Why do people say godbless u when u sneeze?

Question

how did they come up with that?

Answer 1

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.

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.

In many English-speaking countries, the German equivalent, Gesundheit (which roughly translated means "good health!"), is proffered after sneezing.

In some parts of Australia, the expression is also used when a person belches or breaks wind; this usage is primarily an indication that the blesser has not been offended by the gaseous expulsions of the blessed. This is also true in the rural areas of New Zealand and in Auckland.

Answer 2

Back in the old days, people used to believe that when you sneezed it was an evil spirit leaving your body...
i don't think it was a belief in this country...but some how the custom got over here!

Answer 3

I agree with Max, also, this is the origin of covering your mouth when you sneeze, so your soul will find its way back in without getting lost.

Answer 4

because in the past people thought when you sneezed the devil got in your body and the only way to get it out was to say god bless you now its just a habit and people say it for common curtesy

Answer 5

Because it was believed your heart stops when you sneeze so God Bless you was said to restart your heart. It doesn't really stop.

Answer 6

back in like 1500's people thought when u sneeze your soul escapes so to keep your soul from escaping they say god bless you

Answer 7

I don't know where that came from. I say gesundheit, which is German, not sure the meaning. Jerry Seinfield says "your soooooooooo good looking".

Answer 8

bcuz your sneezes are causing your heart to skip a beat / beat irregularly.obviously, any heart irregularities are dangerous


(when nobody tells me bless u, it hurts my feelings so i bless myself)

Answer 9

People are just looking for conversational reasons to talk. Sometimes they need to just remain silent.

Answer 10

good question...never thought of it b4!!!!!!!!!!