You're walking along the street and pass a stranger, who sneezes. What do you say, if anything? Your grandmother sneezes. What say you? Your best friend sneezes. What comes out of *your* mouth?

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

Answers

To my grandmother, I say "God bless you," because she's really religious. To kids at school who sneeze, I say "bless you," because that's what kids at my school do (I love my school)--unless the sneezer looked Mexican (which a lot of kids at my school are), in which case I'd do the customary Spanish thing and wish them "health." To people on buses and strangers in general, it's "bless you," or a smile if I think they'd get offended by "bless you."

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

I say "Bless you" to nearly everyone. Once in a while I'll say "Gesundheit", but not too often.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

Wow, that's stupid. You have like 900 things to remember if someone sneezes. I don't say shit. I don't think we need to bless everyone who sneezes unless they have terminal sneeze disease or something.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

i say 'bless you', unless the sneezer and i had been casually conversing auf deutsch beforehand. in that case, i would say 'gesundheit'.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

dan: It's habitual, if you were referring to my post. Personally, saying "bless you," etc., doesn't require a whole lot of thought, but if it does for you, it's probably better you omit the custom anyway. Whatever salts your margarita.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000

Bless you!

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2000

It's not habitual, you described your pre-bless-you thought process.

-dan

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2000

I usually don't say anything because a) I don't think saying something to someone is going to change the status of their health and b) there aren't many disease one has to worry about severely messing them up or killing them that involve sneezing these days, but if I feel the need to for some odd reason (can't remember the last time I said it) I will *never* *ever* *ever* say "god bless you" "bless you" or anything resembling that. I'm okay with Gesundheit because it's wishing someone good health (although technically just saying "Health!" at them), which I don't have a problem with, but being an atheist I have no reason to instruct a something that I consider non-existant to "bless" them (whatever that even means) (and saying "bless you" is the same thing, IMO...I mean, *what* is it you're telling to bless them? Whatever it is I'm sure I don't believe in it.)

But, Laura, I'm curious, how can you tell just by looking at someone if they'd be offended by you saying "bless you" to them? I mean, if they're wearing a t-shirt that indicates something that's one thing, but otherwise it seems pretty up in the air. Sometimes I look just like anyone else, but whenever someone says "(god) bless you" to me, I say "no th

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2000

Why are like 80% of Athiests only interested in stirring up shit? Saying "No Thanks" to someone's blessing you is pretty rude, even if you don't believe in a God. I don't personally either, but I'd never say something like that. I just don't talk about it, and I don't yell at people and tell them I don't agree with them, I just let everyone do their own shit. I know plenty of Athiests who are far more annoying than the fervently religious, though. I dunno why.

-dan

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2000

People in olden times used to say "God bless you" because they thought that when you sneezed your brain was coming out your nose or something. It's just a tradition that carried over into modern times. I say "bless you" or "gesundheit" about an equal amount of times, it's just whatever comes out of my mouth first.

-- Anonymous, October 19, 2000

cover your face when you sneeze!

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

How bout "That looked like it hurt."

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Nose orgasm!

;)

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

That's funny. I have a friend who claims she loves to sneeze. "It's like an orgasm for your nose." she says.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Dan,are you an athiest because if you are a christian,you shouldn't be cussing like that.ind i have one more thing to say....if you belive that GOD is not the GOD,then you had better be right..because he is coming...........man...he is coming!!!!!!!God bless you!

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Dan,are you an athiest because if you are a christian,you shouldn't be cussing like that.and i have one more thing to say....if you belive that GOD is not the GOD,then you had better be right..because he is coming...........man...he is coming!!!!!!!God bless you!

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

well i say "Bless you" or "Gesundheit" just because its what i grew up with saying! And Dan: you sure do put a lot of thought into this God Bless you thing!

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2001

Why is everyone picking on Dan? I found this site because I was wondering if I was the only person in the world who rejected the idea that someone must respond to someone everytime they sneeze. I think the idea is rediculous and we should abandon the custom. Who really cares if someone sneezes. We do not respond to other bodily functions in such a way. I do not like feeling obligated to say something everytime someone sneezes. Like it really does them any good. Besides, none of us are God. We have no right to say such a thing!

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

you might want to take the sensitivity down a notch here...it isn't that big of a deal. say something or dont...who the hell cares. i say bless you, only out of habit...i dont have alterior motives, i am not a religious fanatic...i say it out of courtesy.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2001

I never say gesundheit. I just think it sounds weird. I say bless you. I usually don't bless strangers, except maybe a cashier at the store if they sneeze right in front of me. I don't bless family, either. I don't know why. If any friends sneeze, I always say bless you. I think it's rude to not say anything. There's an awkward silence when someone sneezes and no one blesses.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2001

i have this weird phobia.. if no one says bless you when i sneeze, i get all paranoid.. something bad will happen and i'll probably end up having a crappy day...

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2001