Someone sneezes and you say "bless you" People always say it. But what doest it REALLY mean? And why do people say it? I know it's polite... but does anyone know the origins of this custom?
2007-02-10 04:08:27 · 8 answers · asked by dasi108 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
There are lots of thoughts on this. One fear from long ago is that the heart stopped beating when a person sneezed and the "bless you" response was to keep you from dying.
Check this out for more complete info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bless_you
2007-02-10 04:22:13 · answer #1 · answered by hbern 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was something to do with the "black death" or plague in the middle ages, if you sneezed you were probably going to die soon so people said "bless you" just in case you did. I could be talking utter b*llocks because my school days are far behind me but I think that's the reason.
2016-05-25 01:24:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, people thought that when you sneezed, your soul temporarily popped out of your body. Saying "Bless You" prevented the soul from being swiped by the devil.
Also, people thought the sneeze itself was a way of releasing an evil spirit which had previously inhabited the body, and thus saying "bless you" prevented it from re-entering.
2007-02-10 04:20:31 · answer #3 · answered by IamBatman 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
People used to believe that sneezes were caused by demons so they said Bless you to protect you from them.
2007-02-10 04:15:59 · answer #4 · answered by gerrifriend 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because in the old days- they thought when you sneezed it was an evil spirit escaping- so they would say "God Bless you", to ward(or whatever) the spirit off-
2007-02-10 04:12:13 · answer #5 · answered by gagesmomm 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is always a good thing to get blessings.
And this was a way. To ward of evil spirits too.
To make you feel well .
2007-02-10 04:17:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are wishing God to bless you; to give you good things in your life.
2007-02-10 04:11:34 · answer #7 · answered by Pinkerton 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
gagesmom said it right !
2007-02-10 04:17:31 · answer #8 · answered by ♥Sparkling♥Jules♥ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