Why Do People Say "Bless You" When you sneeze?

Question

Always wondered, never really asked.

Answer 1

I believe it comes from back in the day when there was a really bad virus being spread.  It was so bad that it was actually killing people.  So, anytime someone sneezed, those surrounding the sneezer would say 'God Bless You' to bid them well and safe from the virus claiming their life.  A simple blessing.

This sums up how it was explained to me a few years ago.

Answer 2

People used to think your heart skipped a beat when you sneezed so it's to make sure your heart keeps beating.

Answer 3

just going by what i have heard.. when you sneeze your heart (body functions) stop for that instance and you are told bless you because they started back.

Answer 4

I think its because people believe that your soul would exit your body when you sneeze, thats why others would have to tell you "bless you" to help your soul get back into your body. Its more of a superstition, really.

Answer 5

it all started with a plauge im pretty sure, because it was one of the symptoms. someone sees you sneezing they said god bless you because you would more than likely be dead soon.

Answer 6

People use to think that the reason you sneeze is because an evil spirit was trying to get into your body. The sneeze forces it out and the bless you is to keep it from getting back in.

A second reason is some use to think that when you sneeze your heart stops for a split second. The bless you is to bless your life and keep you from death.

Answer 7

I've heard that it's because a long time ago, before modern medication, sneezing could be the sign of a disease that led to death (possibly the plague? I'm not positive about what exactly it was). So when people sneezed, someone else would say "God Bless You" or "Bless You", as in "God bless you to get better".

That's what I heard, at least.

Answer 8

Nobody knows for certain (from what I hear), but below is a link for you to check out.

Answer 9

It comes from an old superstition that your soul left your body when you sneezed.

They are helping your soul remember to go home.

Answer 10

it's actually from a superstitious belief. Like when you yawn and you don't cover your mouth, evil spirits can get into your body and so forth. I guess the "bless you" part is to prevent the same thing.

  

Answer 11

There was a belief in the old days that when you sneezed you opened up a passage way to let the devil into your throat (yes, weird I know) So people said "God bless you" to prevent it from happening.  Another story is that back in the old days before modern medicine when people sneezed it could have been something really serious and untreatable so people said "God bless you" so they wouldnt get sick and die.

Answer 12

Each time you sneeze, your heart skips a beat.

In France, it is called  a Petit Mort, literally, "little death."

Blessings are offered that the heart keeps beating afterward.

Answer 13

It comes from the old world Europe, when you sneeze they thought you had an evil spirit in you and that when you sneezed you got it out so they said bless you so you or they wound not get the evil spirit back.

Answer 14

They used to think a sneeze was the body ejecting an evil spirit and to say bless you forbids the evil from entering again....

Answer 15

Because years ago in the dark ages, Disease was overflowing, so whenever people sneezed, people said "God bless you" as a prayer for the sneeze to become nothing more then one sneeze.  

Answer 16

Superstition from the old ways.  

Answer 17

It has to do with the false teaching of an immortal soul.

It was felt that when you sneezed, your soul had an "opportunity" to leave the body, causing your death. And if you said 'God Bless You', that you were keeping the soul from leaving and keeping the person alive.

That is why people say it so quickly and why they may get upset if you don't say it if they sneeze.

Of course, since the soul is not immortal, as Ezekiel 18: 4 and 20 state, then this becomes a superstition, without merit.

Answer 18

it is a custom passed down from old days when people believed your heart would skip a beat when you sneezed. So they would say god bless you, or bless you. meaning that god has blessed you with additional life.

Answer 19

Old superstition that when you sneeze your heart stops. That is said so that you might start breathing again and not die.

Answer 20

It's kind of unknown but here are some theories:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bless_you

I find it really interesting though. That something so obviously rooted in mysticism is still used by so many different cultures.

Answer 21

According to the folklore that I've heard, people used to believe that when you sneeze, you momentarily "die." The blessing is supposed to bring your soul back to your body so that you don't keel over permanently.

Answer 22

There are many reasons and they are mostly myths. One is that your heart stops when you sneeze, and another is that your soul escapes you when you sneeze, in both cases 'bless you' supposedly kept you safe.

Another story has to do with a pope: during an outbreak of the bubonic plague, the pope inspired the common phrase 'God bless you' as an effort to fight the plague.

Answer 23

because it was associated of illness -- in roman times. I've read they only said it if you turned your head to one side , right ot left can't remember

Answer 24

Something about they thought a devil would come out or something? Or that your heart would stop beating? Several sayings but it's an old saying nonetheless. Personally I don't like saying it. It's really weird that you brought it up too because tonight my boyfriend sneezed over the phone and I mumbled a "bless you". He said "wow thanks." =D

Answer 25

because there's a point something percent that you will die when you sneeze so people say bless you for not dying. its wierd, i know but this is where it originated

Answer 26

It was thought that your heart stops when you sneeze.  

Answer 27

it was a superstition that you soul was trying to escape through your sneeze.

I say bless you to hope that their germs don't spread when they sneeze.

The bubonic plague started "ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down"

Answer 28

Because long ago, people associated demons with sickness, and thought if you sneezed, you were fighting off a demon.

Answer 29

The old wives' tale I've been told is that your heart stops briefly when you sneeze, and the idea is to wish you well.

Answer 30

It is my understanding that it started because some believed that when a person sneezed he was expelling a demon.

See the following web page for more explanation:

http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/b...

Answer 31

back in the day common colds and viruses could easily kill. Everyone was deeply religious for the most part, and asking god for his blessing to keep you healthy was their equivalent of penicillin.