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Real Name: Charlee Talor Gender: female Member Since: March 14, 2006 Last Signed In: November 06, 2009 Profile Views: 3122 Blog Views: 32494 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Compounding Stupidity Stash What's The Excuse THIS Time? A Really Big Burger Help Save a Kitty Gesundheit.... World Trade Center Slobs Music? February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 
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Gesundheit....
I hate sneezing. I really hate it. Sneezes come at the most inopportune moments, like when you're attempting to pass a swerving semi truck at eighty miles an hour, or during the vows at someone's wedding. Sneezes often cause numerous other annoying and mortifying side effects, too; if you are a woman and have given birth more than once, you know exactly what I mean. That said, the last thing I want when gripped by a sneezing fit is for anyone to call attention to it. The point I am trying to make is, why do we feel the need to bestow verbal blessings upon hearing anyone sneeze? Even total strangers receive our best wishes with every nasal explosion. Speeches, dinner dates, even arguments are subject to interruption. Regardless of how angry you are at someone, you will stop mid-rant to respond if they sneeze. "How many times do I have to tell you...gesundheit...." Why do we do this? Personally, I think it is one of those traditions that we could do away with. I suggest we follow our own sneezes with the response of our choosing. When I sneeze, I am not interested in blessings. My word of choice happens to be dammit. 6 comments from 6 users
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posted by
msjenny
on Jul 24, 2009 at 03:24 PM
That does raise a good question, when or who started saying "bless you"...I am with you on the choice of word, cause when I sneeze other things happen...LOL
posted by
sagefever
on Jul 24, 2009 at 03:35 PM
LOL *What ever are you two refering to* bats my ever so innocent eyes like I do not have the same problem or am doing Kegels right this minute. http://www.answers.com/main... Here is the ever helpful Answers.com take on the issue.
posted by
vanityfair
on Jul 24, 2009 at 03:44 PM
Regardless of how angry you are at someone, you will stop mid-rant to respond if they sneeze. LOL! That is so true! posted by
ALICEN
on Jul 24, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Sneezing fits are annoying but at the same time provide such a feeling of relief. (And I don't mean --- well, you know what I mean. And I'm not sure Kegels could help!) Three or four times a day I have a sneezing fit and am frozen with my face contorted until it finally erupts. The exterior of our closest neighbor's has is about 90 feet away from ours, but I swear that even with the doors and windows closed, they MUST be able to hear it. Also, I'm with you, ghostriter, about the "bless you" business. Where I grew up (in the deep south), that wasn't common at all. Usually what someone said was "Scat!" Which, of course, meant something quite different than the word commonly means these days. Sometimes people just said "Oh!" and that was it. Regional differences are interesting. "Bless you" is the commonly used response here in the midwest, too. And I could never really understand it. posted by
catpaw
on Jul 24, 2009 at 07:22 PM
The version I got was once upon a time it was believed that the soul was expelled from the body when a sneeze occurred. "Bless you" protected the sneezer from evil spirits (or something) until the soul (whatever that is) got back in. No hand-me-down superstition about belches and farts I've ever heard of. Unless it's "eewww" or "must you?"
posted by
Shwaine
on Jul 24, 2009 at 08:57 PM
I've heard a pretty similar superstition to what Catpaw has heard. I've also heard that it was to ward of disease (remnants of when people thought diseases were caused by evil spirits). Wikipedia has several other legends behind this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bless_you en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze#Traditional_response s_to_a_sneeze Seems to be a pretty archaic practice, which is probably why it's so entrenched. Looks like you're out of luck getting it changed any time soon.
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