Bless You

 Lei Huang

ESLINTG 100

September 16, 2026

In-class Essay 1

Bless You

Every time I sneeze, people around me always say “Bless you!” I feel strange about this situation because in China, my culture, people usually do not say anything when someone sneezes. As a result, this situation makes me think a lot about God. Many Americans say “Bless you,” but many people in China do not. Does it mean that many Americans believe in God and many people in China do not believe in God? This small difference made me think about that people from different countries have their own ways of asking deities for blessings. This little thing taught me that small actions can show the differences between cultures.

It was winter in 2025, and it was the first time I took class in Chicago. In addition, it was the first time I saw snow, so I felt very excited. I walked on the road, felt the snow fall on my nose, and looked around. I wanted to find some mystery in this white world. I was on my way to school. The snow made my nose itchy, and I sneezed. At that time, I heard somebody say “Bless you,” but I thought he was talking to somebody else, so I did not pay attention to him. After I arrived at school, I began my class. Maybe because I was walking outside, I had an itch on my nose again, and then I sneezed loudly. At that moment, everyone in the class, including the professor, said “Bless you” to me. How ashamed and embarrassed I felt at that moment! In my experience in China, people usually do not say anything when somebody sneezes because it can be considered impolite. That is why I felt ashamed. After living in Chicago for a few months, I was used to saying “Bless you” because it is a part of American culture.

However, this embarrassing experience made me think more deeply about culture. Some Americans say “Bless you” because they believe in God, and they are used to saying that. People in China do not say “Bless you.” Does that means people in China do not salute God? The answer is not really. Buddhist culture is an important part of Chinese culture. Some Chinese festivals are related to religious or traditional stories, and we celebrate these festivals with some special activities, such as dragon dance and other traditional activities. In my opinion, culture around the world express their religious beliefs in many ways. Many Chinese people sometimes burn some fake paper money, which means giving money to God. Some people believe that if they do so, God will bless them. Other cultures would not do these kinds of things.

Having such an embarrassing experience made me think a lot about culture. Saying “Bless you” is part of American culture. Burning fake paper money is part of some Chinese traditions. This experience taught me that small action carry a lot of meaning. Now, when I hear someone say “Bless you,” I understand that it is not only a way for some Americans to pray for blessing, but also a part of American culture.