Why do you say Bless me after sneezing?
The most popular theory is that it originated in Rome when the bubonic plague was ravaging Europe. Sneezing was one the plague’s main symptoms, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I suggested that a tiny prayer in the form of saying, “God bless you” after a sneeze would protect the person from death.
What do people in UK say when someone sneezes?
bless you
The ever-changing rainy weather in the UK means that catching a cold is nothing but a regular occurrence in Britain. You will have definitely heard someone sneeze while out and about. This would have no doubt been followed up by someone saying “bless you” to the sneeze. There is no need to stare strangely.
Is it inappropriate to say Bless you?
You have to be really picky to be offended by someone saying “bless you” after a sneeze. It’s a polite social convention — not you literally bestowing them with a blessing from God. For most people, it’s a reflex and one based in good intent.
Is saying Bless you a Catholic thing?
On February 16, 600, he issued a papal decree ordering every good Catholic to say “God bless you” when they heard someone sneeze, which was a common early sign of the Plague, essentially as a prayer to God to aid their health and recovery.
What is the meaning of Bless you?
Definition of bless you 1 —used in speech to express thanks or good wishes “I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.” “Oh, bless you! That’s very kind of you.” 2 —said to someone who has just sneezed.
What countries say bless you after sneezing?
In English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person’s sneeze is “[god] bless you”, or, less commonly in the United States and Canada, “Gesundheit”, the German word for health (and the response to sneezing in German-speaking countries).
Why shouldn’t you say bless you?
Please stop acknowledging my bodily functions. “Bless you” is a phrase so reflexively spoken upon hearing a sneeze that many of us forgot or don’t even know where it came from. It has obvious religious connotations but they’re archaic and no longer make any sense in our modern-day world.
What should I say instead of bless you?
“Well-being!”, “Health!” “Relief!”, or “God give you relief!” “Elation!”, or “Thrill!” “God have mercy on you” if the sneezer says “All praise is for God.”
What to say after someone sneezes?
What do Russian people say when you sneeze?
The Russian response to a sneeze is pretty straightforward: A simple будьте здоровы (“be healthy”) will suffice.
What is the meaning of bless you?
What to say after sneezing?
What do you say after sneezing?
After someone sneezes, saying “bless you” or “God bless you” is an instant reflex.
What can I say instead of bless you?
What do you say after someone sneezes?
In English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person’s sneeze is “bless you”, or, less commonly in the United States and Canada, “Gesundheit”, the German word for health (and the response to sneezing in German-speaking countries).
What do people say when you sneeze in Japan?
He said in Japan they say hak-shun when they sneeze. In English we say a-choo. After Japanese people sneeze, no one says anything special. In English we say God bless you or Gesundheit.