I like to mix it up, I’ll alternate between “bless you” and “geshundheit” and if it keeps on happening I’ll mix in guttural mumbles just so I don’t overuse the phrase.
I like the idea behind “bless you”, there are so many cute little romantic ideas behind it. That people when they sneeze their heart stops beating for a moment and in that moment, they could be dead. Alternatively the saying could be a ward against some future illness that a sneeze could portend. I’ve seen it portrayed in movies where a parent is about to enter into a deal with some sort of magical creature and their agreement to allow the deal to go through is counted in sneezes by the victim. By saying “bless you” you wipe the slate clean, void the deal, and drive away the creature.
So the reason behind it is probably learned, probably habit, and for some probably tied to a bit of lore or trivia and they pay honor to it each time they say the phrase “bless you”. I suppose I’ve got a mix of all of that.
