Why Do We Say 'Bless You' When Someone Sneezes?

People say 'Bless you' when someone sneezes because they think the person is being protected from a bad spirit. It’s like giving them a little magical shield! A long time ago, people believed sneezing was a sign of illness or even something supernatural. Saying 'Bless you' felt like a kind way to help them feel better.

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Examples

  1. Your teacher says 'Bless you' when your classmate sneezes during math time.
  2. A grandma blesses her grandchild after a sneeze in the middle of a story.
  3. You say 'Bless you' to your dog after it sneezes at the park.

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Categories: Culture · language· etymology· tradition · Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.