GUILTY

Just curious if anyone else is guilty of the sneeze blessing? Ok, I hate the whole thing surrounding feeling blessed, etc. but I am guilty of offering the occasional "bless you" after a sneeze. What else do you say?

You're soooooo good lookin'.... That was from Seinfeld, remember? I NEVER say "bless you." I usually just let it pass or say something like "getting a cold?" or "need a tissue?" if I think the person will consider me rude for not saying anything. It's such an automatic thing that people say out of habit that I don't think much of it coming from somebody else but I don't say it. "Gesundheit" works too. Now for the obligatory "thank you" after someone says "bless you" I circumvent that by saying "excuse me" immediately after I sneeze.

That is one of those uncomfortable things we all get stuck dealing with. It's the American Way to say, "bless you". I have never said, "God bless you"...I have been guilty of saying just plain "bless you." It's as if people get weird when there is silence after a sneeze. I say "thank you" when someone says "bless you." I guess I just think it's polite for me to respond somehow... What exactly does "bless you" mean??? It's kind of stupid now that I think about it... Jessica

I am guilty. I do not add the god before it. I do it out politeness only. I do it for the same reason I celebrate the holidays. I have to in order to fit in. I am not at all a hypocrite though. I celebrate xmas for the presents only. I am ALL about the gifts. If I had children, I would not be telling them about all of those fantasy characters like santa and the easter bunny. That would be for the other brainwashed children of the world. They say Bless you, because it was once beleived that your heart skips a eat when you sneeze and the blessing was that of your soul. I say it, but it has NO meaning whatsoever for me. I should stop though. I am very dilligent about the language I use where most people refer to god.

I always say gesundheit which means "to your health" in German. I'm part German so it works for me I taught my 3 year old daughter to say this after someone sneezes as well. Works great for us and we're still being polite when someone sneezes. Lisa