It's not surprising that most out-and-proud atheists avoid offering blessings after sneezes. And it's not surprising that some devout Christians are compelled to correct a "Bless you!" by responding "God bless you." Each group has spent enough time thinking about god and religion to not let this cultural custom slip by unnoticed.
But for the vast majority of Americans, "Bless you" is just what you say when someone sneezes. It isn't anything more than a polite phrase that has been hammered into their psyches by well-intentioned parents and teachers. In the interest of critical thinking, perhaps it's time that people examine the reasons behind this cultural nicety.
Origins of "Bless you!"
The practice of blessing someone who sneezes has been around for so long that no one is entirely sure where the custom began. There are many theories behind the blessing, all of which are based on superstition. According to Snopes.com, here are five of sneeze-blessings' most common origin theories:
- It was once thought that a powerful sneeze could expel a person's soul. Saying, "Bless you!" would cast a protective shield around the soul so it could return to the body before Satan had a chance to snatch it.
- A sneeze was the body's way of expelling an invading evil spirit. Saying, "Bless you!" would protect the sneezer from having the evil spirit re-enter his body.
- People once thought the heart would stop beating during a sneeze (it doesn't). Saying, "Bless you!" was a plea that the sneezer would not die.
- Some believe the practice began when people thought a sneeze was a sure first sign of having a deadly illness, like the bubonic plague. Saying, "Bless you!" was meant to discourage the disease from taking hold, or to offer good luck in the afterlife, as the sneezer would surely be dead soon.
- There's also a theory that a sneeze was considered lucky or a good omen. Saying, "Bless you!" would be a way for the sneezed-upon to return a blessing to the sneezer.
Is it rude to not say anything after a person sneezes? It depends. Proper sneezing etiquette includes many steps that people often ignore. When a person sneezes, he should always cover his nose and mouth with a tissue, or the crook of his elbow, to avoid spreading germs. He should then quietly say, "excuse me." If possible, he should leave the room before blowing his nose.
Consciously making a decision to stop the perpetuation of a superstition by staying quiet after a sneeze is arguably less offensive than someone sneezing without covering his nose and mouth. A case could also be made that it's more polite for the sneezer to say "Excuse me" than for those within earshot to say "Bless you!" but most people say nothing after they sneeze.
Alternatives to Saying, "Bless you!"
Because saying "Bless you!" has become such a cultural norm, many Americans--regardless of religious belief or non-belief--worry that it is rude to not respond to a sneeze. Yet the way to respond is largely a matter of personal preference.
For those who are undecided about the situation, there is often an uncomfortable "should-you, shouldn't-you" moment that follows any sneeze. Here are five "Bless you!" alternatives to consider:
- Say nothing at all. (See Sneezing Etiquette above.)
- Say, "Gesundheit!" which is German for "[to your] health."
- Say, "Salute!" which is Italian for "[to your] health."
- Offer a tissue, if you have one handy to offer.
- For Seinfeld fans: say, "You are soooo good looking!"
Some people are offended when others do not say, "Bless you!" after a sneeze. Others are offended by the superstitious or religious implications of sneeze benedictions. For atheists who want to politely acknowledge the social custom, a wish for good health (Gesundheit! or Salute!) is often the best choice.
What do you say when someone sneezes?
I knew about #2, expelling the evil spirit, but had not heard the others. My grandmother always used to say "salute". I think I'm going to start doing that also. What do you say when someone doesn't cover their mouth and just lets it rip so loud that you can hear it 4 cubes over?
ReplyDeleteI would say "Please don't kill me....I have a family" and then run to the bathroom just to prove a point.
DeleteI would say" Good god , I hope you covered your mouth!
DeleteAccording to Emily Post you're supposed to bring that person a box of tissues and say, "It sounds like you're getting a cold. I hope you feel better." And if they don't get the hint, add, "Covering your sneeze with a tissue will keep from spreading the cold to others."
ReplyDeleteI say gesudnheit, but I like salute, too. :-)
Anonymous, I'm sorry you harbor so much hate and resentment toward "these people."
ReplyDeleteI am sick and tired of them pushing their non beliefs on everyone. When we can not say the word God, can not have anything that resembles a cross ( Example the World Trade center building pieces ) This IS still a country where we believe in Freedom of Religion and speech. But they only want to shut everyone else up "Because they are Offended" We can not have red and white wrapping paper at school, since that is CHRISTMAS colors.... Can you not see how ridiculous it is? I don't care what you believe, just don't PUSH your beliefs on the the rest of us. Like I said I can see a Star of David and it does NOT offend me... so why does it to you?
