"God Bless You!"

While at work this past week, one of my customers sneezed and I said "God bless you" to the guy. But the guy is from Yemen, so I asked him what the equivalent saying there was. He replied with what is loosly translated as "Allah's blessings on your soul."

I found this facinating. Why?

I remember reading this article way back when I was a kid that expained where the saying "God bless you" originated and why it was said following a sneeze. In that article, it was said that the Puritains believed that when you sneezed, your soul was forced out of your body. By saying the phrase, your soul was allowed access back to the body. Curious enough reason for a kid to remember it for the rest of his life.

So, if the original saying was used by the Puritains (because of their beliefs), why is there an equivalent saying in the Arab countries? No answer.

And, in this day and age, I find it somewhat humorous that the saying is considered a polite response, nay, an expected response when someone sneezes. For we know that the soul does not leave the body on a sneeze.

I just find it odd that the saying is used half the world away, for the same reason.