Wednesday's Question of the Day: Gesundheit!

What, if anything, do you say when someone sneezes? Do you feel like something's missing if your sneezes are followed with silence by the people around you?

The tradition was started during the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) because people REALLY didn't want those around them to get the plague, and sneezing was a sign of getting sick. We've always said Gesundheit but sometimes we follow a sneeze with "DON'T GET THE PLAGUE!" just for fun. 

If I hear someone sneeze, I'm right there with either a 'gesundheit' or a 'bless you'.  I even say it out in public to total strangers---usually gets a smile from them.

I always say God bless you. I say it to strangers too, and you're right - it usually gets a smile and a thank you.

"Gesundheit" sort of comes out automatically. I really wonder how many people in North America know it literally means "Health!"?

Almost always Gesundheit and I know what it means.

I say bless you.

Its kinda funny. in my work area, whenever someone sneeze, we all respond with a "bless you" that sounds like the sneeze, lol

I say "bless you."  DD will say it to herself after she sneezes.

Depends...sometimes I say "What the heck was that" depending on how loud it was.  I am glad I work with people with a sense of humor.  But, they do the same to me.  I do not have a delicate sneeze and mine always get laughs.
 

Rockcat said:

I always say God bless you. I say it to strangers too, and you're right - it usually gets a smile and a thank you.

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Me to.

I usually say "God bless you". There is one girl at work that never just sneezes once, it's always 5 or 6 times. And she has this weird sneeze that actually sounds like a kitten mewing   . I'm serious, the first time I heard her sneeze I started looking around for the kitty! When she starts, everyone around just sits back and counts her sneezes (I think the record is 12 or 13 in a row). When there is finally a pause, someone asks "Are you done?" Then she gets "bless you".

in the middle ages a lot of people also believed that in the few seconds that your sneeze lasted the devil could steal your soul. and that's where 'bless you' came from.

years ago this guy sent in a letter to Ann Landers. he had just read about the info above. and everytime he sneezes his wife never once said 'bless you' or 'gesundtheit' to him and he came to believe that his wife really wished him dead. he tried to talk to her about it but they always ended up fighting 'cause she told him he's nuts. but he thought she was lying and what should he do about it?

Ann pretty much told him that if that was his only worry in life to count his blessings.  

I usually just giggle when I hear someone sneeze because while it may sound to them like they blew the roof off of the building, in reality it sounds much different, and even the most macho of guys can make a really wimpy/sucky sound when they sneeze!   LOL
 

 I don't always know what to say because these days people get upset over the littlest thing.  Most of the time it's just "bless you" leaving who it is doing the blessing up to the person sneezing.   

I stopped saying Gesundheit because I didn't know what it really meant. 
 

If I´m in Iceland I say "Guð hjálpi þér", which means God help you,  or may God help you, which refers to the Black Death plaque, exclaming OMG, I hope you are not getting ill with the plaque, and may God help you if you are.

If I am  in an English speaking country (or non-English speaking, non-Icelandic speaking and non-German speaking country, or around foregners), I say "Bless  you"  and if I am in Germany or around German speking people I say "Gesundheit"

I say this even if I don't know the person sneezing.  I find it ackward not saying anything when someone sneezes close to me.