Why Do Indians Say God Bless You?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In ancient times, people believed that sneezing would allow evil spirits to enter your body , and saying “God bless you” kept out those evil spirits. ... According to the ancient superstitions, a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose.

Do Indians say God bless you?

There really is no equivalent of “God bless you” in any Indian language . Thus we are pretty much the same as the Chinese where it is normal to ignore it. Though unlike the Chinese, it is common for the person who sneezes to say “sorry”.

Is it wrong to say God bless you?

“Saying ‘God bless you ‘ following a sneeze is a common refrain, so common and taught from childhood that many people don’t even think of it as a blessing, but rather as an utterance without specific meaning other than a response to a sneeze that is polite in some way,” said Dr.

Why do people say God bless you?

Why do people say, “God bless you,” after someone sneezes? ... One of the symptoms of the plague was coughing and sneezing, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) suggested saying “God bless you” after a person sneezed in hopes that this prayer would protect them from an otherwise certain death.

Is it illegal to say Gesundheit?

So the truth is that such a rule really did exist. In Iowa (and perhaps elsewhere in the United States and abroad), it was illegal to say Gesundheit in public or on the telephone – just as it was illegal to say. Or French, or Spanish.

What can I say instead of God Bless?

bless someone’s heart bless you god bless you blessings

Is it appropriate to say God bless at work?

A private employee has a right to express themselves . They can probably say ‘God bless you’ to customers, but an employer has a right to uniformity in the workplace and not to be saddled with an employee’s beliefs.

Why shouldn’t you say Bless you?

When people don’t say bless you, we begin to suspect they don’t care about our well-being . As etiquette columnist Miss Manners once observed, it’s considered more rude for people getting hit with snot shrapnel to bypass the bless you than it is for the person detonating the germ bombs to fail to say excuse me.

How do you bless someone with a word?

  1. Numbers 6:24–26. May the Lord Bless You. and protect you, ...
  2. Jeremiah 17:7–8. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. ...
  3. Psalm 20:1–5. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! ...
  4. Psalms 1:1–3. Blessed is the man.

What does Gesundheit mean literally?

Gesundheit was borrowed from German, where it literally means “ health” ; it was formed by a combination of gesund (“healthy”) and -heit (“-hood”). Wishing a person good health when they sneezed was traditionally believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends.

What do you reply when someone says God bless you?

“God bless you” is often used as a response to sneezing. In this case you would reply, “ Thank you .” If someone says “God bless you” as a greeting, you can say many things, such as “thank you,” “and you,” or even just smile.

Who can say God bless you?

The phrase has been used in the Hebrew Bible by Jews (cf. Numbers 6:24), and by Christians, since the time of the early Church as a benediction, as well as a means of bidding a person Godspeed. Many clergy, when blessing their congregants individually or as a group, use the phrase “God bless you”.

Does your heart stop when you sneeze?

When you sneeze, the intrathoracic pressure in your body momentarily increases. This will decrease the blood flow back to the heart. The heart compensates for this by changing its regular heart beat momentarily to adjust. However, the electrical activity of the heart does not stop during the sneeze.

What do Japanese say when someone sneezes?

Language Usual responses and notes Italian Salute! Japanese 大丈夫? (Daijoubu?) Note: It is very rare for anyone to acknowledge a sneeze in Japan, and it is customary not to say anything at all. After multiple sneezes, they use these words.

What do you say when you sneeze in Islam?

Islamic perspective

For this reason, sneezing is considered as blessing from Allah and in a narration3,4 from Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him who said: “When one of you sneezes, let him say, ‘ Al-hamdu-Lillaah’ (Praise be to Allah) ,’ and let his brother or companion reply to him.

Is it God bless or God bless?

@santhony God bless is a common reply to someone sneezing. God blessed is just a different tense and not commonly used.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.