2006-10-24 06:09:56 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
Very old...they did it because they thought it was a spirit leaving your body...
Now the Germans have it right, they offer you good health! Gesundheit!
2006-10-24 06:22:14 · answer #1 · answered by fairly smart 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What I've heard takes some of these answers one step further (it is actually leveraged from the Complete Idiots Guide to Learning Yiddish). Sneezing was obviously not an official cause of death, the term Gesundheit, used following a sneeze in ancient times, was also the last utterance before burial (or cover up with a sheet) after an individual deceased. This is not to say the sneeze was the final gasp, but that aforementioned book references Gesundheit as a parting phrase to one departing the realm of the living. Obviously, if that's true, this phrase has conveyed and kept meaning (though if one sneezes, the meaning is far different in terms of what's said in English vs. what it meant initially). It is a very interesting topic at least I think so :)
2016-05-22 07:53:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It originated during the Black Death in England. The early symptom was sneezing. There was no known cure and death was the consequence in the majority of the cases. Hence if someone sneezed it was automatically assumed they had got the plague and would suffer and die.
The nursery rhyme 'Ring a ring a roses' comes from the plague ans ends with the line - Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down.
2006-10-24 06:22:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its because your heart stops when u sneeze soooo God has bless you to live after you sneeze
2006-10-24 06:17:20 · answer #4 · answered by prizelady88 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It actually comes from the time where we had the bubonic plague and one of the symptoms is sneezing. So people would say 'God Bless You because that person would probably die.
It's also where the nursery rhyme comes from : ' Ring a ring of rosies, pocket full of posies atishoo atishoo we all fall down.'
(all fall down dead)
2006-10-24 06:26:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it came from the colonial days when a person sneezes, they thought it was gods way of purging evil spirits from your body so the response was god bless you.
2006-10-24 06:13:36 · answer #6 · answered by emanon1999 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There was an old belief that evil spirits could enter your being during the sneezing process, and people don't like to take chances, especially if they are superstitious to begin with.
2006-10-24 06:14:02 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My teacher always told me that it's because when you sneeze, you're not thinking of God and then Satan will steal your soul, so people say that to ward him off.
2006-10-24 06:17:19 · answer #8 · answered by ultrelusive 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was what the first guy said.
2006-10-24 06:17:23 · answer #9 · answered by mystery guy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dunno, but i hate being blessed! lol
2006-10-24 06:18:32 · answer #10 · answered by strawberry delight 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