"God Bless You"

[ScottE]

What do you do when someone sneezes? Say "bless you" or just ignore it? When someone says "bless you" after you sneeze, do you thank them or ignore that?

I was not raised to say "bless you," nobody in my family says it. The most you'll get is someone handing you a tissue or asking if you have allergies. So when I'm at work or with friends and I sneeze, someone will usually say "bless you." I tend to ignore it and continue with the conversation, but I've had people tell me I'm being rude. It does bother me to thank someone for saying "bless you," though. Even removing the God aspect of it, it's a superstition and it serves no purpose.

What do you guys do?

[SteelerMan]

When someone sneezes and I'm familiar with the person, I ask them if their brains stayed in. Otherwise, I just ask them if they're going to be okay. When I sneeze, I wait and if nobody says anything, I ask if there are any christians in the room. If I get a bless you I just roll my eyes. People don't really think about what it means anymore. It's just a Pavlov response.

[phrog]

I agree, Sometimes I'll say Gutzuntiet or the English translation of "Good Health To you". If I sneeze and someone blesses me, I say "Too late." The origins of blessing the sneezer it is told that in days of yore people believed if one sneezed too hard one would expel the soul, hence the blessing. Same with covering your mouth when you yawn, it keeps evil spirits from entering.

[David]

I'm with Steeler here; it's just a conditioned response. Sneeze, say Bless You. I personally don't think anyone actually means anything by it.

But, phrog is right. It does have to do with blessing you so that your soul stays inside, etc...

[phrog]

Even though there was an episode on Seinfeld about just that, it being rude not to say something, it was discussed just this morning with my workmates. I asked why the felt the need to say anything and they brought up the polite thing. They know I'm Atheist. They say "Bless you" I say, "Too late" or "Don't bother." And I've let 'em all know, rude they may think me, but I'm not going to respond when they sneeze.

[home8896]

I've said it recently, and got quite a strange, offended look. Like they were about to make an issue out of it. To the person in question, I get the feeling that she really takes the blessings of others seriously. I got the feeling they wanted to make some kind of point that I don't believe in the very thing that is being invoked. So, I ignore sneezing now, or ask if they're okay, if it seems they're coming down with something and not just having a mild reaction to something in the environment. I usually say "a tes souhaits" which is "to your wishes" in French, and taught to me as their equivalent. I used to say a lot in French out of habit. But this is even more irritating to explain every single time. Saying nothing at all is usually fine with them, anyway.

[lorryfach]

When in the US or when around Americans, I say "Gesundheit" or ask if they're ok. If someone says "bless you" to me, then it depends on who it is. I'll say thank you if it's someone like my grandmother, where it's just not worth having a conversation about. Otherwise I'll ignore it or roll my eyes.

In Denmark, everyone says "prosit" which is a word only used after someone sneezes, and doesn't seem to have any other meaning associated to it at all.

[chasm]

The origins of blessing the sneezer it is told that in days of yore people believed if one sneezed too hard one would expel the soul, hence the blessing.


I've sneezed up some interesting things before, but never my soul.

Of course, if I had, it would have been covered in snot, in which case I wouldn't want it back anyway.

[deltagear]

I agree, Sometimes I'll say Gutzuntiet or the English translation of "Good Health To you".
I was raised with Gutzuntiet, on the basis that your brain will fall out your nose if you don't say it. lol

[lorryfach]

In the interest of truth-seeking and reality-upholding (we are atheists, after all), I feel like I should point out that Gutzuntiet doesn't mean anything at all, and would actually be pronounced "goot tsoon teet." When I was young, I thought it was "ga-zoom-tight," and I certainly understand the confusion, but Gesundheit means "health" in German, with gesund meaning "healthy" and -heit being a suffix that makes it a noun. Because of German pronunciation rules, the d ends up sounding like a t.

[phrog]

In the interest of truth-seeking and reality-upholding (we are atheists, after all), I feel like I should point out that Gutzuntiet doesn't mean anything at all, and would actually be pronounced "goot tsoon teet." When I was young, I thought it was "ga-zoom-tight," and I certainly understand the confusion, but Gesundheit means "health" in German, with gesund meaning "healthy" and -heit being a suffix that makes it a noun. Because of German pronunciation rules, the d ends up sounding like a t.
Ah, I love learning new stuff. I lived two years in Germany. To this date that's about the extent of my German. Thanks for the info.

