SITUATION: a colleague at work sneezes, but you do not know whether it is appropriate to pay attention to it and say, “Be healthy.” That is the Ukrainian equivalent of the American, “Bless you!” or “Gesundheit!” Let`s find out what this phrase means in Ukraine and whether it should be used in business communication.

The tradition of wishing health to a person who sneezed has existed since ancient times: there was a belief that sneezing “comes from the head, and therefore it must be properly met.” In the European tradition, health was associated with the plague, and the phrase “Be healthy” prevented the disease. In the Ukrainian tradition, this form of politeness appeared after Christianization, when the Bible came with the legend that God breathed life into Adam and then made the first man mortal: Adam sneezed and breathed life. It was believed that you could sneeze only once in a lifetime – before death. Later, Jacob sneezed and asked God not to take his life, after which people stopped dying and wished each other health after sneezing.

In our everyday life, wishes for health spread to the greetings, “Were healthy!” and various wishes such as “Be as healthy as water.” The connotation of this expression expanded: when a person sneezed while saying something, they said, “He is telling the truth,” because sneezing foretold an event. Although now the situation has changed somewhat: if the interlocutor sneezed during your words, you can say, “I’m telling the truth.” Opinions about this wish are now divided: some continue to use this form, but there are those who believe that you do not want anything. On the contrary, the person who sneezed should apologize.

If you feel an irresistible urge to sneeze, be sure to cover your nose with a napkin and try to do it as quietly as possible. For those who suffer from seasonal allergies or diseases, I advise you to always have disposable paper napkins.

In business, after sneezing, it is not customary to say, “Be healthy.” It is necessary to be as tactful as possible: not to pay attention to it, and to continue conversation as if nothing happened. After all, in the business environment, you should not give heed to human health. Only close people and relatives in a circle of friends or family members can wish health.