Question

why do people say bless you when you sneeze

Answer 1

I’ll take a swing at this. Obviously, these things are hold-overs from the superstitious past. It was worth “blessing” you, wishing the deity would let you keep living, if all you had was a sneeze, because rhinoviruses were no less prevalent, back in the day, and people expected you were in for a week of misery but not much worse.

THNX

Answer 2

One of the symptoms of the plague was coughing andsneezing, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I  suggested saying “Godbless you” after a person sneezedin hopes that this prayer wouldprotect them from an otherwise certain death. The expression may have also originated from superstition.