Quote:
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For the most part, the various sneeze responses originated from ancient superstitions. Some people believed that a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying "bless you" would stop the devil from claiming the person's freed soul. Others believed the opposite: that evil spirits use the sneeze as an opportunity to enter a person's body. There was also the misconception that the heart momentarily stops during a sneeze (it doesn't), and that saying "bless you" was a way of welcoming the person back to life.
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So do you say it?
Since I'm an atheist it's kinda pointless to say, and I think it's a pretty silly thing anyway, but I know some people think it's just polite. I'll thank someone if they say it to me but I never say it.
plus it's out of habit