And Now You Know

Today I caught myself saying "bless you" after someone sneezed. I decided to figure out why we always say that. There are three possible origins.

~Various alleged but conflicting superstitions relating the sneeze to evil spirits.This includes beliefs  that a sneeze could release ones soul, thus leading it to possible capture by lurking evil,or that the evil spirits could enter the body through the open mouth of a sneezing individual, or that the individual is sneezing out sins or evil spirits which had taken residence within the body and is thus in need of the blessing to prevent the exorcised from re-entering the body. Some proponents of this  theory have further suggested that it was back luck to open the mouth again to thank the person who uttered "Bless You" for fear of circumventing the original purpose of the blessing.~

~Some say it came into use during the plague pandemics of the 14th century. Blessing the individual after showing such a symptom was thought to prevent possible impending death due to the lethal disease.~

~In Renaissance times a superstition was formed claiming one's heart stopped for a very brief moment during the sneeze, saying bless you was a sign of prayer that the heart wouldn't fail possibly the devil's doing by sending demons to clasp the heart in the body's moment of shock from the sneeze. ~

  [all taken from wikipedia's article "Sneeze"]

I am very happy  to announce though, that whenever you sneeze no evil spirits are leaving you, you am not about to die from some kind of plague, and demons are not clasping your heart. Weird huh?