This is a common practice in Canada and other English speaking countries. There are several explanations as to where this practice came from. One explanation says that the practice came from the time of the Great Plague. Sneezing was an obvious symptom of the plague. Another explanation is that people believed a person’s soul was leaving the body when the person sneezed. Some also thought that the heart would stop during a sneeze. There are other explanations, but whatever the case, wishing someone well after a sneeze has become common habit.