ReplyDeleteYou must live a blissful life because you have a strong sense of ignorance. I am not an atheist, nor do I practice Christianity and I feel more "pushed and offended" by Christians than I ever have atheists, but to generalize one group of people using their religion is complete blasphemy. Just because you practice the same religion or anti-religion as someone else doesn't mean that you are exactly the same. Many priests, especially Catholics, have been caught molesting young children, does that mean all Catholics have a tendency to molest small children? I sure hope not!
DeleteAnd the reason that so many Christian customs have been removed from society is because, surprise to you, Christians aren't the only ones that live on this planet. How would you feel if your country was ruled by Muslims, and you were forced to say "In Allah we trust..." every single day? You would have a lot to say about it, wouldn't you? Times are changing, people are changing, traditional customs need to change with the human race. (And about the red and white, Christmas isn't the only holiday celebrated at that time of year. Ever heard of Kwanzaa or Hanukkah?)This all is only ridiculous to you because you are a very close-minded individual. You don't see the other side of the story. If you want red and white wrapping paper, use it at home. If you like crosses, decorate your whole house in them, but when you're out in public, you need to consider and accept the views of others, not just your own or the people of your religion. The earth does not orbit around Christianity.
Atheism is not a belief, therefore can not be pushed on to anyone, fyi. Plus, I have never met an atheist who was offended by Christmas or the Star of David. I am an atheist, I am not offended by any holiday, religious or otherwise. Ignorance, however, is offensive.
DeleteIf only America was a country where the Christian faith was in the majority... If only there could be a Christian president... Then, maybe, your views would gain more acceptance in the mainstream... Oh, wait. You ARE in the majority and almost every single elected politician on all levels, local, state and federal are Christian...
DeleteI have no patience for folks in the majority who claim they are being attacked at every corner. Get some perspective.
Remember that freedom of religion also means freedom FROM religion.
DeleteYou've been shoving your crap down our throats forever, and I don't believe you can't use red wrapping g paper.
DeleteIt seems like you didn't read this post closely. There are some atheists (anti-theists) who are against religion, just as there are some religious people who are determined to convert everyone to their faith. Both of these groups are likely to already have strong ideas about how they want to reply when someone sneezes--and that's fine.
ReplyDeleteThis post was specifically addressed to those in the middle: people who are uncomfortable with saying "god bless you," but don't want to appear rude either. I've met many people (atheists and believers) who fall into that group and are looking for an alternative to this social custom.
It's also an open-minded look at why the custom began in the first place, because some people like to think about these things.
Before ranting to me about not pushing my beliefs on others, please take the time to look at my blog and find out my actual thoughts on the subject, instead of making assumptions based on your personal definition of atheism. I suggest reading About This Site and Myths About Atheism.
For the record, I'm not offended when I sneeze and someone says "God bless you." I appreciate the good intentions. However, I am offended when I politely say "gesundheit" only to have the sneezer rudely read me the riot act for not blessing them. (Which has happened on occasion.)
Great post! As a child in the midwest I always said "Gazoomtight!", which as an adult I realized was "Gesundheit" =)
DeleteNow in my Chinese&American workplace, my Chinese coworkers are very vigilant when an American sneezes-- one or two "Bless you!" accompany every sneeze.
For these 'blessers' it's a way of demonstrating cultural proficiency and their understanding of American culture. (I've noticed that the other Chinese employees, who have spent less time in the US, look around confused when folks suddenly declare 'bless you!'. Understandably so.)
I'm a "Gazoomtight!" gal myself so I'll try to introduce that to my co-workers too :)
Well if somebody gets mad at you for "not blessing them" politely remind them you are not the lord.
DeleteWell if somebody gets mad at you for "not blessing them" politely remind them you are not the lord.
DeleteI have always said, "Excuse me" after I sneeze. I don't respond to the blessings either positively or negatively. When someone else sneezes, I might ask if they are ok. Especially, if they sneezed multiple times.
ReplyDeleteThis is a topic that I've thought about and discussed. It's a little thing, but like you said, some people think about these things.
"Gesundheit!" works pretty well: "Health!" Who could argue with that?
