2006-09-12 13:25:51 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Its from the days of the BLACK PLAGUE. The first sign of having this horrible disease was usually a sneeze. People would say GOD BLESS YOU because it was to be the last time you would ever see that person. I just found that out when I went to the Vatican (3 wks ago) and I sneezed, so our tour director explained how those words came about.
2006-09-12 14:09:46 · answer #1 · answered by adorible88 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At one time people believed a man's soul could be inadvertently thrust from his body by an explosive sneeze, thus "Bless you!" was a protective oath uttered to safeguard the temporarily expelled and vulnerable soul from being snatched up by Satan (who was always lurking nearby). The purpose of the oath was to cast a temporary shield over the flung-out soul which would protect it just long enough to regain the protection of the corporeal body.
Conversely, the sneeze itself was the expulsion of a demon or evil spirit which had taken up residence in a person. Therefore, although the "Bless you!" was again a protective charm meant to protect the sneezer from evil, in this version it was meant to ward off the re-entry of an evil spirit which a tormented soul had just rid itself of.
The heart was believed to momentarily stop during a sneeze (it doesn't), thus the "Bless you!" was uttered either as a supplication for life to return or as a congratulation upon its successful restart.
Others claim an association of the practice with particular dire diseases (most often the bubonic plague, or "Black Death," as it is sometimes known). They say an infected person's sneeze was sure sign he'd soon be pushing up daisies, thus the "Bless you!" was intended as a benediction to the nearly-departed, a way of commending his soul to the care of God now that he was beyond the help of anything in the mortal world.
Yet other folks echo the theme of other superstitions about sneezes, that these expulsions are either in themselves lucky or foretell good fortune coming the sneezer's way. For them, the "Bless you!" is a recognition of incoming good luck, possibly even an attempt on the blesser's part to attract a bit of it to himself.
Finally, some see the sneeze as a blessing bestowed by the sneezer upon the sneezed-upon. Answering a sneeze with "Bless you!" is seen as nothing more remarkable than replying "Good morning!" to the person who had just greeted you with the same phrase.
So many explanations -- each deeply believed -- for such a simple and often unquestioned practice. And we'll never know which one is right.
2006-09-12 13:34:07 · answer #2 · answered by tumadre 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its Believe In Some Places That When You Sneeze Your Soul Trys To Escape, Saying Bless You Or God Bless You Makes It Stay....Soppossidly...
2006-09-12 13:31:18 · answer #3 · answered by joshwhitaker617 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I actually didn't know there were so many explanations to this question!! The one I thought it is that when you sneeze evil spirits can come in and the blessing wards them off. I just looked it up on wikipedia and turns out all of these origins and superstitions are right!
2006-09-12 13:39:15 · answer #4 · answered by SBG 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In old time, it was believed that a person sneezed because demons, or evil spirits, were entering or leaving their body. Saying, "bless you" was a way to negate the ill-omen of a person sneezing. As cultures changed though, it became term of politeness, more than a guard against evil, and has lasted until today.
2006-09-12 13:32:50 · answer #5 · answered by Blissbug 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
During the middle ages it was believed that a spirit or ghost was trying to get inside of you and that your Soul fighting it off was what caused you to sneeze. Therefore God Bless You becam the common mantra that it is today as it was considered helpful in fighting off the Spirits Ghosts and Demons that were trying to get into your Body.
2006-09-12 13:31:31 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because when you sneeze your heart stops. What people are really saying is, You are blessed.
2006-09-12 15:34:09 · answer #7 · answered by autumnbrookblue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It stems from a time when you could easily die from a cold, and what's one of the first symptoms of a cold? Yup, sneezing. So the "God Bless You" was a genuine prayer for the sneezers health.
2006-09-12 13:30:30 · answer #8 · answered by RazzleDazzle 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It comes from the Middle Ages when Black Death was spreading through Europe. One of the symptoms of the Plague was sneezing. So people said: "God bless you." It was thought to help you not get sick to the mysterious disease.
2006-09-12 13:32:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Cause a long time ago people thought that sneezing was expelling evil spirits.
2006-09-12 13:31:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