Show GOD BLESS MEANING Expression of Solicitude Th Trust That t Can Be Traced Back to the D De I IThe cline of Athens The Greeks and Romans Romans had their Long life lite t to you Gesundheit Is Is Isnow F now verboten But we still say say Sante and God bless you youl OU l I after a sneeze i j I This expression of solicitude can be traced back to the decline of Athens One of ot the terrible devastating plagues which darken the pages of Europ European an history was as raging In the famous city The flower of Greece her foremost writers and artists the founders of much of ot our modern cal cul culture ul ture tore were ruthlessly cut down The dead piled plied high and daily dally Athenian courage was taxed to the fullest Butto Butto But But- to every home where lay a victim the elixir of ot hope the rainbow v of promIse promIse promise prom prom- ise was the sneeze for tor It Indicated to the watchers that the danger was was passed ed that the patient would recover A few centuries later Inter another epidemic epidemic epidemic epi epi- demic assailed Europe but this time the sneeze being a symptom of the malady was a bad omen In this age of witches goblins medicine med med- men and leeches superstition flourished Some of ot the most intel Intellectual intellectual intellectual minds of ot the time n accredited cre charms churms and soothsayers It was there ther therefore therefore fore tore nothing extraordinary for the pope to decree the exclamation God oct bless you ou 1 by anyone who heard a sneeze This was supposed to combat com corn bat its evil eU powers and prevent tile the lie spread of the disease And God 4 bl bless ss youl with Its kindly human In Interest Interest interest In- In terest has come down through the ages |