Why Do We Say ‘Bless You’ After a Sneeze?
“Achoo!” “Bless you!” This automatic response to a sneeze was likely ingrained in you as a child, but why do we call attention to this bodily function through a blessing? Several theories attempt to explain this time-honored custom, but the real answer is murky — and varies around the world.
One theory is that, in the Middle Ages, people thought a sneeze momentarily stopped the heart, so blessing someone would stimulate the heart to resume its essential pumping. Another is that medieval people believed a sneeze caused someone to expel their soul through their nose for the few seconds it...
