Why Do People Say “Bless You” After Someone Sneezes?

My husband scream-sneezes. I’m not talking about just a loud sneeze—no, it’s the kind that makes the dog hide under the bed and the neighbors look out their windows. And it makes me want to smother him with a pillow embroidered with “Use your indoor sneeze”! Many of you know my pain. (And those of you who don’t? Bless you, and may you continue living your blissfully sneeze-calm lives.)

So what do I say to him in the moment? Of course, the socially acceptable response is “bless you,” but honestly, I want to say the exact opposite. Curse you? Exorcise you? Catapult you into another zip code? All viable options.

However, even a regular sneeze can be loud and sudden, not to mention, it sprays microscopic chaos into the air—and whether it’s out of politeness or superstition, most of us feel like it’s good etiquette to respond with something. Hence that classic response: “Bless you.” But why do people say “bless you” after someone sneezes? And what else do people say when someone practically sneezes their soul out?

We asked Amy Stewart of Oxford University Press and Don Ringe, PhD, a linguistics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, to explain. Read on for everything you’ve ever wondered about this age-old phrase.

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Why do people say bless you when someone sneezes?

There are two popularly accepted explanations, Stewart says, adding that the Oxford Dictionary doesn’t have an official entry for “bless you” yet, but they aim to fix that in their next update.

“It’s probably a shortening of the longer phrase ‘(may) God bless you,'” she says. And why would God need to bless a sneezer? “The sneeze was seen as a sign of an illness that could be serious or the result of the body trying to eject an evil presence,” she says.

There is some evidence for this. The phrase “bless you” dates back to at least the 6th century, according to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Legend has it that Pope Gregory I encouraged people to say it during a particularly nasty plague. Back then, a sneeze was considered a “mortal symptom”—a possible sign of the deadly illness—and so you’d quickly bless them in hopes of warding off death. You know, casual everyday superstitious stuff.

Another theory suggests that people once believed sneezing could literally expel your soul (talk about an overachieving sneeze) or, conversely, that sneezing allowed evil spirits to sneak in (perhaps this is my husband’s problem?). Either way, a quick “bless you!” was a spiritual safety net.

Ringe adds that these are just theories. “The origin of this usage is not clear—perhaps we need to consult pre-modern medical texts—but this explanation would have been my best guess too, and I suspect that it’s correct,” he says. “After all, in German you say ‘Gesundheit!’ which means ‘health!’ when somebody sneezes, which is basically the same idea.”

Speaking of gesundheit…

What else do people say after someone sneezes?

“Bless you” may be the OG sneeze response (and generally considered the most polite), but there are plenty of other things people say in response to a sneeze.

Gesundheit

As Ringe explains, this German word literally means “health,” making it a simple and effective response to a sneeze. It also sounds fancier than “bless you.” It became popular in American English in the 20th century (maybe because someone sneezed near an overachieving linguist?).

Salud

In Spanish-speaking countries, “salud” (also meaning “health”) is the go-to sneeze response. This practice emphasizes the same good wishes but with a little Mediterranean flair. Similarly, in Italian it’s “salute!” and in French they say “à tes souhaits!” after a sneeze. All three come from the same root word, “salus”—Latin for “health.”

Bonus: Saying “salud” also works for clinking glasses with someone. Multitasking manners!

Excuse you

This response is more modern etiquette and, shall we say, a little cheeky. It’s half politeness, half sass and probably best used when someone sneezes a particularly alarming sneeze. Limit this one to family and friends who won’t disown you for the sarcasm.

You good?

This is the millennial/Gen Z contribution to sneeze etiquette. This phrase suggests concern but also implies the sneezer might have just startled the entire room (or themselves—my husband swears he is surprised by his violent sneezes). It’s casual, slightly humorous and a reminder that social niceties have evolved to include more vibes and fewer syllables.

Stop that!

This is honestly what I wish I could say to my husband. It’s not technically a blessing, but it is a solid choice for siblings, long-term couples and anyone who has heard one too many dramatic sneezes in a confined space. It won’t ward off evil spirits, but it might reduce noise pollution (and murderous impulses).

These days, we know sneezes are just the body’s way of evicting irritants. But the blessing’s etiquette tradition has stuck. Old habits (and plague anxieties) die hard. So whether you say “bless you,” “gesundheit” or “stop that,” responding to a sneeze is one of those funny little rituals that keeps society running smoothly—like holding the door open or pretending you didn’t hear your neighbor’s extremely weird phone conversation. It’s a tiny moment of connection, a nod to tradition and maybe a lingering superstition that no amount of science has quite blown away (ha!).

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Sources:

• Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: “Bless you”
• Amy Stewart, publicist and spokesperson for Oxford University Press; email interview, May 1, 2025
• Don Ringe, PhD, professor of linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania; email interview, May 1, 2025

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