MODEL RELEASED. Man sneezing into a handkerchief.
Without ever knowing the meaning behind it, I have always found myself saying “bless you” whenever someone sneezes. I’m sure you have too and it’s almost as if we expect it to be said to us when we do sneeze.
There are a few different explanations about the origins of “God bless you,” or in short, “Bless you.” The first dates back to the first century and is deeply rooted in superstition. Back then, a sneeze was sometimes thought to be the body’s way of trying to rid itself of evil spirits. So, in that case, saying “God bless you” was a way to try to provide protection, or a good luck charm, against the evil spirits leaving or inhabiting the body. A sneeze, therefore, might accidentally expel the spirit from the body unless God blessed you and prevented this from occurring.
Another explanation mentions that the bless you reaction dates back to as early as 77 C.E. It states that people tended to acknowledge sneezes as a sign of good health that prompted salutations. Greeks and Romans followed up a projection of mucus with phrases like live long and may Jupiter bless you.
Then there’s also the rumor that it originated in Rome when the bubonic plague was ravaging Europe. Sneezing was one the plague’s main symptoms. Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) suggested saying “God bless you” after a person sneezed in hopes that this prayer would protect them from an otherwise certain death.
The most popular theory is that our hearts stop when we sneeze, and saying “bless you,” is a way of welcoming the sneezer back from the dead.
While most of us are not worried about demons, momentary death or the bubonic plague. Saying “bless you” today is just considered a polite gesture.