2007-02-02 02:50:11 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
what the heck are you talking about?
2007-02-02 02:52:29 · answer #1 · answered by spanky 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
One of the superstitions of the Middle Ages was the idea that demons could possess one in the blink of an eye and the little devils were running about doing just that. (Jesus wasn't made to look very powerful then)
If you sneezed, the superstition went, your soul was kicking out a little imp. Anyone hearing that sneeze immediately knew that there was a nasty little devil at large in the immediate vicinity. Saying, "God bless you" accomplished two things. It: A) let the dastardly demon know you were on the side of the angels and B) by calling down God's blessing on the sneezer you effectively made it impossible for it to get back into him/her, thus forcing it to go back to hell. *dusting hands briskly* And another minion of the Great Deceiver was bundled back to where it belonged. Job well done.
God bless you!
2007-02-02 03:00:11 · answer #2 · answered by Granny Annie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's documented as starting a few different ways - in religious cults as a way of stopping a spirit from escaping or an evil one from getting in, and from the time of the plague because back then a sneeze was actually something to worry about,a nd more recently because people started a rumor that your heart stops for a second. Now it's just kind of weird etiquette.
2007-02-02 02:59:24 · answer #3 · answered by imnotachickenyoureaturkey 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
During the great black plague in Europe it was believed that when you sneezed evil spirits that caused the plague would enter your body. Saying God Bless You was intended to drive out the evil spirits. As it turned out the plague was actually spread by the fleas on the rats...Blessings should have been said over the damn fleas...There you go. During this time in history we have many left overs. Some are even in our nursery rimes...Ring around the rosies, pockets full of Posies, ashes ashes we all fall down...Posies were supposed to comfort the dead and the family put them in the pockets of the dead...Ashes were from the fires burning the piles of bodies in the streets...We all fall down....Well I think you get the idea.
2007-02-02 03:24:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The heart "stopping" or missing a beat is actually an old wives tale, but thats why we say it.
So GOD blesses the person and they won't die.
Also, it was thought that bad spirits are exiting the body through a sneeze, so again God bless the person so they are saved.
Now it's just being polite or nice, but the roots are silly, huh!
2007-02-02 02:54:36 · answer #5 · answered by my-kids-mom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually it begun because sneezing was thought to allow demons in. Thus God Bless You, kept the demons out, maybe.
There was a Seinfield routine about this, Seinfeild suggested when someone sneezes it would be better to say "Your so good looking", rather than "God Bless you".
2007-02-02 02:53:51 · answer #6 · answered by Dane 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi
People say God bless you, because years ago many people believed a sneeze was the spirit trying to job out of your body, and by blessing it, it leap back in
Weird but true!!
2007-02-02 02:53:51 · answer #7 · answered by newsboysno1 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
A long long time ago people used to think when you sneezed evil spirits were coming out of you, so they blessed you. I suppose the phrase just stuck.
2007-02-02 02:57:57 · answer #8 · answered by CLR 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was believed that when you sneezed, your soul would leave your body. By saying "bless you," it is believed your soul woud come back.
Did you know that when you sneeze, you die for 1 second? It's true!! Your heart stops entirely and it is IMPOSSIBLE to sneeze with your eyes open.
2007-02-02 05:11:06 · answer #9 · answered by Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ in the sky 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not certain of this, but I think long ago (like hundreds of years ago) when people simply had no idea what the heck was going on when a person sneezed, they thought it might be the expulsion of something evil... hence, "God bless you."
2007-02-02 02:53:57 · answer #10 · answered by doggiemom 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People say "God bless you" because they used to believe that a sneeze was your spirit or soul trying to leave your body.
To quote Milhouse from "The Simpsons"..."Saying 'God bless you' crams it back in."
2007-02-02 02:59:05 · answer #11 · answered by efor1124 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