With World War II on the horizon and the anti-German sentiments rising, the popularity of ‘Gesundheit’ waned in the 1940s. Some ads went so far as to explain the meaning of health, saying the company’s brew was synonymous with it. Newspapers thanked their readers with “Gesundheit!” and print advertising for beer companies also featured the phrase. Germans often moved to the Midwest, where the use of ‘Gesundheit’ is still widespread today.ĭuring these waves of immigration, the expression also carried the meaning of expressing gratitude and was also used as a toast. The US is a nation of immigrants, and the origins of usage in English trace back to German immigration in the 19th and 20th century. People in the United States of America often know the interjection and use it instead of “bless you” when someone sneezes. The best German quotes and sayings The usage of ‘Gesundheit’ in the US and English But the Germans still drink to their health: “Prost” is short for the Latin ‘prosit’: “may it help” or “may it be well”. “Gesundheit” used to be a German toast as well, though the usage is nearly obsolete. As we’ve outlined above, the Germans use “Gesundheit” to wish the sneezer good health and stave off any illness. It is formed by combining the adjective for healthy, ‘gesund’, with the suffix ‘heit’, meaning hood, to form a noun. ‘Gesundheit’ is a German word meaning “health”. How to Get Health Insurance in Germany The origins of ‘Gesundheit’ Whatever the belief or superstition may be, the proper response to a sneeze is always a form of well-wishing, to which the sneezer in turn responds with a form of appreciation or a blessing in return. The exact opposite belief also existed, that a sneezer needed a blessing so prevent evil spirits from entering their body through the nose. The immediate blessing was supposed to stop the devil from snatching up the free soul. A saying like “bless you” welcomed the sneezer back to life afterwards.Īnother superstition was the belief that the soul left the body through the nose in a sneeze. There existed the misconceived notion that a sneeze stopped the heart momentarily–which is not true, in case you didn’t know. Sneeze responses in nearly all cultures have their origins in ancient superstitions and times when people didn’t know or understand the human body so well. Where does the near compulsory answer come from? To respond to a sneeze is just as reflexive, wishing a blessing or good health upon the sneezer. Why do we respond to sneezes with ‘Gesundheit’ or ‘bless you’?Ī sneeze is a reflex provoked by a cold, an allergy or dust, a strong smell or sometimes a ray of sunlight tickling your nose. Why do we bless someone who sneezes, and why do many Americans and people in other English speaking countries do so with the German word for health, ‘Gesundheit’? Find out with our excursion into superstitions around the world and the history and etymology of ‘Gesundheit’ in the USA and the English language.
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