Do you say "bless you" when someone sneezes? How do you feel if someone doesn't say it?

I don’t do it, and I don’t expect anybody to.
There’s no reason anyone needs to be blessed for sneezing. Your heart skips a beat [citation needed. Calling @Dr_C and @Shilolo.] That’s all.
Humans have sneezed for millenia. They have sneezed trillions of times. You don’t die by sneezing.

You don’t bless people when they cough, or burp, or fart, or blink. They are normal human bodily functions.

I say bless you. My boyfriend doesn’t say it to me, so I say for him, and then he’ll say it. I read somewhere once (probably in a teen mag) that if you sneeze three times in a row, then you are thinking about sex. Never got that out my head.

I say it, even to strangers.
When people don’t say it, I don’t think it means anything about the way they feel about me. I just think it means they are too into themselves to bother.

I say it sometimes, other times I don’t. I have no pattern; it’s completely unpredictable. I do not care at all if someone does not say it to me. It’s just a superstition. I do not think it says anything about the person.

I don’t think of sneezing as something that requires people to acknowledge it. It’s just something that happens every now and then. Additionally, sometimes my sneezes can be kind of squeaky and embarrassing, so I’d rather people didn’t pay too much attention to them.

When I was growing up we said “God bless you”. Being raised Catholic and all, it was not only the polite thing to do, but it was a nice reason to offer someone blessings, even though we knew the custom had evolved out from a medieval superstition into a mindless type of social ritual.

That being said, I think it’s more appropriate for the sneezer to “excuse me,” or something similar, as one would when one burps or farts.

I see no reason to say anything when someone sneezes. It’s not polite, it’s just an old superstition. And since I don’t believe in god, the last think I’m going to say to anyone is bless you. When someone does say it to me, it makes me feel awkward. What’s my response supposed to be? Am I supposed to say thank you? Excuse me? nothing? I just sneezed, I want to be ignored, not caught up in some bizarre web of social niceties born of ancient superstition.

I say it, but not because I think I’m warding off evil spirits or anything, more like I’m paying attention to the person and I feel like it’s a nice thing to say. I like it to be said to me when I sneeze and I get the teensiest bit miffed when no one says it to me. I do think it indicates something about a person when they don’t bother.. either they’re too into themselves or aren’t thoughtful. At least that was the case in my last relationship; I don’t think she said it to me once, and I’d always say it to her.

Writing all that out, the whole thing sounds kind of dumb, but whatever. ;)

I tend not to comment on others’ sneezes, coughs, hiccups, belches, farts, dandruff, bad breath, body odors (or hairs) or hair arrangement, unless the thing is so extreme (or funny, or potentially or actually embarrassing to one or both of us) that it simply can’t pass without comment.

I think that believing you can tell anything about a person’s psyche from this is the height of ridiculous, exceeded in ridiculosity only by the word “ridiculosity” itself.

Oh, and I prefer if no one calls attention to my sneezes, either. It’s embarrassing enough sometimes having to deal with “unwanted secretions” without having to “thank” someone for noticing and commenting that, “By golly, you just sneezed! Did you know that?” Come on, people.

@CyanoticWasp GA upon GA for “believing you can tell anything about a person’s psyche from this is the height of ridiculous”.

Thanks, @Snarp. I liked yours, too, and for the same reasons.

I always say it.

If I sneeze and whomever I’m with says nothing (most people do say something, though), I do take notice (but, it doesn’t bother me).

I say it, just out of habit. (I just say “bless you.” No “God” involved.) If someone says it to me, I say thank you. If nothing is said, I move on. I was so used to it being said that when my husband didn’t say it, I waited and waited for it. After the third or fourth time, I asked him why he didn’t say anything. He said it was because he isn’t superstitious. Same guy who made me get a St. Joseph statue when we had trouble selling the condo.

Sometimes I do.Other times I say,“YUCK!!!“I don’t care if people say it to me or not.I would prefer that they pay attention to something else.

@lucillelucillelucille I told my guy years ago that I just wanted acknowledgment of a sneeze, so we’ve gotten in the habit of saying “Ewwww!” or “Gross!” instead. :)

It’s a cultural thing. I just leave off the “god” part. I’m giving my blessing for whatever good it will do. Trained politeness.

