| ent someone sneezes, an array of greetings is | | | | Europe, one of the first signs that a person was |
| thrown at them from the people around. Have | | | | sick was when he began to sneeze. Thus, blessing |
| you ever wondered why you or others do that? | | | | them was a manner of asking the almighty to |
| This article will try and cover the historical origins | | | | have mercy for the poor soul of the sneezer as |
| and reasons for this behavior. | | | | they were definitely going to pass over into the |
| Here are some of the more popular reasons that | | | | other realm. |
| I have collected from different sources: | | | | 6) In an unlikely swing to an optimistic side, |
| 1) Some say that the reason is to safeguard the | | | | sneezing was also attributed with a sign of good |
| sneezer's soul from allowing evil spirits a chance | | | | luck. And in order to receive some part of this |
| to take advantage of the soul leaving at that | | | | good luck, people retort bless you. |
| exact moment and entering instead. It is believed | | | | 7) Manners. Or it other words, people bless you |
| that by blessing them, the evil soul or the devil | | | | because everyone else does it and its considered |
| are barred from entering. | | | | rude if you ignore someone sneezing. Just like |
| 2) A similar reason dealt not with evil souls but | | | | many other behavioral traits, no one actually |
| with the soul of the sneezer. Since a sneeze was | | | | knows how answering bless you became part of |
| supposed to thrust out the soul, people thought it | | | | the fine arts, but nowadays, if you omit to say |
| was imperative to bless them in order to prevent | | | | bless you when a person next to you sneezes, |
| the devil from appearing at that very moment | | | | you would be considered very rude. |
| and snatching it away. You could think of it like a | | | | Conclusion: |
| shield that would keep it blessed as long as it was | | | | Sneezing is a physical action that is more a reflex |
| outside the body. | | | | to push out certain bacteria and germs from the |
| 3) On grounds like the above two reasons, | | | | body outside. The heart does not stop even for a |
| another reason people answer a sneeze with a | | | | second. (Though one could state that the heart |
| blessing is that this signifies an evil spirit's | | | | stops between each heartbeat because |
| departure. In a way it is something like that | | | | that’s the amount of time that passes |
| legend where if you hear a bell ring it signifies that | | | | between each beating of the heart.) In addition, |
| an angel has just received wings. | | | | most of the above are more based on |
| 4) Another popular reason was the assumption | | | | superstition than on any real scientific research or |
| that the sneezer's heart stops for a second when | | | | study. So please do not take any of these |
| the person sneezes. Blessing them became a way | | | | reasons as medical facts. I have collected them |
| to congratulate the sneezer for surviving. | | | | merely for the sake of humor and laughs, and I |
| 5) A morbid and ancient reason was that during | | | | wish you read them with a smile on your face. |
| the bubonic plague, which wiped out a third of | | | | |