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| Comic strip of a lone individual sneezing and receiving a phone call wherein the caller says, "God bless you" immediately after the sneeze (Image Source: https://what-if.xkcd.com/55/) |
If you reside in the United States of America you may be familiar with hearing someone say “Bless you” after someone sneezes. It is so ubiquitous in American culture that people will seeming say this phrase automatically and to those they know and to complete strangers. Failure to say it or making a different statement (e.g., Gesundheit, which is common among Germans) elicits some sort of informal sanction, such as a dirty look. Typically one may not consider the how’s or why’s a specific cultural gesture is undertaken, but this blog post is going to delve into the mystery of why native English speakers, particularly Americans, say “Bless you” after someone sneezes, especially when one realizes this behavior is a cultural particularity (cultural tradition, value, belief, norm, etc. that is found in one or very few cultures).
First, many cultural groups around the world have a phrase that is (or expected) to be said after one sneezes. A review of these phrases demonstrates a general trend, which is one of health. This means that the majority of the phrases imbue good health or keeping one healthy in the messaging/meaning of the phrase. English speakers, particularly Americans, however, say “Bless you”, which takes a more religious angle. This showcases the strong cultural values, particularly related to Christianity, among (or ideally among) Americans, but why do Americans take this approach whereas other cultures, including those with similarly strong Christian values, do not?
The answer may lie in the origins of this phrase, which are imprecisely known. It is rumored that ancient Romans were the originators of the phrase “God bless you”. It was Pope Gregory I who purportedly first said the phrase, which makes sense as God is central to the Catholic faith. This origin story, however, is both inaccurate and unsubstantiated. The ancient Romans may have said, “Banish the omen,” after someone sneezed, and if they did, as that, too, is unsubstantiated, it is unclear why.
More popular and supported origins of the phrase “bless you” come from the long held belief in the past that the soul was expelled from the body when one sneezed. It was believed that the soul was made of air or was as light as air, and it resided in the head. When one sneezed, thereby expelling air through their nose and mouth, the soul, too, was released, albeit unintentionally. A soulless body was at risk of various perils, including but not limited to illness, disease, demonic possession, and more (all of which were really bad). The expulsion of the soul from its resident body also left it at risk of being taken by a demon or even Satan himself. The phrase “Bless you” was immediately said so as to help the sneezing individual avoid any negative consequences of their sneeze. As time went on and the superstitious nature of Christianity lost its meaning and popularity the notion of the soul being expelled from the body disappeared, but the importance of saying “Bless you” did not.
Works Cited
Dana. "Why Americans say “Bless you!” when they hear someone sneeze." n.d. MIT International Students Office. Electronic. 6 August 2024.
Mikkelson, Barbara. "Why Do We Say 'Bless You!' When Someone Sneezes? ." 17 April 2001. Snopes.com. Electronic. 6 August 2024.
Morgan, Emily. "Goodbye and Bless You!" 16 September 2020. Medium. Electronic. 6 August 2024.
Science Reference Section, Library of Congress. "Everyday Mysteries." 19 November 2019. Library of Congress. Electronic. 6 August 2024.
4 comments:
This blog elaborated on the cultural practice of saying “Bless you” after a sneeze. Especially in American culture, “Bless you” is a very common phrase to say to someone who sneezes, and has a religious background. It was interesting to discuss why this custom is not found in other cultures with Christian values. Incidentally, there is no custom of “Bless you” in my home country of Japan.
As for the origin of “Bless you,” the theory was introduced that it is based on the ancient Roman phrase “to drive away bad omens,” and that it came to be said to prevent the soul from being expelled from the body by sneezing. In particular, the origin based on the belief that the soul is expelled from the body indicates that it strongly reflects the religious and superstitious elements of the time. Thus, it is interesting to learn about the background of the word and the evolution of cultural practices, as it provides clues to understanding the meaning of the expressions that remain in our time.
This blog focuses on the term " Bless you" and this phrase is used when someone sneezes. This common cultural practice is often said to anyone that you know, strangers as well. The origins of this phrase means "Banish the omen" which came from ancient Rome. "Bless you" was said because it was thought to protect against negative consequences. Over time, saying " Bless you" soon persisted in American culture.
I was interested in this post because my partner and I had a disagreement about whether or not one should say bless you, or why one should say bless you. He explained to me what was written here expressing that it was a religious thing and he himself was not religious. I expressed to him that it was more respectful to say it, and that is just how I personally feel. We compromised on him saying gesundheit instead. - Cierra Hein
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