@lucillelucillelucille, when I’m with someone that I’m on close enough terms with, I’ll ask playfully, “Did you get any on you?” But mostly I say nothing at all.

Like @tedibear39 I say “bless you” out of habit more than anything. I don’t mind if people don’t say it to me when I sneeze. I have been with my boyfriend for a long time and to be honest, I can’t remember whether he says it or not! That’s how important it is!!!

I guess it’s a habit for me to say “bless you”. Maybe I feel that there is an awkward pause, or that it’s expected. I never really thought about it. I don’t expect it from people. Just as it never occurred to me not to say it, as I just never really gave it that much thought. Thanks people, now it’s going to be on my radar.
I’ll tell you what though, I’ve noticed sneezing and coughing a lot more in the past year or so. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like people are getting way too relaxed about not covering their mouths when they blow sputum. I’ve also seen a lot of pseudo covers. People will make their hand into a circle, thumb covering up to the first knuckle, and just cough through it. Like a tube. That’s bizarre.

I make a point of saying “bless you” every time a person sneezes. As in, * sneeze* * beat* “Bless you!” * sneeze* * beat* “Bless you!”

I most definitely do not! I believe there are two theories as to why some people say it. Supposedly, the soul is exposed to evil when you sneeze, and therefore bless you is said to help ward off the evil. This holds more weight in my book than the brief heart stoppage. When you hiccup or cough, your heart would have a similar stoppage, so why don’t the religious types bless people who hiccup, or cough? My religion never mentioned the soul exposure theory, and I doubt many people even believe such a thing, so why say it? I actually find it a bit offensive, and I’m sure some others also do.

@Snarp, @CyanoticWasp
Certainly, the practice derives from ancient superstition, but the intent behind the practice isn’t superstitious at all: one would at once express the hope that the sneezer would soon get over whatever is ailing them, and that it’s not contagious. Sort of like “Get well soon!”

The way I look at it, who can’t use an extra blessing?

@Nullo Seems to me that most sneezes are from temporary irritations or allergies and not disease.

Really, no one in my family ever did it. I learned all sorts of rules of politeness, but saying “bless you” was just not done, I have no idea why, and since then it doesn’t make sense to me, why do I need my sneeze acknowledged? The fact that I’m an atheist just gives me more justification.

@Snarp
I don’t think that it must be contagious or even caused by foreign bodies to be considered an ailment. Look at gout.

@Tveg What? “Religious types”? You have to be a religious “type” to say “bless you” if someone sneezes? You’re offended that someone says “bless you”? Wow. I guess you had better make that clear to anyone who has the insensitivity and utter gall to say “bless you” to you. I hope you tell them in no uncertain terms that their good wishes are neither needed nor appreciated, so they can save themselves the trouble another time.
By the way, as I said earlier, I never really thought about it before. I was raised to say bless you, as others were raised not to. It’s mostly habit and reflex for me. As it would be if someone were behind me going out a door, I’d turn and hold it for them. Just a reflex. I never heard before about the soul being exposed to evil, so I can assure you that that is not why I, at least, say it.

@Nullo Gout makes you sneeze?

Being of the superior race of Germans, I say “Gesundheit”.
Also, according to the recent Knigge revision, no one has to say “bless you” or anything like that, but the sneezer must apologise for sneezing.

@ragingloli My family and I are on the Gesundheit train as well

Why would I bless someone for shooting snot all over the place? It’s a ridiculous old superstition. I don’t think any less of people who don’t say Bless you everytime someone else sneezes, in fact I think it’s annoying when someone does say it.

Normally I’d say “bless you,” but after reading all of the above, I think I’ll start saying “fuck you” instead. :P

Wow. This absolutely floors me. I had no idea that something so simple was causing so much annoyance.

I say bless you because I was brought up saying it – it does’nt mean I actually wanna bless them, it’s just a thing to say, you say “Bless you” – they say “thank you” and the world keeps spinning on it’s “Y” axis.
Saying it, not saying it, doesnt matter in the least to me though, it’s kinda like an automated reaction I have.

