Why do we say  "bless you" when someone sneezes?
151426
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. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished. \n\nThe connection of sneezing to the plague is not the first association of sneezing with death. According to Man, Myth, and Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown, many cultures, even some in Europe, believe that sneezing expels the soul--the "breath of life"--from the body.  That doesn't seem too far-fetched when you realize that sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour! \n\nWe know today, of course, that when you sneeze, your heart doesn't stop, nor will your eyes pop out if you can keep them open (www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_30 4.html), nor does your soul get expelled. What does get expelled are hundreds upon thousands of microscopic germs. The current advice when you sneeze is to cover your mouth with your arm rather than your hand. That way, all those germs won't be on your hands when you touch the countless things you're going to touch in the course of the day (don't tell us; we don't want to know). \n\nThere are many superstitions regarding sneezing, some of which you've already listed. But here are some of my favorites. \n\nSneeze on Monday for health,\nSneeze on Tuesday for wealth,\nSneeze on Wednesday for a letter, \nSneeze on Thursday for something better,\nSneeze on Friday for sorrow,\nSneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow,\nSneeze on Sunday, safety seek. \n\nOne for sorrow\nTwo for joy\nThree for a letter\nFour for a boy.\nFive for silver\nSix for gold\nSeven for a secret, never to be told. \n\nAnd lastly, a sneeze before breakfast is a sign that you will hear exciting news before the end of the day.
1008079
Because the pressure of the sneeze, you close your eyes. You can't control them because its something the body controls. Try holding your nose or biting your tongue though if you're about to sneeze. Then you don't.
495560
German:  Gesundheit!\nSweden, Norway, and Denmark is usually replied to with "prosit"\nFinland the reply is "terveydeksi"\nKerala:  Ayyappa\nIslamic society:  a sneezer generally thanks God by saying "Alhamdulillah"\nChinese culture:  a sneeze is a sign that someone is thinking about you and you might hear some one say "you ren xiang ni", which translates into "someone is thinking about you".\n\nIn Spanish-speaking countries, when children sneeze the following is said:\nOne sneeze: Salud (To your health) \nTwo sneezes: Salud y dinero (To your health and wealth) \nThree sneezes: Salud, dinero y amor (To your health, wealth and love) \nFour sneezes: Salud, dinero, amor, y alergias (To your health, wealth, love, and allergies) \n\nIn French-speaking countries, sneezing is accompanied by the following phrases:\nOne sneeze: � vos souhaits (To your wishes) \nTwo sneezes: � vos r�ves (To your dreams) \nThree sneezes: � vos amours (To your loved ones) \n\n\nhttp://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~tokyo3/e/sneeze_e.html
680079
Just relax.  This is probably just a sub-conscience reaction to not wanting to be heard sneezing.  Nobody should think differently of you as long as you make sure that your hands are clean.
304437
When you sneeze, it is said that your heart stops beating. \nWhen you cough, your heart is not affected.
358753
Mechanism of sneezing - Normally, sneezing is an involuntary reflex, which is controlled by a complex interaction of nerve fibres. A variety of receptor sites, situated in the nose, reports about the irritation or foreign substance to the brain for inducing sneezing by releasing histamine, for clearing the nose. Receptors are sensitive to infection, touch, smells of dust, chemical gases, fumes, temperature and exposure to extreme cold air and water (the main offender). Usually, sneeze begins with a deep inspiration and closed glottis, which suddenly opens after gaining pressure from contraction of the diaphragm, abdomen muscles and other muscles which compress the lungs to let out the trapped air with force through nose and mouth. So with an explosive sound, throw of air occurs as a sneeze. Sneezing also involves contraction of the muscles of face, neck and eyes. Sometimes, sneezing air speed is measured more than 120 km/per hour. Normally, people sneeze once or twice during early morning or daytime to clear the nose.\n\nFor more info, go to the source...
131214
Traditionally, a sneeze is expelling a demon.  And if you think of it, that's true:  the disease-causing bacteria expelled can realistically be considered demons.
397425
In English-speaking countries, it is common for at least one person to say "Bless you" after someone sneezes. The traditional explanation for the custom is that it began literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory I the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague in 590 AD (his successor succumbed to it). To combat the plague Gregory ordered litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's intercession. When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague.
91168
Just say bless you, and ignore it.  Hand out tissues if it helps.  \n\nThere is honestly nothing else you can do- you can't stop a sneeze.  Anything you would say to try to get people to "sneeze more quietly" will just end up making you look like a cad.
1278
because we say God Bless You because when you sneeze your heart supposevely stops for a mili second.
427508
during the black plague, the last symptom before death was sneezing, and as such, saying "bless you" was a plea to a divine force that the person would not die. the similar statement "gesundheit" is german for "health" or "to your health", both hold the same purpose.
164902
people say god bless u b,cos ur heart wil stop for a sec while sneezing.
297710
It's Gesundheit (German for good health). Comes from the belief that a sneeze meant you might get the plague
98543
Some people can sneeze with their eyes open and some people can’t. Sneezing is a reflex and so is closing our eyes. We have no control over whether or not we close our eyes when we sneeze. Some people don’t have reflex, so when they sneeze then their eyes won’t close. Some people try to close their eyes so when they sneeze their eyes won’t pop out. Your eyes don’t really pop out. People without the reflex to sneeze with their eyes open can try to train themselves to sneeze with their eyes open. One good way to do this is if when you sneeze you hold your eyes open.\n\n    People think that when you close your eyes when you sneeze that you are blocking germs and bacteria. That is not true because your eyes deal with germs all the time. If you close your eyes during a sneeze, then it is just a reflex. During this part of the sneeze, we tense some of our muscles. The tensing (tightening) of our muscles causes our eyes to shut.\n\n    People that sneeze a lot can prevent sneezing. If you feel a sneeze, then use saline solution. You can also softly hold your nose at the end. These things can help your body remove things it does not want without sneezing.\n\n    No one knows the reason you close your eyes when you sneeze. There are many possibilities. Some people think it is to protect your eyes from flying goop. Most doctors think that it is still a reflex, or we just can’t help it.\n\n    Sneezing is very good for you and your body because it removes things from your body like bacteria and germs. It also is good because it keeps the tubes that carry the air from your nose to the lungs healthy. Sneezing makes your nose clear when you have a cold. If you used to hate sneezing, then I hope this has changed your mind.
753958
Similar to the reflex that occurs when your knee kicks after it's hit with a medical hammer, or the way your hand pulls away from something hot when you burn it, closing your eyes when you sneeze is a powerful reflex.\n\nA sneeze is a kind of bodywide reflex in which a lot of muscles contract, not just in the nose and throat but also those in the diaphragm, the abdomen, thighs, back, even sphincters (which is why some people with stress incontinence may urinate slightly when they sneeze). When we sneeze, we tense some of our muscles. The tensing (tightening) of our muscles causes our eyes to shut.
141049
Do you mean "why do we close our eyes when we <sneeze>?"?\n\nWhat a wonderful way to phrase that question :-)\n\nYou can find some answers at these sites:
775898
i dont say "bless you".... i say "gesundheit"