“Salud”: How the Black Death made Europe obsess over sneezing for centuries

The text traces how blessing formulas after a sneeze emerged from ancient religious and medical traditions and became widespread in Europe during the Black Death.

It links phrases like “bless you,” “health,” and “Jesus” to epidemics, papal Rome, and older ideas from Hebrew, Greek, Hindu, African, and Aztec medicine.

It also explains what a sneeze is physiologically and why it matters: it helps clear the body, but can also spread pathogens.

The brief mentions related cases such as allergic rhinitis and photic sneezing, showing that a common reflex has long carried cultural and medical meaning.