I say “Bless You” to my kids because if I don’t they jump my ass. But normally, I don’t say it. I’m a non-believer, so I don’t really see the need to say it to anyone else.

Meh. Some do, some don’t. Sometimes I say, “Gesundtheit”; sometimes I don’t. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Doesn’t matter much to me.

I want to add on a personal note that I feel really unhappy to know that I’d annoy @jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities without even knowing it if I ever were to be near him in public and he sneezed. I say “bless you” to strangers. I generally like his answers and agree with him. I wonder how many other people I’ve annoyed over the years by saying this.

I don’t say anything
And why should I?

@Snarp No, but it is a malady that’s not caused by infectionm mutation, or malformation, but rather by an irritant

It depends on the situation. I don’t say it to my guy friends, but I will to girls if nobody else is around to say it for them, which there usually is.

My youngest son sneezed right before I clicked on this question. I said “bless you” as I was clicking on it.

I always say “bless you” when someone sneezes, and I typically expect it back should I sneeze. Do I get upset if someone doesn’t say it…..no. I don’t reallly care, it was just drilled into me to say bless you. It’s more of a reaction than anything for me.

I usually say ‘You have the black plague’.

Either that or ‘You alright?’.

In other news, a personality has very little to do with sneezing etiquette.

I say it, it’s a polite thing to say, but I don’t expect anyone to say it for me. Of course, if I sneeze and it’s like my kids, who I would like to have them say it, would say “Oh bless you” “Oh, thanks” (as if I’m talking to myself and answering myself). I just think that it’s a polite thing to say, for my kids, but I’m not offended, and I don’t freak out when people don’t say it. i don’t make a big deal of it either, it doesn’t matter, but when someone says it, it’s nice because they are at least aware.

It doesn’t bother me at all

strange… i asked this question before class, and today, in class, this girl sneezed. not one person (out of like 20) said anything and she just said “pardon me.” I was pretty amazed. I almost ALWAYS say it just because i grew up saying it… not that i’m necessarily giving someone my blessing, but just because that’s what i know.

I say bless you.

If someone I know semi well says it to me I say “don’t push your religious beliefs on me man!” Then I tell them I am kidding and say thank you.

I say God bless you every time unless I don’t hear the person sneeze. Sometimes I’ll even take it to the “you’re welcome” if they thank me, then I feel kind of silly.

Trillian,
Yes, religious types would tend to be the ones that bless someone. In my book (and most peoples), bless you refers to God. Usually if someone doesn’t believe in God, they don’t say bless you. Ask an atheiest sometime if you don’t believe me. I am offended that someone would think I have the ridiculous belief that either my soul is exposed to evil, and therefore I need the blessing or my heart stops briefly so I need the blessing. Many people probably do say it without thought because other people do it – not a very heartfelt blessing to say the least! If such is the case, it is even less meaningful than keeping the evil spirits away.

Being polite to someone and holding a door open for someone is an entirely different matter. Naturally, I hold the door open for people.

“I read an article in some teen magazine years ago and it talked about how if someone doesn’t say anything when you sneeze, it was telling of their personality, how they feel about you, and how they lack thoughtfulness.”

Some teen magazines should really be sued for psychological damages…

I kind of view the use of “bless you” as I do the generic use of “band aid” or “Kleenex”. It’s a phrase that, while at one time had a specific meaning, now means “hope your OK and don’t have a cold” or “your sneeze is not offensive to me, please take care”.

To be annoyed by it seems odd to me. I think it’s interesting that some of the reaction to what is a harmless and easily ignored response solicits a far more offensive and rude reply in my book.

I don’t say it and I don’t expect anyone else to either. Being non-religious it means nothing to me.

I’ve noticed that I use whatever is common usage. When living in Italy, for instance, we said “salute” (“health”). In German class, we’d use Gesundheit.
Not saying it sounds more like somebody’s being difficult.

@Nullo
you might want to try “Aufwischen!” next time in German class.

@ragingloli
I would, but alas! I haven’t taken German for some time. Thanks for the tip, though.