Blessing is also a term used for marriage in the Unification Church, see: Blessing Ceremony of the Unification Church.
In a darker turn of phrase, a Blood (street gang) initiation rite will involve getting blessed, a process by which an inductee is punched as hard as possible in the forehead.
In Hawaii anything new (a new building, a new stretch of road to be opened, a new garden) receives a blessing by a Hawaiian practitioner (or Kahuna) in a public ceremony (involving also the unwinding of e.g. a maile lei).
Famous quotes containing the word blessing:
“Without the blessing of cowardice, the world would long since have been torn to bits.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“In each event of life, how clear
Thy ruling hand I see!
Each blessing to my soul more dear,
Because conferred by Thee.”
—Helen Maria Williams (18th century)
“The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society, depend so much upon an upright and skilful administration of justice, that the judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both, as both should be checks upon that.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)