Why Do People Say 'Bless You' When You Sneeze?

Many people have become accustomed to saying "bless you" or "gesundheit" when someone sneezes. No one says anything when someone coughs, blows their nose or burps, so is there some kind of special treatment going on here? Why do people say "bless you" when you sneeze?

Origins of Saying 'Bless You After Someone Goes 'ACHOO'

We can cut right to chase here and state that nobody knows for sure where this custom came from. There are plenty of theories, but like many customs, tracing them back to the first instance is a very difficult task.

Wishing someone well after they sneeze probably originated thousands of years ago. The Romans would say, "Jupiter preserve you," or, "Salve," which meant, "Good health to you," and the Greeks would wish each other "long life."

The phrase "God bless you" is sometimes attributed to Pope Gregory the Great, who uttered it in the sixth century during a bubonic plague epidemic. Plague was a major threat in the middle ages, and since sneezing could be a symptom of the bubonic plague, it would make sense to offer a blessing to someone who was about to come down with a deadly disease.

The German Word Said in Place of 'God Bless You!'

People in the U.S., even if they aren't particularly religious, will often say, "God bless you" or, "bless you" after someone sneezes. Sometimes, however, they will substitute "gesundheit," which gets them out of the blessing business, and is also fun to say.

Gesundheit is a German word that literally means "health." The idea is that a sneeze typically precedes illness.

It entered the English language in the early part of the 20th century, brought to the United States by German-speaking immigrants, even if many Americans today don't realize they're speaking German when they use the word.

Different Cultures, Different Words, Similar Sentiment

Virtually every country around the world has its own way of wishing sneezers well.

• People in Arabic countries say, "Alhamdulillah," which means "Praise be to God."

• Hindus say, "Live!" or "Live well!"

• In Türkiye, they say, "Çok yasa" which means "Live long." After someone has sneezed a second time, it's "Saglikli yasa," which means "Live healthy."

Some countries have special sneezing responses for children. In Russia, after children are given the traditional response, "Bud zdorov" ("Be healthy"), they are also told, "Rosti bolshoi" ("Grow big").

When a child sneezes in China, he or she will hear "Bai sui," which means, "May you live 100 years."

Warding Off the Bad Spirits

­For the most part, the various sneeze responses originated from ancient superstitions. Some people believed that a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying "bless you" would stop the devil (or other assorted evil spirits) from claiming the person's freed soul.

Others believed the opposite: that evil spirits use the sneeze as an opportunity to enter a person's body through the mouth.

There was also the misconception that the heart momentarily stops during a sneeze (it doesn't), and that saying "bless you" was a way of welcoming the person back to life.

Modern Health Awareness

Today, with many more answers to the questions of sickness and health, we know that sneezing is a reflex action and is most often the sign of something relatively benign, such as a cold or allergy.

Indeed, people sneeze after stepping outside in the sunlight or from smelling a strong odor. Still, we persist in the custom of saying "bless you" or "gesundheit," mainly out of habit and common courtesy.

Lots More Information

Sources

• Bless You! http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/blessyou.asp

• "Does a Sneeze Mean Disease?" http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/35320/35323/379001.html?d=dmtHMSContent

• "Gesundheit! Sneezing Gets a Big Reaction," The New York Times http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C0DE1D9123BF931A15755C0A965948260

• Goldberg, Carey. "And to All, a Universal 'God Bless You'" The New York Times, December 24, 1995, pg. 4.2

• Mandell, Judy. "Why We Feel Compelled to Say ‘Bless You’ When Someone Sneezes" Sept. 17, 2019. (Sept. 9, 2021) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/well/mind/sneezing-sneezes-god-bless-you-manners-etiquette.html

• The Mavens' Word of the Day http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/?date=19970923

• MedicineNet http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16120

Original article: Why Do People Say 'Bless You' When You Sneeze?

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