In American culture, they say “Bless you” when they hear someone sneezing. Don’t you want to know the reason behind this? In fact, its origin is similar to that of many habits in our daily life. Let’s find out the funny reasons behind saying this bless you! This tradition is not only common in America, but in many cultures of the world, there are different types of beliefs and rituals.
We know that there is no place for superstition in this science-centered modern society, but some habits are so deeply in our minds, the traditions in the tradition that we obey their origin without knowing their origin. It is an example of saying bless you. When you sneeze, someone who is on the side spontaneously says it in a very normal posture. This habit is considered as a common gentleness. But the story behind this gentleness is really strange and in the historical context, a lot of fun information is hidden.
Source of bless you: Fear of Ancient Superstition and Disease
There are several theories behind saying bless you. Most of the main causes are derived from the fear of ancient superstitions and diseases. One of the most popular theories is that the custom originated during the Middle Ages Plague epidemic. In the 5th century, Bubonic plague or Black Death spread in Europe. A common symptom of this disease was sneezing. The disease was fatal.
At that time there was no improvement in the medical system, so the blessing of God was the only trust. Pope Gregory I (Pope Gregory the Great) at this time instructed that he was blessed as “God Bless you” when someone was sneezing. God would protect him. It was a prayer arising from death so that the sick person recovered quickly in God’s mercy. As the day progressed, the word “God” from “God Bless you” was excluded, leaving only bless you.
Come Out of the Soul and Fear the Devil
According to another conventional belief, it was thought that the soul temporarily came out of our body while sneezing. In ancient times, people thought that the soul could go out through the nose by sneezing. In this, our bodies could fall into the devil’s hands or be possessed by an evil spirit. So bless you actually tried to protect the person from that evil force. It was considered a kind of protector, which prevented the devil from occupying the soul after a sneeze.
In some cultures, the opposite belief was also prevalent – by sneezing, an evil spirit goes out of the body. In that case, bless you was called so that the ominous spirit of the exit could not enter the body again. That is, in any way, there was deep anxiety and various theories about the protection of the soul and the entry or exit of evil forces. Although these beliefs seem ridiculous, they were a harsh reality to the people of that time.
The Wrong Idea to Stop the Heart:
Another strange belief was, when we were sneezing, our heart was for a moment or closed! This idea was circulated in the Renaissance era. Since the heartbeat meant that death meant death, after sneezing, bless you, the person was prayed to God to bring back life again. Although modern science has proved that the heart does not stop during sneezing, in fact, the chest pressure changes at this time which can temporarily affect blood flow. And this misconception was very prevalent at that time.
It was not only a superstition, but also a reason for human terror, this little sneeze, which could cause death. So, it was called bless you to make sure the heartbeat started working again and the person was now safe. Such ridiculous but widespread prevalent beliefs have created a variety of rituals and conventional ideas among us.
The Symbol of Good Luck and Courtesy:
In the modern age, the context of these ancient beliefs has lost its own importance. Now it is no longer a prayer to be saved from the plague or the devil. Now it is only a mere gentleness and a symbol of courtesy. When someone sneezes, we basically call him bless you. It is a good behavior in the society that is taught from an early age.
Many Americans, who use this phrase, do not know about the historical factors behind it. This spontaneous reaction is respected by others and care is revealed. It is a social tradition that is so universal that its absence causes rudeness.
Reacting to Sneezing in Different Cultures
Not only in America, but also in different cultures of the world, different types of reactions can be noticed. German is called “Gesundheit”, which means “good health”. It is also an ancient tradition of good health lust in the same way. Again, Spanish is called “Salud”, which also means “health”, and in Bangla we often call “Jibito Thako”, which means “be lively” or “survive”. In every culture, their own faith and good wishes are hidden in the center of sneezing.
These diversities show that people have tried to explain the sneeze somehow since ancient times. Bless you or “Gesundheit”, at the root of all things, there are concerns for people’s welfare for each other. So the next time you hear someone sneezing, you can say “Bless you” once in your mind if you do not say it in the face. And you can think of this fun and strange history as well. These traditions are an integral and extraordinary part of the history of our human civilization, which gives us a clear idea of the curiosity, culture and beliefs of the people of the past.