Origins: Rise and Shine

Snapshot from the film Melancholia

It’s a pretty common phrase to hear: rise and shine. I have heard it several times in my life as my parents woke me up for school, but not until recently have I discovered the beauty behind that phrase. I had never thought about it too much — simply associated the phrase with waking up from a groggy sleep and getting ready for something or another. The history of the phrase stems back to the bible, though it was used in more abstract language and metaphor then. It was the use of rise and shine as a wake up call for soldiers in the late 1800’s that has given us our modern usage. The intended sentiment of the phrase was to ‘act lively and do well.’ Short and sweet.