ReplyDeleteNo, religion is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteReligion is supposed to bring joy and love, but it always the ones who claim to be religious that appear to hate others the most. The reason why atheists discuss how to be polite without using the denotation of God or religion is to avoid offence to atheists AS WELL AS believers of other religions.
As Susan politely asks, read the blog before making assumptions. This blog may also be useful for you: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Polite
i think everyone should chill. saying Gesundheit and Salute in those countries when someone sneezes is actually God bless you no one in those countries actually says to your health when someone sneezes BUT none of this actually would matter if y'all just took a ChIlL pIlL and stopped worrying about what people say when you sneeze? jiminy christmas y'all are turning atheism into a religion. barf city!
ReplyDeleteFoks are just trying to practice politeness here.
DeleteIf you would like people to "chill," and good way to achieve that result is to respect and accept their opinions, even though they may not be the same as yours. At a bare minimum, you could refrain from openly insulting them.
Somebody above posted this link for another commenter and I think it might help you as well: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Polite
Not making a comment every time somebody has an involuntary bodily function (which often involves snot coming out of your nose, which you don't particularly want drawn attention to) is being polite. These "Bless you" idiots seem to have no other purpose in life than to hunt down sneezers and bestow their 'blessings' on us. They are simply showing that they are stupid ROBOTS, who mindlessly parrot whatever they have heard other people say, and have no idea WHY, nor do they care about the effect it has on their 'victim'.
DeleteI like to offer Gesundheit. It took months of practice to stop saying Bless You, and I feel compelled to keep responding somehow.
ReplyDelete...but I am a fairly fervent atheist. I do not go out of my way to smack at people's religions, but I tend to respond Tit for Tat when religion is trumpeted for just about anything.
So I offer a polite, often mysterious, "No thank you" after a God Bless You or Bless You.
your comment reminds me of a story my aunt told. my aunt is a passionate christian woman but is a little misguided at times, bless her heart.
ReplyDeleteshe lives in a rural area where everyone knows everyone else. she went on a road trip and stopped in an unknown city. while in line at a grocery there was a woman wearing a headscarf. the muslim woman sneezes and my aunt said bless you. the muslim lady looked at my aunt then looked away as if nothing happened. my aunt gets really passionate with this story. for her, the woman was anti-christian because she didn't respond or say thank you. but reading your comments i think the headscarf woman didn't know what to do or didn't normally meet people who said bless you. so i think people shouldn't react so quickly. my aunt is a good woman but sometimes she thinks people are anti-christian when they're not.
Even secular France has representations of Père Noël, but few are willing to openly display personal religious preferences. The idea is, that when you separate yourself this way, you have made yourself an outsider to civic life...your loyalties are not to society, but to the church.
ReplyDeleteI hate when people say "Bless You" to me when I sneeze or say goodbye. It's so fucking annoying. I don't say anything, but I just don't mind being a prick every once and a while ;) I think it would be worse if I said something else because I wouldn't be able to hide the sarcasm ;) Better silent than sorry, in my case ;) Really, I don't think people GeNeRaLLy care that much, especially if there are others around and at least some one out of the group says it. But if they really care that much, I would think they need to "Get A Life".
ReplyDeleteI ALWAYS say "no thanks" in response to a "Bless You".
DeleteOWNED ^
ReplyDeletelol that dude got owned
ReplyDeleteIn Sweden we say "prosit" which in english sounds different but prusit in english sounds closer to the actual sounding in swedish.
ReplyDeleteProsit is also used in german I think when drinking, unsure of the actual meaning and use of in german...
Here are some other things you can say after someone sneezes: https://vine.co/v/MzX7mOAgbT5
ReplyDeletelol "Cleanup on Aisle Four" was my favorite
DeleteI can't speak on the Italian phrase but the Spanish phrase is "Salud" or "Su Salud" meaning "Health" or "to your health" respectively.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing about this topic. My boyfriend is Atheist and I was raised Christian. We have been together for 4 years and have a 7 month old child. I have always said "Bless you" without giving it a second thought. I never felt like I was actually putting a blessing upon him, it's just what I have always said when someone sneezes. Well, this morning he sneezed and like always, I said "bless you". He flipped out and said not to use those words around his daughter and to never teach her to say those words. In 4 plus years he has never said a word and today it started a massive argument. I feel strange saying gasundheit, so I've been trying to think of some other thing to say. Staying quiet feels weird. I like "salute!" Hadn't thought of that, so thank you :)
ReplyDeleteChrist, why not shout "Allah Akbar" instead? Perhaps you should just say nothing? Why is that so difficult for you? Saying "Bless you" is a superstitious MEME, that only exists because of fools like YOU, who perpetuate it.
