I never do and it seems that some people are offended by my supposed lack of manners. I just think it’s a stupid custom that I refuse to propagate. The way I see it, if you’re religious it’s offensive because you are using God’s name in vain. This was one of the commandments last time I checked.
If someone is not religious it can also be offensive because by saying it, you are somewhat assuming they are. But my own reasons for not saying it don’t have anything to do with religion. I simply think it’s stupid and it particularly annoys me when someone sneezes 5 times and someone else feels it necessary to say “God bless you” each and every time.
It’s just silly, but there are some people out there who think less of someone who doesn’t say it. THAT is my real pet peeve.
I don’t say ‘GBY’ when others sneeze, mostly because I doubt the existence of the G part. I don’t let the sneezes go unnoticed, tho. I’ve always said “gesundheit” (health, in German). My German wife thinks it’s funny that my family has always said that, because we’re about as unGerman as you can get.
I have a fundamentalist Christian friend who says “salud” (health, in Spanish). He thinks that saying ‘GBY’ after sneezing trivializes the G part, since most people say it more as a reflex than a real blessing.
In the Mexican culture, it’s very common to say “Salud” after one sneezes. And if you don’t say it, you are thought to be rude. I always say “Bless you” to my English speaking friends, and “Salud” to my Spanish ones.
Basically, I do think it’s rude to have someone sneeze, and not say anything. I mean, you gotta say something.
As I understand it, the custom of saying something after a sneeze started because evil spirits were thought to be able to enter through the nose afterwards. I assume everybody’s gotten over this notion, but the sayings remain.
I do not generally say anything when somebody sneezes. Anybody who makes an issue of this alleged lack of manners will regret it, as I then greet their sneezes with “Ewww, snot!” or “You blowed up!”
I was always under the impression the tradition comes from plague times as sneezing was one of the first symtoms . “God bless you” coz your going to die .
The nursery rhyme Ring a Ring a Rosie says at the end :
To further add to the reasons for saying GBY, I have heard a wives tale explaining in.
It was thought that a sneeze caused the heart to skip a beat or two and you were seconds away from death.
I have read about people whom stifle sneezes and die. The pressure created is considerable. If you’ve got as weak blood vessel in your brain, and you hold a sneeze in, it could burst, and you could soon be doing an impression of a turnip or a stalk of celery…or just out right die.
My family usually says Gesundheit, too, and we are not German either. Sometimes I say Bless you.
It does seem sort of indifferent or unkind or something to not say anything after someone sneezes. I guess it’s mostly an ingrained response after all this time.
GBY bothers me, since my SIL is religious and any issue about religion is a prickly subject between us. I am prone to say “Gesundheit” and being that the inlaws are from Deutschland, it is aok with them.
Some times I say, " Ausgesheitnect" or whatever the VW saying was a few years ago. and other times, " Oberammagau" (The passion play place) Just to check someones cultural IQ.
Anyone here know any buddist, jewish, islamic sneeze-related blessings? I want to make sure my bases are covered.
