Why do we say "God Bless You" after a sneeze?

We can't go into the grocery store, or anyplace for that matter, at this time of year and not be subjected to people coughing and sneezing.

Some sneezers are well-mannered and use a tissue, sneeze into their elbow (the preferred method) or their hand. Some sneezers are rude or just don't care, and sneeze at whatever is in front of them! And some are a combination of both, and although they have good intentions, that darned sneeze sneaks out and happens to land on anyone in the vicinity around them.

Even the hand sneezers are sharing their unwanted germs if they are touching other objects (pens, food, packages, desks, doorknobs...you get the picture) before washing with soap and water, or hand sanitizer immediately after sneezing.

Now, after that lovely picture is seared into your brain...let's talk about something else that has to do with sneezing.

Our local newspaper has an interesting daily section that allows people to voice their opinions via email or telephone. Topics range from politics (a lot of that!) to community concerns and complaints, to thanking others. Last week, in the middle of the column, one of the respondents asked about sneezing and why we say "God Bless You" after we sneeze.

Well, I happen to enjoy researching a good question and found some interesting information.  According to The Library of Congress, Fox News, Got Questions, and Babbel, this response after a sneeze began many years ago. It is not biblical, but based upon lore, superstition, and a mix of good intentions. 😊

1) Ancient people believed that the soul resided in their head in the form of air. When they sneezed, their soul could be expelled from their bodies and lost forever. They needed God's blessing and protection to keep their soul inside their bodies. It was also thought that along with their soul, evil spirits could enter or exit their bodies in the same way. Saying God Bless You offered God's protection to the sneezer and any innocent people around them.

2) Originating in Rome during the time of Europe's bubonic plague. Pope Gregory I, declared that all people should say God Bless You to anyone heard sneezing. It was thought this may offer protection since coughing and sneezing were the first symptoms to appear. By blessing the person, there was a slim chance they would not become infected, since most died after contracting the disease.

3) Some, even today, believe our hearts stop when we sneeze. Saying God Bless You is a way of thanking God that our heart has started again. Actually, our heart does not stop when we sneeze. The electrical circuit of our heart does not change, but pressure in our chest that is caused from the sneeze, momentarily increases. This increase, causes the blood flow to our heart to slow. Our heart, being the amazing muscle that it is, compensates and alters the heart rhythm momentarily to adjust.

4) Still others believe that sneezing with your eyes open will cause your eyeballs to pop out! Saying God Bless You protects you from this fate. Actually, closing our eyes when sneezing occurs naturally as part of the physiology which occurs during number 3.

According the an article found in the Library of Congress:

•  Once started, a sneeze cannot be stopped.
•  A sneeze travels at a speed of 100 miles per hour and the wet spray can radiate up to five feet (YUCK - even your elbow can't protect you from that!).
• Sneezing does not occur when we sleep because those nerves are also resting.
• Being exposed to sudden, bright light causes 18-35% of us to sneeze.
• Nerve endings located in the face may become irritated when plucking our eyebrows (my hand is up), causing us to sneeze when it fires an impulse that reaches the nasal nerve.
• The longest sneezing episode on record occurred in Worcestershire, England. Donna Griffiths sneezed for 978 days, first starting at a frequency of one sneeze per minute.

Finally, English is not the only language with a response to sneezing. Here are a handful of responses in other languages:

1. Jeebo - means stay alive in Bengali.
2. Gesundheit - means health in German.
3. Salud - means health after the 1st sneeze; Dinero - means money after the second; Amor - means love after the third in Spanish Latin America.
4. Jesús, María, José - means Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Spain (Spanish).
5. à tes/vos souhaits - means to your wishes in French.
6. Gezondheid - means health in Dutch.
7. Slainte - means good health in Irish Gaelic.

Have a great day and don't forget to use your elbow and practice good hand washing. Here's a little video to help you remember.

Kelli

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