DeleteIt is not foolish to want to be polite. Saying "bless you" is a bit superstitious, but it is also an accepted social convention. Some people are comfortable with simply ignoring it, others have a harder time breaking through their upbringing--which taught that responding to a sneeze is polite behavior.
DeleteAlternatives are available for those who want to respect the social convention without offering a religious response. If you do not want to say anything, that's fine. But there is no need to insult those who do.
We just say 'May the Force be with you'...easy.
ReplyDeleteAnd also with you.
DeleteThis shows how religion fosters mental illness
ReplyDeleteBelieving in mythology is "ridiculous". Mystics are unreal. They defend their right to not think things through. They use their "sentience" to opt-out of "sentience" and in lieu of actual thinking with logic and reason, simply recite the same old nonsense that was hammered into their gray matter when they were little. THAT is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMy friend and I have been wondering for quite a while about alternatives to "blessing" someone when they sneeze. We are both atheists (although he only recently graduated from agnostic) and want to be polite when someone sneezes, but felt slightly hypocritical blessing someone. Since popular public opinion of atheists has a somewhat satanic taint we initially (jokingly) thought it would be a good idea to say "F~@k you!" (again ... jokingly). Yesterday I think I hit on the solution and will experiment with telling people to "Go to health." It playfully toys with the evil connotations of atheism while imparting a wonderful wish on people who are in need of same.
ReplyDeleteAmen :-)
The most irritating thing is when you sneeze HARD, and the 'Bless you' idiot is expecting you to immediately say 'Thank you' (for what? For perpetuating superstitious nonsense? For commenting every time I sneeze, which is beyond my control?) I can't say "Thank you" (even if I wanted to, which I don't), because I am RECOVERING from a sneeze.
ReplyDeleteSome people I work with seem to be so insane about saying "Bless you" that I can imagine them in a Monty Python sketch, where a man is alone in a desert and sneezes, and one of these idiots magically hears it from thousands of miles away, and we see sped up film of them hailing a taxi, catching a bus, getting on a plane, travelling on a camel, then running for miles in the desert until they finally catch up with the 'sneezer', on their hands and knees, and croak "Bless you", before dying.
These people are SO irritating and anal about saying it - I just ignore them, eventually they stop. It is SO irritating to have every sneeze followed by some idiot commenting on it. What if we did this for coughs? What about for breathing too? Maybe your 'soul' leaves your body when you breathe out? We could start a new, INSANE meme for that, couldn't we. The point is that the so-called 'blessers' are actually selfish, and only concerned about themselves, because when you don't say "Thank you", they act as if YOU are doing something wrong - but THEY started it! I never asked anybody to "bless" me.
THIS! I totally agree. I am cursed with a lot of sneezing, often in multiple fits. It is a deeply annoying loss of control over my body, and I would like to put the unpleasant experience behind me as soon as possible. Therefore it is a great help when other people do not comment or acknowledge the sneezing in any way, but just ignore it. And I do the same service for them whenever they become the victim of sneezing.
DeleteAlso, the practise of commenting with “God bless”, “prosit” or the like goes back to a medieval illness where people would die in a sneezing fit, so that this expression has its roots in the expectation that the sneezer is about to die. Is this really an appropriate response to sneezing today? I don’t think so.
Haha, I can't believe the amount of Christians coming to an Atheist blog to tell us off. Some people just don't have enough to do.
ReplyDeleteI used to say "Gesundheit", but I asked my mom what it meant and she said "God Bless You" so I stopped using it. Apparently that's incorrect, but I think that's what most people assume anyway. Really, the thing that bothers me is we are condition say this response when someone sneezes for reasons that are totally false. Crazy! I kind of want to just start saying something along the lines of "To your health", but I'm sure explaining it would get super old. And I don't think it bothers me too much anymore. I feel it's a custom of politeness, blessing them with good health. Kind of like how I still celebrate Christmas; it just has a different meaning for me than Christians.
Austrian atheist.
ReplyDelete"Gesundheit!" is the most common response here. It means wishing good health. Some say "Höf' da Gott!" (=may god help you) - but more in rural areas. And this has lost most of its religious connotations.
