While sneezing is a completely normal and explainable bodily response, there are also many common myths and superstitions around the world that explain what it means when you sneeze.
1. Someone is talking about you.
In many East Asian cultures, it is believed that if you sneeze loudly, it is an indication that someone is talking about you behind your back. Not only that, but the number of times you sneeze can give you an idea of what is being said.
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According to this belief, sneezing once means that someone is saying something nice about you. However, when you sneeze twice in a row, that means someone is saying negative things about you. And sneezing three times in a row means that the person talking about you is in love with you.
2. The number of sneezes predicts your future.
One of the most common superstitions in Armenia is that sneezes can predict the probability that you will achieve your goals.
Superstition says that sneezing once means you’re less likely to achieve your goals, while two sneezes means nothing will stand in the way of achieving those goals.
3. In Poland, sneezing means that your mother-in-law is talking about you.
A popular belief in Polish culture is that sneezing means that your mother-in-law is not only talking about you, but not saying very nice things.
If you are not married yet, it is a sign that your relationship with your mother-in-law will be strained.
4. A cat that sneezes is considered lucky.
An Italian superstition suggests that a sneezing cat brings good luck, especially when it comes to money.
Also, if a bride hears a cat sneezing on her wedding day, it means that her marriage will be long-lasting and healthy.
There is also an old sailing superstition that if a cat sneezes on board a ship, it will rain.
5. A baby’s first sneeze saves him from fairies.
A Scottish superstition believes that newborn babies are under a magical spell until they sneeze for the first time.
6. A child who sneezes means that something is on the way.
In New Zealand, a Maori superstition believes that a child who sneezes means that someone is going to visit him or that he will soon learn some interesting news.
An old Tongan superstition believes that a child who sneezes will bring bad luck to the family.
7. There is a meaning to the day of the week you sneeze.
An old nursery rhyme goes like this:
“If you sneeze on a Monday, you sneeze because of danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;
Sneezing on a Friday, sneezing out of sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, see your love tomorrow.
Sneeze on a Sunday and the devil will rule you all week.»
The number of sneezes matters too, as another rhyme explains:
«One for the pain
two for joy
three for a letter
Four for a boy.
five for silver
six for gold
Seven for a secret that will never be told”
8. Sneezing is the soul leaving the body.
An old superstition suggested that sneezing caused the soul to leave the body and is one explanation why people say «God bless you» after someone sneezes. It is believed that the blessing would prevent the soul from leaving.
Similarly, another ancient belief is that a sneeze meant that evil spirits were leaving the body and saying «God bless you» protected both the person sneezing and those around them from those spirits.
9. Your heart stops when you sneeze.
Sneezing is a very strange feeling, and many people once believed that your heart stopped when you sneezed.
This myth is believed to have originated due to the change in blood flow to the heart during the process of sneezing, which also changes the rhythm of the heartbeat.
However, there is no need to worry. While your heartbeat may slow down for a moment, your heart’s electrical activity never stops, which means your heart doesn’t stop when you sneeze.
10. Some consider sneezing to be a bad omen.
Europeans in the Middle Ages believed that sneezing would bring bad luck. They believed it was a sign that someone was going to die in the next few days due to the amount of air lost during the sneeze.
Also, an Indian superstition believed that sneezing when leaving the house brought bad luck. To avoid bad luck, you should drink water after sneezing.
11. It’s good luck to sneeze at the same time as someone else.
A myth states that sneezing at the same time as another person means that the gods are pleased with you and will bless both of you by sneezing with good health.
12. Sneezing with your eyes open will make your eyes pop out.
There is an old myth that suggests that the pressure of a sneeze would make your eyes pop out if you sneezed with your eyes open. However, it seems that this is not true.
«There is little or no evidence to substantiate such claims»David Huston, MD, associate dean of the Texas A&M College of Medicine Houston campus and an allergist at Houston Methodist Hospital, said in a 2016 news release. «The pressure released by a sneeze is very unlikely to cause an eyeball to pop out, even if the eyes are open.»
So if you don’t close your eyes when you sneeze, don’t worry, you’ll be fine.
13. Sneezing while dressing is bad luck.
An old superstition states that sneezing while getting dressed means bad luck will follow you for the rest of the day.
14. The time of day you sneeze has different meanings.
In China, there is a superstition that the time of day you sneeze is trying to tell you something.
Sneezing in the morning means that someone misses you. Sneezing in the afternoon means that you will soon receive an invitation. And sneezing at night means that you will soon see a friend.
15. Sneezing reveals the truth.
An old myth states that if a person sneezes after someone says something to them, it means that what that person said is true.