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How is that polite or courteous? It just seems like it's unneccessary.

I work in an office where everytime someone sneezes, 2 or 3 people blurt it out and after a while it gets old. Why do people do it?

2007-02-08 08:47:03 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture Etiquette

16 answers

Old custom that has no meaning.

2007-02-08 08:52:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

It started because when we sneeze our hearts stop for just a second.People started saiying it because it is believed that God Blessed us and we are still alive. People used to be afraid of sneezzing, they thought we might die when we sneeze because our heart stops. Now, we know better and it is just said to be polite or courteous. It should never get old-its a nice gesture to bless someone-your day might get better-or maybe someone else's.

2007-02-08 11:22:36 · answer #2 · answered by didi 1 · 0 0

In an earlier question here on YA the answerer stated that in the ancient and more superstitious times it was believed that your heart stops very briefly when you sneeze and the "God bless" you began as a truism that God would restart your heart after you sneezed.

Today it is probably more of a courtesy than anything else.

Hope that helps.

2007-02-08 08:55:33 · answer #3 · answered by LadyB!™ 4 · 2 0

To say "God Bless You" after someone sneezed actually was from the midievel times. This was during the really bad ebonic flu i think it was or the black flu. Persons who were showing this cold like symptoms were thought to be the persons next to go, so they were saying "God bless you", in hopes of the person actualy surviving the sickness and if not, then going to a better place i.e. heaven.

2007-02-08 11:17:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Let's get this straight. Sneezing didn't have anything to do with stopping your heart (urban legend) or the Devil getting in (?). Saying "God Bless You" after a sneeze developed because people in the middle ages believed that a sneeze indicated your soul was trying to escape your body.

2007-02-08 08:56:05 · answer #5 · answered by trasgo_2000 3 · 0 1

It is a leftover from the days when they thought your soul left your body when you sneezed. It was an attempt to get that soul back.

As far as why people do it now I have no clue but yes it is really pesty when everyone says it to a sneezer in their group. Maybe there should be a designated blesser and the rest should stay quiet.

2007-02-08 10:17:14 · answer #6 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0 0

Sneezing is a symptom of the bubonic plague. The custom of blessing someone when they sneezed developed because sneezing used to mean you were going to die in a very short time (a couple of days).

Now it is a polite custom.

2007-02-08 09:00:16 · answer #7 · answered by Shanna J 4 · 3 0

The person who mentioned the bubonic plague is correct. Sneezing was a first sign that someone had the plague, so people knew this meant they were going to die so said 'God bless you'.

Have you heard the kids poem which is still used now:

'Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
Atishoo! Atishoo!
We all fall down..'

(Atishoo is my spelling of the sound for sneezing!)

2007-02-08 09:44:01 · answer #8 · answered by jobby1111 3 · 0 0

If I recall, it was about protecting you, because they used to think you could loose your soul when you sneeze, opening you to evil. "God Bless you" was said to block the evil spirits from sneaking in before your soul returned.

As for why people do it, custom and it's drilled into us from an early age.

2007-02-08 10:04:09 · answer #9 · answered by jcurrieii 7 · 0 0

there's many different myths about this subject
1. people used to believe that when you sneeze, your soul escapes your body and they say 'god bless you' so the devil wouldnt steal your soul.

another myth is that when you sneeze your heart stops.

2007-02-08 09:00:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

to say "god bless you" is from a long time ago. in the mid-evil times, people used to think that when u sneezed, ur heart stopped. so people would say "god bless you" because they thought ur heart was not beating durirng the split second. kinda confusing. but it was just to ensure that u were still alive. yea, that dont make much sense, but i hope it helps^^

2007-02-08 08:52:01 · answer #11 · answered by <3Kiira<3 2 · 3 1

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