If you know someone well and want to make fun about him, you may use "Z'reissn sois di - auf lauter Tausender." (may you burst - into many grand (money))
Not saying anything feels strange and a bit like being ignorant around here.
Was not aware that "Gesundheit!" is a viable option in English. That comes quite handy actually. And I can even pronounce it correctly! (which I doubt most English natives can ;-) )
Now I'm curious about how you would pronounce gesundheit. I've always heard (and said) it like this: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=gesundheit
DeleteSide note - a quick Google search brought up this terrible, yet absolutely hilarious clip for how to pronounce it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA1vCOwvoR4
Hahahahahaha! :-D
Your link is a good example how English natives would pronounce it. It's not wrong but the accent is very audible.
DeleteThe first "Gesundheit!" she says is a good example of how Germans pronounce it when answering a sneeze:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VCCY0Ualpw
"May Jupiter preserve you" is my favorite. If we're going with gods, I'm going with the God Jupiter
ReplyDeleteBless all of you this is retarded I'll pray for you
ReplyDeleteBless all of you this is retarded I'll pray for you
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry about last entry, typo I wanted to fix. This is one of the few things I really prefer in French. With the first sneeze, they say "to your wishes!" Second sneeze: "to your loves!"
ReplyDeleteRemember everyone, opinion with no insult, is the best way to get an opinion across. What's with people saying things like "morons" and calling people "ridiculous". Just say your opinion and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteI just yell, "shut the fuck up" in my Sam Jackson voice.
ReplyDeleteIn my house we say, "Damn you!" Really catches guests off guard, sometimes. All our friends know we're all atheists, and that we are saying that in jest.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone says, "Bless you" to one of my sneezes I fire back with, "Don't do *that*!"
How about a simple "Stay Healthy" or "Be Healthy"?
ReplyDeletei say nothing... and if they respond "how rude!" or they if they wait for me to respond, like i have to say it (as though it were a tick) i would ask "well do you want me to say something when you fart too?"
ReplyDeleteI say "salud", which is spanish for "to your health".
ReplyDeleteI say "çok yaşa" which is turkish for live long and i suppose this phrase could be used in english too.
ReplyDeleteI just say excuse you. Easy and no chance of offence!
ReplyDeleteLovely, how Xtian. Jesus would be proud, though you don't even have the courage of your convictions to use your name.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you what you did with Atheists for about 1500 years. You outlawed them from the universities or any teaching careers, besmirched their reputations, banned or burned their books or their writings of any kind, drove them into exile, humiliated them, seized their properties, arrested them for blasphemy. You dehumanised them with beatings and exquisite torture, gouged out their eyes, slit their tongues, stretched, crushed, or broke their limbs, tore off their breasts if they were women, crushed their scrotums if they were men, imprisoned them, stabbed them, disembowelled them, hanged them, burnt them alive.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have nerve enough to complain to me that I laugh at you.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteVader is Lord
ReplyDeleteMy wife says in China they respond with something that sounds to me like "by sway" which means 100 years with the implication that you are wishing that person will live 100 years. I like that.
ReplyDeleteIn my house we say “great sneeze!” Or if it’s not great, “good sneeze,” with less enthusiasm.
ReplyDeletebandar sabung ayam birma asli terpercaya
ReplyDeletemau yang asik ? ayam bangkok petarung
ReplyDeleteFor those who would like to add an Arabic option (specifically, Lebanon) that works perfectly well in that region, and is non-meaningful whatsoever. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
ReplyDeleteArabic is my first language, yet I have no idea what it means and is the standard response for someone sneezing: Na-Shou
I always say, 'I hope you don't die'
ReplyDeleteI always say, 'I hope you don't die'
ReplyDeleteI'm a "Gesundheit" person, but I never expect a response. I don't believe in any religious or superstitious things, but even if it's origins might be, I don't believe the custom is necessarily religious at this point. The fact this is something that exists across cultures in some form or another is astounding when you think about it! But I feel the sneezer has no obligation in this scenario beyond covering their face. I also don't get upset when no one says anything when I sneeze either. It's a sneeze. It's not worth getting upset over. What ticks me off is hiccups. They're the worst and they don't go away until they're good and ready!
ReplyDeleteI say, “Nature”
ReplyDeleteI'm going to start using "Bonus salus", which means good health in Latin.
ReplyDelete