why do pepole say "Bless You" after you sneeze?

Answer 1

Folk lore told that when the body sneezed, it opened it up to evil spirits coming into the body. When someone says "Bless you" it protects you from being invaded by those spirits. You can do a quick search for "Old Wive's Tales" and "Folk Lore" and there are some fascinating reasons behind the things we say like "Knock on Wood" etc.

Answer 2

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.

Superstition

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:

Oxford University Biology Professor, Bindi Perkins suggests: When you need to sneeze, it helps to look at a brighter light or at the sun. Looking at a bright light or at the sun can direct light up into the nasal cavity which in-turn reflects light from the dust particles up into your cerebral membrane. It is here that the sneezing mechanism is triggered.

The belief that the heart stops when you sneeze, and the phrase "bless you" is meant to ensure the return of life or to encourage your heart to continue beating. (Of course, the heart beats because of electrical pulses that are not affected by normal functions like sneezing.)

* 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. During a sneeze the impulses travel through your face causing your eyelids to blink, this response is entirely automatic.

In many English-speaking countries, the German equivalent, gesundheit (which means "good health"), is used after sneezing or coughing.

Alternative intent

One other usage of the phrase "Bless you" in response to a sneeze is to bless or thank a person who sneezes but covers his or her mouth and nose with a tissue, handerkerchief, sleeve, or even a hand (hopefully then washing the hands before touching shared items) as an act of concern and courtesy to others, in order to avoid spreading the germs expelled so as not to sicken other people. Presumably, a person who fails to demonstrate such concern and courtesy by not covering the mouth and nose during a sneeze would not be blessed or thanked.

Answer 3

When you sneeze, that force will send a rude awakening to your nervous system; preferably the surrounding areas of your heart. So when you sneeze, there's a good chance of you going into cardiac arrest. Therefore, after you sneeze, and your still alive, someone will say bless you.

Answer 4

I read before that in olde days when you sneezed your soul was trying to escape. A blessing came after the big sneeze.
Everyone elses answers sound right too.

Answer 5

Back in the old days, people believed that when you sneezed, an evil spirit left your body.

Answer 6

Because they say you are getting rid of bad spirits when you sneeze.

Answer 7

I really do not know the reason but I belive it is a way of telling you that the people around you accept it as an involuntary action (done by the god) and is excusable. It may mean "no sin done"

Answer 8

i think many of the ppl they sneeze bcz they caught a light cold...then ppl say bless u , in german they say gesundheit..means health...so i think they r the same , just wish ppl good health,,,
but in china, ppl say nothing , only in canton , the ppl there say daigileisi(dajilishi)
in english or chinese , i think maybe only for health , or maybe more religion way ..both are possible

Answer 9

i was told when you sneeze your heart stops for a second