why do people say god bless you when you sneeze?

Answer 1

Because, during the time of the black plague, it was thought that if you sneezed you had the plague and were going to die. So people would say God Bless You to save the protect the soul of the person who would soon be on their way to Heaven (or hell)

Answer 2

It has somewhat to do with several issues bordering on superstition and some misconceptions.

According to http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgesundheit.html

The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, "Kyrie Eleison" (Greek for "Lord have mercy"). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished.


People once believed that sneezing meant you were expelling an evil spirit so the Germans would say, "Gesundhueit" which is translated literally as, "God and Heaven", They did that thinking that mentioning God and Heaven would frighten away the evil spirit before it could enter anyone else.

The Spanish speaking people I know say "Jesus bless you". Can't remember the exact Spanish words but it all refers to offering a blessing to the person for a variety of reasons.

Answer 3

Back in the day when there was no good medicine and people were dying left and right from diseases that we just take cold medications for, if you sneezed, it was a little more serious...so people said God Bless You.

Answer 4

I once read that it's based on old superstition where people believe that because the heart stops for that split second (when sneezing) that evil spirits could invade the body or good spirits could come out of the body. So people would say, "God Bless you" to protect you.

Answer 5

It is meant to restore your soul.
In ancient times, it was believed that the soul left your body when you sneezed and that evil spirits could then enter. Blessing you was supposed to prevent this. In the Dark Ages, it was believed that your heart stopped momentarily when you sneezed. You were, in effect, dead for an instant and had to be blessed.

Answer 6

Because of the widely-held belief that your heart stops momentarily when you sneeze, hence 'God bless you' so it starts up again. This, as well as the belief by some people that demons exit the body when we sneeze are just superstitious urban myths.

Answer 7

People use to think that when someone sneezed it was the body's way of getting rid of an evil spirit or demon. So they would say God bless you quickly, they thought it would prevent the spirit/demon from re-entering the persons body.

Answer 8

Because a long time ago when there was poorer health services, if you sneezed that meant you had a cold and you were sick and would most likely die, so they would say "God bless you" when you sneezed.

Answer 9

It was thought that when you would sneeze, your soul would leave your body for a second. People would say bless you to prevent evil spirits or the devil from taking your soul until it returned to your body.

Answer 10

It an old wives tale that when you sneeze your soul is trying to escape your body. I guess saying God Bless you crams it back inside you.