Why do we say "bless you" once someone sneezes?

Question

Why do we say "bless you" once someone sneezes?

Answer 1

Hi yessi, My grandmother told me it was because, "When you sneeze, your heart stops beating"? And to say "God Bless[ed] You" was like saying...WOW, you didn't die! OXXO Moonchild

Answer 2

because your heart stops. and saying bless you is kind of like blessing you so it will keep beating.

; )

Answer 3

Two reasons for saying bless you

1. Medically your heart is said to skip a beat when you sneeze. Reason for this being that sneeze is a complex cardiovascular event.  It changes pressure inside affecting blood flow and thus beating of heart.They effect the frequency and other aspect of heartbeat.

2. Other being religion that when you sneeze its said that the evil spirits or Satan enters you by your mouth .

But all said and done this has become now more of mannerism to say bless you than anything else.

Answer 4

Apparently, your heart stops beating for the tiniest fraction of a second when you sneeze. The "bless you" is a prayer to get it started again and keep you alive!

Answer 5

To Be Kind and Forgive their Spread of Germiness

Answer 6

Getting a cold used to be basically fatal.

Answer 7

Your heart skips a beat when you sneeze.

Answer 8

in the old days they used to think when u sneeze ur soul was trying to escape so they said bless u.... i dont know

Answer 9

The idea was that when you sneezed, you were at risk that your soul would "blow out" of you with the sneeze. The "bless you" was intended to minimize or eliminate this eventuality.

Answer 10

well your heart skips a beat when you sneeze

so GOD bless you :]

but then people shortened it to bless you

soooo thats why we say bless you when someone sneezes

btw its a myth

but thats the story i learned growing up

Answer 11

In the Middle Ages, Christians thought that your soul was leaving your body when you sneezed.  So they said "God bless you."

Answer 12

There used to be a belief that spirits were trying to enter your body and cause all sorts of mischief, such as colds and the plague. Saying "Bless you" was supposed to ward off the evil spirits.