Why do people say “bless you” after someone sneezes? Nearly every culture treats sneezes similarly, while coughs or burps do not get any such special treatment. The belief is that a sneeze is a sign of an illness. During the sixth century, in a bubonic plague epidemic that killed thousands, it was noticeed that a sneeze was an early warning for the disease. The term “bless you” is attributed to Pope Gregory the Great.