What to Say When Someone Sneezes (Etiquette around the World)

During a visit to a foreign country or in a multicultural society is it always pleasant for people, when visitors from other countries follow or at least try to follow their national customs and rules. So it is important to read on the peculiarities of the country you are visiting. But, while you won’t be able to witness many of the traditions and customs, seeing someone sneezing near you is very likely to happen that is why it is important to know how to respond to a person’s sneeze.

In many countries of the world, when a person sneezes near you it is customary to wish this person good health. This rule applies to the #German tradition of saying "Gesundheit!". But, as we know, in English, a response to a person's sneeze is one of these phrases "God bless you" or "Bless you".

In Ukraine, when a person sneezes for the first time, it is customary to wish him or her good health but if someone sneezes, while other person is speaking, then you should say "Pravda" (meaning "It is true", so any message that the speaker is trying to pass is regarded as completely true).

In Japan and Korea the customs don't require you to say anything, on contrary, the sneezer should be the one to apologize.

But #the French have probably the most complex rules of etiquette for people, who end up in such situation. So, in France, when a person sneezes, you have to be polite and say: "à tes / vos souhaits" ("to your wishes" or "let your desires be fulfilled"). But the tradition doesn't stop here, if you hear a repeated sneeze from the same person, you should add "à tes / vos amours " ("to your loves" or "wish you love").

And, finally, if the unlucky sneezer does the same for the third time in a row, you may say this phrase: "qu'elles durent toujours", which may be translated as "that they last forever/ may they last forever".

Image credits:

1) www.ghk.h-cdn.co/assets/15/14/1600x800/landscape-1427749901-woman-sneezing.jpg