When I sneeze and people tell me "Bless You", should I acknowledge them?

Well i would say "Thank you." Because the term "bless you" comes from, the old belief that as you sneeze your heart stops briefly, and people say "god bless you" or "bless you" as a way to show blessing for your health.

So either way Salud or Bless you it's just nice to say, "Thank you"

I think the polite thing to do is say thank you. Why would you be offended if someone said "bless you" to you? Blessings don't necessarily have to be religious. If you hear someone sneeze, just ignore it if it offends you so much to say bless you, or say Salud. People will ask you what it means, and it will be a good conversation starter.

"Salud" and "Bless You" are almost synonymous in this context. I know literally it means "health", and you would think that "bless you" would be strictly religious, but I believe it's purpose is to wish good health upon someone. If you are seriously offended by the statement still, you should not acknowledge it, but realize many of the individuals saying "bless you" are probably not very religious either, it's just a common courtesy. Also, if you want to have good manners, a simple "thank you", is acceptable response.

I heard that the reason people started to say god bless you or bless you when someone sneezes is because your heart stops when you sneeze.

If someone blesses you or says salud it is the same thing. I don't say it but if someone says it to me I thank them.

Regardless of your belief a "bless you" should not cause offense.

Simply say Thank you. If someone sneezes say Salud. If it upsets them, oh well... It is the same as when someone says Gadzunheidt (or however it is spelled) instead of bless you. And Bless you isn't necessarily religious, I'm not very religious and I still say bless you. I also say gadzunheit too

There's a certain social contract in sneezing; if you say "bless you" and the other person doesn't acknowledge it, you haven't fulfilled the contract and it's just sort of left hanging there.

I'm not a religious sort either but since most people say "bless you" out of habit more than anything else, it doesn't kill me to acknowledge them. After all, it's not like they're trying to convert you because you sneezed.

And, since people who sneeze tend to expect you to say something (it's the social contract, see!), I usually say "Gesundheit", which (like "salud") means "good health."

Yup you're being a bit oversensitive. Just say thank you. It's only a form of showing concern which is the same thing as Salud.

If I were in Mexico and somebody said "Salud" when I sneezed, I'd just be happy that they were being friendly to me, and wouldn't worry about the origins of the word they were using.

I would thank them anyway. They're being polite enough to acknowledge that you sneezed to begin with, so a simple thank you shouldn't be too painful for you to squeeze out. :) Personally, when I "bless people" for sneezing...it's not a religious thing for me. It's more a habit than anything. I'm not praying to God that they won't die when they sneeze or anything, lol. Just the way I was raised. It's the people who say "gezundheidt" (I'm sure I butchered the spelling of that one!) who freak me out. I don't know why. I guess I'm weird like that.

Not being of spanish heritage, when one sneezes and they hear the customary "salud" is nothing said acknowledging the wish of good health? Such as "gracias" ? I would think that wish is recognized and appreciated...same thing when someones says "god bless you" or the simplified version of "bless you", the polite thing to do is say thank you and keep going about your business.

I dont think you should take it that literally. Its basically saying the same thing as "health" in that when people say it theyre hoping that you are okay. Even if you are not religious, the person saying it might be, so there's no need to get into an argument over a general statement. Just say thank you and be glad that they even said it to you in the first place =)

Its like when people are mad and they say "JESUS!". Some people dont believe in Jesus as a religious figure, but they say it just because its more of an expression than a literal word.

Yes, with a Thank You, you don't have to be religious, it's just a response to their good manners in "blessing" you. Do you know how saying "Bless you" after a sneeze came about? If not, contact me to find out.