"Bless You"

“Bless You”

Why? Why are these words spoken? It comes from the time of the Great Plague. As sneezing was one of the first symptoms, and it was obvious that person would die, "bless you" (or "God bless you") was a suitable thing to say.

When? When did this saying originate? Wishing someone well after they sneezed was probably originated thousands of years ago.

How? How did this saying originate? The phrase "God bless you" is attributed to Pope Gregory the Great, who uttered it in the sixth century during a bubonic plague epidemic (sneezing is an obvious symptom of one form of the plague).

Where? Where did this saying originate? It was a polite thing to wish someone a good health during the plague.