago

Well, I'm sure a FEW Jewish people died from the plague. So...Sure?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

well then...i agree with R3m7 !! but I'll check google be4 I post next time.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

by Anonymous 14 years ago

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It was about the black plague, not the holocaust. "Ring around the Rosies" - The infection's scars and welts were little rings with dark brown centers, raised. There was usually a reddish ring around the welt or bump, which they called a "Rosie" for it's heated color. "Pockets full of posies" - Posies were the flowers they used to try and mask the scent of death and sickness. "Ashes, ashes" - Stood for when they began to burn the bodies of the dead and infected, in fear of it spreading even more. It used to be "Achoo, achoo" for the first symptoms of the plague, which was a bit like the flu with coughing, sneezing, and fevers. "We all fall down!" - when everyone died.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

someone already said that......

by Anonymous 14 years ago

so the jewish people sneezed as they were getting gassed?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

by Anonymous 14 years ago

While the Jews were blamed by some people for the bubonic plague that is not what "Ring Around the Rosie" points to. "Ring around the Rosie" was the ring of sores that appeared around the body. "Pocket full of posies" referes to people carrying around posies and other flowers to smell because some believed if you didn't breath the air you wouldn't get the disease. Finally "Ashes to ashes we all fall down" referes to after the people died they were burned so the disease wouldn't continue to transmit.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Yeah, pretty much. My social studies teacher went into it very detailed back in 7th grade. Sorry if my explanation was too vague.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It was definately about the plague.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

by Anonymous 14 years ago

actually, fewer jewish people died from the plague than any other group of people. Their religion involves being clean, so they would have less exposure to the plague-carrying fleas.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.asp While I agree with you all that the mass death of Jews is indeed something that calls for singing and celebration, snopes as usual has done a good job of debunking this one.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

yeah, like ^^they all said, you're wrong

by Anonymous 14 years ago

*face palm* you are an ASSTARD.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Its not about Jewish people dying, and contrary to popular belief it is NOT about the bubonic plague either. it wasn't even found in literature until 1881, therefore could not have been in existence since the 1300s. there's no solid explanation for the creation of this nursery rhyme.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Right, because word of mouth isn't important, especially for something as easy to remember as "ring around the rosies"

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well excuse me. http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/rosie.asp

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well the website has some valid points and a good number of sources, but that doesn't make it fact. Actually, it makes it a literary criticism, and a lot of authors/poets/lyric writers will probably tell you that sometimes the underlying meaning is not even apparent when they write the song, but is subconsciously there. Also, there is a lot of correlation in the article, drawing of similarities, which does nor mean causation. So the source is not definitive, but an interesting take. I do still believe it refers the black plague.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

you are an idiot.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

black plague.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

It's about the plague, dude. Get your facts straight. People used to keep 'posies' in their pockets to keep away the plague and whatever...

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Jews getting killed is enough reason to dance and sing.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

i wish people would read the comments before commenting....

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Now, they may have been wrong on the subject...but it still is a bit odd to sing about.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

oops. just realized that it was the bubonic plague...

by Anonymous 13 years ago