Everytime I hear someone sneeze, whether it be int he computer lab at school, on the train, in the elevater, etc I have an overwhelming urge to say “Bless you.” This may stem from my upbringing with such an emphasis on manners and politeness, or perhaps the movie Dogma, I don’t know.
I was just wondering if other Dopers felt a similar urge.
As an aside, doesn’t the origin of the expression have something to do with old folklore and demons? I have forgotten. . .
Yeah, I do. And I’m agnostic. It’s just ingrained habit.
The only person I don’t say “bless you” to is my dad, who will invariably reply with a heavy sigh, “It’s unlikely.”
I sneeze a lot and I find I get blessed a lot by strangers, which is always nice.
The best time was once in France, I sneezed while walking past a big hedge, and from the other side of the hedge about six voices blessed me (in French, of course).
Myself, I prefer ‘Gesundheit’ as it leaves the religious connotations out of it. There are some kinds of blessings I can do without.
Yes, I do.
Me, too, and although I did it before the movie Dogma came out, I am more conscious that I do it … er, religiously… now. There is just no reason to tempt fate, I guess.
I understand that some people don’t particularly want blessing from any deity, but to me it’s less a religious issue than a social one. If someone wants their god to bless me, it’s OK with me. If said god/s are infallible as they’re supposed to be, I’m sure they won’t bestow blessings where they’re not wanted.
I’m an atheist, and I always say “Bless You”, even to strangers. It’s just habit, and I suppose I feel it is expected and would be impolite not to.
Same as RevTim. I don’t say God bless you, but the habit to say something is deeply ingrained.
I have a firm policy against engaging in any such inanity. We no longer believe that one’s spirit is leaving the body when one sneezes. So what makes it “polite” to draw any additional attention to one’s bodily eminations and noises? Why don’t we say “God bless you” to farts and burps?
I’m an athiest and say it. I also say silly things like “I beg your pardon?” when someone speaks unclearly. They’re polite conventions that lubricate social interactions. I’d honour the request if someone objected.
I do bless sneezing strangers, despite my total lack of any religious convictions to speak of. It is an odd habit, I admit, and Walloon makes a good point about it being a strange thing to be a matter of politeness. But I do it anyway.
Per the OP’s question about the origin of this particular custom, my understanding is that superstition necessitates blessing someone before they inhale after a sneeze, because otherwise, they might suck in an evil spirit. It’s like holidng your breath when you pass a cemetary, to avoid inhaling ghosts.
I’m an agnostic (this week, check back next week) and I say ‘bless you’ when anyone sneezes within earshot.
Heck, I don’t even say it to strangers that don’t sneeze.
<<So what makes it “polite” to draw any additional attention to one’s bodily eminations and noises?>>
When my son was four, he started bringing ideas home from kindergarden. One day he sneezed and then informed me that I should bless him. So I did. Then I asked him why I should bless him. He replied: “Because if you don’t, then I have to say excuse me.” Worked for me.
Other bodily noises are held to be too gross for anyone to acknowledge by comment, I guess. Either that or they don’t cause so much body movement and therefore don’t necessarily stop the conversation. Some sneezes are a whole body experience.
Depending on the emination, I say either ‘bless you’ or ‘dear god, what crawled up your butt and died’.
Depending on the emination.
Haven’t seen the movie, but yep–I do it. Unfortunately, I’ve had to work out a separate deal for my athiest SO (who complained about being “blessed” ;)) when HE sneezes. Usually, with him, I START to say “Bless You,” but then catch myself and say, “Oops, I mean Fuck You.”
He’s cool with that, but I’m deathly afraid I’ll accidentally say “Fuck You” to a sneezing stranger one day. :eek:
I’m an atheist and do not ever say “Bless you”. No one ever says anything if you cough or fart or blow your nose. Why should sneezing be any different?
No, never got in the habit.
Actually, that’s a damn hilarious idea—I’m going to start doing that!
Anytime someone farts loud enough to hear (my schnozz doesn’t work so well, so I cannot go by smell alone…), I already do say “Bless you!”
And when they sneeze? “Excuse you.” 
I say “bless you” anytime my reply is within earshot of the person who sneezed. I have to control this, because sometimes I mumble “bless you” to someone on the other side of the room.
I do it because it’s polite. The idea that their spirit has just soared out of their nose into a tissue, their hand, or the hair of person in front of them is silly and the farthest thing from my mind. I just think it’s kind, analogous to giving someone a hand if they trip, although on a smaller scale.
That being said, I love the scene from Dogma.