Saying "Bless you" when you sneeze?

Question

Where exactly did this come from? Why is it said?

I dont say "God" bless you, i just say bless you.

Bless is a weird word once u say it too many times

Someone said about the not opening your eyes when you sneeze (which u said was untrue) i've actually trained myself to sneeze with my eyes open, its not hard to do!!

Answer 1

I say "You sneezed" because I like to tlet them know that I'm still around to bug them.

Answer 2

You can find the answer at Wikipedia:

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 simply 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 3

I also say "bless you", and once someone sneezed about a dozen times in an hour and she finally said "Stop blessing me." I thought that was kind of weird, I mean who doesn't want blessings? Anyway...
I always heard that back in the "dark ages" people thought that the devil would enter a person when they sneezed, so to counter act the possibility that a devil had entered someone they would say God Bless You, believing that if said right after the devil entered it would be more likely to leave the person at the mention of God.
It sounds a little odd, but like most old things there's probably some truth to it.

Answer 4

there are a few theories to why this is said and both old superstition
one theory is that the during a sneeze you loose control of your body , enabling demons to enter
the other is that sneezing was a sign of the plague , so blessing the people was like saying , i hope you dont have the plague

seems like from the answers there are many more theories about this

Answer 5

There a few~It was said long ago that when you sneezed you lost part of your soul. Your heart literally stops when you sneeze so it was thought of as momentary death. Hence, "God bless you." Now adays people are so freaked out about using anything that has to do with God, it's just bless you unfrtunately.

Answer 6

don't know where or when it started. however, folks used to believe that every time you sneezed, your soul left your body or that your heart had stopped, just for an instant. By saying God bless you, it would assure the soul's return and to keep the ticker ticking. So, God bless you or it's shortened version, bless you are from the same beginnings.

Answer 7

I think, but not sure, that it was believed that when a person sneezed your heart stopped for a second. Sort of like skipping a beat.
Anyway, people your bless you because of the belief

Answer 8

They used to believe, a long time ago that when a person sneezed their soul would pop out. So if you said God bless you, God would restore that person's soul to it's rightful owner. It has always puzzled me because I would wonder what they thought when nobody was around to say that... or a person with allergies... freaky thing, superstition.

Answer 9

I pretty sure it comes from the Bible when Elijah the prophet went to stay with this lady and her son during a famine. They didn't have much food but they offered for him to stay, they even made him food before they ate. While he was with them the woman's son died, she came to Elijah and told him to come and that her only son has just passed on. He came in and prayed then laid on top of the boy breathed into him. They boy then sat up and sneezed seven times, it was then that the woman said "God Bless You."

Answer 10

It comes from the black plague. Sneezing was one of the first symptoms. It was always just bless you. It was basically saying I hope you don't die.

I guess American Chrisitans added the God part to bless you. I'd never heard that added until I moved to America.

Answer 11

No way. I hate that. i do not "bless" actual purposes. human beings provide me better halves thoughts why I might want to, yet although if someone's' heart stops even as they sneeze, it retains going. i have yet to make certain someone drop lifeless after a sneeze. i have seen strangers on the line say "Bless you" even as someone sneezes. Why? it type of appears like human beings in basic terms want to have that stupid little communique. someone sneezes, someone says "bless you", the sneezer says "thanks". the blesser says "you're welcome". it truly is so stupid. If something, i'll claim excuse me on each occasion I sneeze and that i'll conceal my face with my sleeve or something. I by no ability sneeze into my hand. human beings might want to say excuse me because they are spreading their germs everywhere. in basic terms the different day, the receptionist at artwork sneezed and then requested me if i became going to bless her. I instructed her NO. I don' t bless actual purposes. what's humorous is, she has commonplace me for years and she or he easily concept i became going to participate in that nonsense.