The Dark Origins of Everyday Traditions

You shook someone's hand today. You said "bless you" when someone sneezed. Maybe there's a diamond on your finger right now. Every one of those things has an origin nobody puts in the invitation. Eight ordinary habits. All of them hiding something. No speculation — just history, told the way it actually happened. 0:00 — The Handshake (3,000-year-old weapon check) 1:49 — The Necktie (born in a war that killed 8 million people) 3:18 — The Diamond Engagement Ring (a 1947 ad campaign) 5:46 — Birthday Candles (what actually happens when you blow) 7:12 — Clinking Glasses (the real reason, and it's not poison) 8:40 — "Bless You" (a plague farewell that outlived the plague) 10:19 — High Heels (Persian cavalry boots) 13:05 — The Wedding Veil (a legal mechanism with human decoys)