just me i don't even know which category to put thi in
2006-08-26 14:36:02 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
it was an urban myth that everytime you sneeze an evil spirit can get into your body therefore you say god bless you to rid the persons body of the evil spirit i don't believe that though..
i believe that since when you sneeze your heart skips a beat you say "god bless you" for the heartbeat they lost.
2006-08-26 14:38:53 · answer #1 · answered by Shelly 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
For many people the act of sneezing stops their heart for a fraction of a second. In some cases this becomes permanent and the person dies. This rarely happens but, the heart stop or disruption of the beat is normal during a sneeze. In the old day, because of the above, people thought you actually died during a sneeze and therefore, the "God Bless You".
2006-08-26 21:45:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
From the site referenced below:
There are many theories regarding the origin of this custom.
One traditional explanation for the custom is that it began literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory I the Great (AD 540-604) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the bubonic plague in AD 590 (his successor succumbed to it). To combat the plague, Gregory ordered litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's blessing. When someone sneezed (seen as the initial onset of the plague), they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not actually develop the disease.
Nevertheless the phrase bless you or god bless you in Greek literature predates the ascension of Gregory.
"Bless you, my dear!" he said, and "bless you, bless you!" at the second and third sneeze. From Apuleius, The Golden ***, AD 150.
Aloha
2006-08-27 17:26:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sneezing was often a sign of the "Black Death" that spread throught Europe during the Middle Ages.
Your heart skips a beat ever time you sneeze, so that might be the reason as well.
2006-08-26 21:43:02 · answer #4 · answered by Someone 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not absolutely sure this is true, but I was told that this began during the black plague in Europe. The first sympton of the plague was sneezing, so people said God bless you because you were on your way to your maker.
2006-08-26 21:42:57 · answer #5 · answered by irongrama 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the dark ages everything was put down to demons and god. When you sneezed, it was believed that it gave the devil a chance to grab your soul, so you would invoke a blessing to protect someone when they sneezed.
2006-08-26 21:43:50 · answer #6 · answered by R. F 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was the superstition of the Celts. They believed that when you sneezed your soul briefly left your body and if they did not say "God bless you!" very quickly the devil would steal your soul.
2006-08-26 21:43:43 · answer #7 · answered by songbird 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People used to think that when you sneezed you were endanger of "sneezing out" your soul. I think that's it -- there may be other reasons.
2006-08-26 21:42:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
well now this is what i heard if u bless someone who snezzes excuse the spelling plz
the devil cannot get in
2006-08-26 21:42:33 · answer #9 · answered by howcor 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Shelley's correct, it was an old superstition about evil spirits.
2006-08-26 21:42:29 · answer #10 · answered by Ashley F 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