[phrog]

I've sneezed up some interesting things before, but never my soul.

Of course, if I had, it would have been covered in snot, in which case I wouldn't want it back anyway.
Brings up a gross but interesting tidbit of my own. About ten years ago I had a polyp in one of my sinuses. I had just gotten in my car to drive to he store when I sneezed. I nearly choked on something in the process and I coughed up a large fleshy disc slightly larger than a silver dollar. It was shaped like the models of blood platelets you see on the Discovery Channel. It had blood veins all over it and if right-to-lifers had caught wind of it, they would have been picketing my home demanding I take it to term! Hmmm, it weighed about 21 grams, perhaps it was my soul! :eek:

[minorwork]

Cough. Gag. Hurl.

Another bulemic aid. A gift to mankind.

[muichimotsu]

I've taken to the standard put forth by my Japanese professor of saying Gesundheit, and yet that phrase is underused at my campus, seeing as it's principally Christians anyway...liberal ones, but Christians that apparently unconsciously hold to that foolish superstition of demons cursing you when you sneeze.

I really just ignore it even if it's directed to me and no one sees it as rude here, luckily. Frankly I just ignore sneezes anyway, everyone does it, I see no reason to draw attention to them or positively reinforce some psychological notion that people who sneeze need to be protecteed from something.

I would use the Okinawan phrase mabuya mabuya which has a similar ring in the Japanese folk religon tradition of protecting from demons I believe, but not even my Japanese professor would probably recognize it.

[phrog]

It's such a habbit for most people. We have a new employee in the office and the topic has been discussed and she knows how I think it silly. So I'll sneeze and she'll say "Bless you" then "Oh, sorry, I forgot." I am amused.

[Bunterx]

I say bless you just out of habit, my parents taught me to say it with no real meaning behind it other than to be polite. I also sometimes use Gesundheit, I tend to alternate between the two at random.

[minorwork]

Aside from the sneeze, "Gesundheit" and "God Bless You" was also used after a nice noisy fart. That was in the coal mine. Of course the masterpiece fart award was defined and scientifically determined by several observers that had to be present as unbiased judges. To even be considered for this prestigious achievement demands that somebody has to puke. "Must have been eating road kill" and other descriptive remarks are a sure sign that the competitor might be called out for cheating. The usual violation was pooping in the pants, an obvious violations of the rules. The arena, as is customary, was in the closed cage(elevator) holding 25 men for the 35 second trip either to the surface or going down. There was little time for encores. Memorable moments are still related 30 years later. Go miners!

[phrog]

Aside from the sneeze, "Gesundheit" and "God Bless You" was also used after a nice noisy fart. That was in the coal mine. Of course the masterpiece fart award was defined and scientifically determined by several observers that had to be present as unbiased judges. To even be considered for this prestigious achievement demands that somebody has to puke. "Must have been eating road kill" and other descriptive remarks are a sure sign that the competitor might be called out for cheating. The usual violation was pooping in the pants, an obvious violations of the rules. The arena, as is customary, was in the closed cage(elevator) holding 25 men for the 35 second trip either to the surface or going down. There was little time for encores. Memorable moments are still related 30 years later. Go miners!
To say we men are pigs would be an insult to swine everywhere.

[minorwork]

Uh, then you think the champion male? More appropo, maybe substitute the word "men" in your statement to "some miners." Though the competition was close the champion when I left was female. I can see my words implied a male group. I take full responsibility for my failure to convey that women work at the mine also. I have in the past had a woman boss. I got along with her fine, but I am ashamed of the actions of some men there for there physical expressions of disdain for a woman boss. Their actions were too gross for even me to post.

[phrog]

Since those around me at work are want to say SOMETHING when I sneeze, they're likely to suffer the pangs of an ingrown blessing if not. I've told them the best response would be: "Need a tissue?"

[dnluce]

Most often I say Bless you, out of life-long habit.
For variety I use bismallah alrahman alraheem.
For a particularly good one I say, "Ah geez, I'll go get a mop."

[El Judio Bravo]

And if it's Osama bin Laden who has sneezed, I'd say "Qus ummah! Hands up, Snot Boy!"

[dnluce]

And if it's Osama bin Laden who has sneezed, I'd say "Qus ummah! Hands up, Snot Boy!"

I think it's ummak (your mother) but I appreciate the sentiment.

[El Judio Bravo]

My Aravit is weak, I am afraid. I'm a virtuoso in English and polyglot swearing though.