why do people say "God bless you" when others sneezing?

Answer 1

Origins:

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.

Superstition:
Other explanations are based on superstitions and urban legends about sneezing and what a sneeze entails. Some well known superstitions that may have contributed to bringing bless you into common use are:

The heart stops when you sneeze (it doesn't), and the phrase bless you is meant to ensure the return of life or to encourage your heart to continue beating.
A sneeze is the expulsion of some sort of evil, and the phrase is meant to ward off the evil's re-entry.
Your soul can be thrown from your body when you sneeze, and saying bless you prevents your soul from being stolen by Satan or some evil spirit. Thus, bless you or God bless you is used as a sort of shield against evil.
A sneeze is good luck and saying "bless you" is no more than recognition of the sneezer's luckiness.
Alternatively, it may be possible that the phrase began rather uninterestingly as a response for an event that wasn't well understood at the time.

Another urban legend states that you cannot open your eyes while you sneeze, or if you manage to your eyes will pop out. Both of the statements are untrue.

Answer 2

Actually, sneezing is a bad luck that's why people always say GOD BLESS after having that..

I don't know but alot of people I know who are doing that.. And I also do that..

Take Care and God Bless..

Answer 3

in the old days people believed that when you sneezed your soul was trying to get out and if you lived then "God blessed you"

Answer 4

It is said that when you sneeze, your heart stops for a split second. So it is understood that God blesses you to keep your heart beating after you sneeze.

Answer 5

its back when there was a plague and people were scared of dieing so when someone sneezed it was the first sign of the sickness. people started saying god bless you hoping that god will bless them and they will live.

Answer 6

Because when you sneeze, your soul tries to escape, but if someone says "God bless you" then the soul gets chicken and goes back in.

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

Many ppl believe it becuz ur soul / there is devil coming out of you but for me, i have more medical reason i think it's becuz some viruses (or unidentified things to ur body which can make u feel sick) get out of ur sistem through ur nose. Ppl say God Bless You cuz it's just some expression to thank Him for helping u. this is happends to Muslims too. when they sneeze they said "Alhamdulillah" i think it means "Thank God..". maybe Jewish or other religions also have their own expressions

Answer 9

why do u say hi when u come in???its something that started somewhere and it became something known....maybe because when a pesron sneez you stop breathing for a moment...im not sure but God bless u anyway;)

Answer 10

it because your soul leaves your body when you sneeze you ask God to bless you and it returns to your body..Don't really know if that's true..