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by wickedwillie on February 27th, 2004

wickedwillie

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Where does the custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze come from?

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  • by Miranda on July 22nd, 2004

    Miranda

    Willie's answer is the most informed here. Historic mentions of this saying are certainly frequent from the time of the Black Death. I suggest though that it may have been more associated with one of the more lethal forms of plague: the pneumonic form. Some people recovered from 'ordinary' plague and thus built immunity to it. However, once a person developed the early influenza-like symptoms of pneumonic plague, they had very little time left to live. (Even with modern antibiotics, the death rate for pneumonic plague remains very high because by the time the symptoms appear or the person gets to medical help, it is too late.) 'Bless you' was uttered in the hope that the sufferer was at peace with God.

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