Why Do We Say “Bless You” After Someone Sneezes?

Someone sneezes… and almost automatically, we say, “Bless you.”

But why?

Where did this strange little social ritual come from? Why do we bless someone for something as ordinary as a sneeze? And why did people ever think a sneeze might be something worth worrying about?

In Episode 10 of One Rabbit Hole, we dive into the surprisingly strange history behind one of the most automatic things we say every day.

Was it originally about religion? Disease? Superstition? The fear that something terrible might happen after a sneeze? And how did all of those ideas eventually turn into the polite little phrase we still use today?

Join us as we follow the sneeze down the rabbit hole — from ancient beliefs and old superstitions to plagues, religion, and the surprisingly complicated history behind saying “Bless you.”

Because sometimes the most ordinary things we do have the weirdest stories behind them.

One Rabbit Hole is the podcast where no question is too weird.

Off Script. Off Limits. All Truth.

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