SNEEZING ISN’T ALWAYS PLEEZING…seems gregorian to me

The custom of saying “God bless you” after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God’s help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, “Kyrie Eleison” (Greek for “Lord have mercy”). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed (“God bless you!”) in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague.

But in fact, the custom is much older than that. Pre-Christian writers mentioned a Roman tradition of extending good wishes to sneezers. Pliny the Elder wrote that even the gloomy Tiberius Caesar insisted on this ritual. Typical Latin expressions were Salve (Be healthy!) or Tibi Jupiter adsit (May Jupiter preserve you!).

Meanwhile, the Greeks had the same custom. A Greek rhyme from the 1st century B.C. pokes fun at a long-nosed man who failed to recite the usual Zeu soson (May Zeus save me!) after sneezing. (Apparently, he couldn’t hear the sneeze because his nostrils were so far away from his ears.) And hundreds of years before that, the Persian prophet Zoroaster recommended reciting a short prayer when someone sneezed.

As you can see, the practice of safeguarding sneezers was common even in ancient times. The most likely origin for this custom lies in the connection early peoples made between breath, life and spirit. Interestingly, many ancient languages have the same word for both breath and spirit (for example, atman in Sanskrit, ruach in Hebrew, pneuma in Greek and spiritus in Latin). To “breathe one’s last” at death was equated with breathing out one’s spirit or life force. No doubt it seemed to early peoples that the spirit could also be expelled suddenly and violently through a sneeze. Calling upon divine protection would have been a tactic to preserve the spirit from harm and ensure its rapid return to the body.

Today we keep up the ancient custom of blessing sneezers out of tradition rather than superstition. For those who feel uncomfortable with a benediction, the German or Yiddish expression Gesundheit (Good health!) or the French À tes souhaits (May your wishes come true!) are possible alternatives to Bless you! But whether you offer wishes for health, blessings or divine protection, keep one thing in mind: this time-honoured custom is nothing to sneeze at!

There are many superstitions regarding sneezing, some of which you’ve already listed. But here are some of my favorites.

Sneeze on Monday for health,
Sneeze on Tuesday for wealth,
Sneeze on Wednesday for a letter,
Sneeze on Thursday for something better,
Sneeze on Friday for sorrow,
Sneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow,
Sneeze on Sunday, safety seek.

One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a letter
Four for a boy.
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told.

And lastly, a sneeze before breakfast is a sign that you will hear exciting news before the end of the day.

~The Straight Dope