Saying “bless you” after someone sneezes

[Anonymous]

This is one of those silly pet peeves that I’d never say directly to my husband, but he makes a big point of saying “bless you” after we sneeze. He even just did it to one of our workmen. It is so annoying because I don’t want to have to respond “thank you” each time after I sneeze. Petty rant over. (Please no flames for being petty, of course this is completely petty and silly, and that is why I say it here instead of IRL).

[Anonymous]

Yeah I don’t like it either.

[Anonymous]

Um, saying "bless you" or "gesundheit" after someone sneezes is polite, and frankly, many of us were taught to do it as basic manners. Just stop saying "thank you" if it bothers you so much.

[Anonymous]

I always say bless you and thank you.

Even if I sneeze in a random place, more than one stranger will say, bless you to me, and I always say thank you. Sometimes I do multiple sneezes and I get multiple bless youse and I say thank you anfter each one, it’s usually comical.

[Anonymous]

Someone is nice to you! How preposterous!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Don't you know, it's originally so the Devil cannot snatch your soul while you're sneezing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't you know, it's originally so the Devil cannot snatch your soul while you're sneezing?

I think it's too late for OP.

[Anonymous]

I have a low tolerance for the back and forth also, so I only say “bless you,” for the first two sneezes. Beyond that, I will inquire if loved one is feeling ill or having an allergy attack. You can compromise and say, “thank you,” the first two times and ignore after that.

[Anonymous]

First world problems.

[Anonymous]

I agree OP. It's unneeded pleasantries for an uncontrollable bodily function. If you burp or fart, you have to say excuse me but if you sneeze, everyone has to bless you? Always struck me as strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree OP. It's unneeded pleasantries for an uncontrollable bodily function. If you burp or fart, you have to say excuse me but if you sneeze, everyone has to bless you? Always struck me as strange.

I say gesundheit (German parents). It means you’re wishing someone good health. It also takes the religion out of the expression which I’m all for. Since sneezing can be a sign of getting sick, replying with a thank you to somebody, wishing you have good health as a nice pleasantry. Farting and burping aren’t typically signs of somebody potentially getting sick, so there is no need to wish them good health in most cases, right? Also, the onus for somebody to excuse themselves without being spanked when they fart or burp is obviously because you can typically control your fart or burp until you are in private; can’t do that with a sneeze.

[Anonymous]

^ ok so “spanked” is an unfortunate typo, but yeah, don’t spank in public too (or expect to exchange pleasantries about it lol!)

[Anonymous]

You don't have to say thank you. Bless you is the only required part of the interaction (at least that was how I was raised). And I can't not say it; it's deeply ingrained manners for me like Please and Thank you. I used to work in a country where there was no customary response to people sneezing and every time someone sneezed in our open plan office I muttered "Bless you" to myself because the quiet weirded me out so much.

[Anonymous]

My wife low key gets mad at me if I sneeze a third time because I usually sneeze twice, and she'll say "gesundheit" after the second one. She typically only sneezes once and finds my three sneezes excessive!

(Not actually mad - we're just playing with each other.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone is nice to you! How preposterous!!!!!

It is an offensive micro aggression.