<p>This is something that got featured in the Book of songs, this was a poem book out of ancient china (1000BC) and still is occasionally found in Anime/Manga now a days</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In certain parts of Eastern Asia, particularly in Japanese culture and Vietnamese culture, a sneeze without an obvious cause was generally perceived as a sign that someone was talking about the sneezer at that very moment - a belief that is still depicted in present-day manga and anime. In China, Vietnam and Japan, for instance, there is a superstition that if talking behind someone's back causes the person being talked about to sneeze; as such, the sneezer can tell if something good is being said (one sneeze), something bad is being said (two sneezes in a row), or if this is a sign that they are about to catch a cold (multiple sneezes).  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze" rel="nofollow">source</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Small side note to <em>"It must be something only in Asian culture because I have never seen this in any US television shows"</em>. Although not used as often in movies/series nowadays, they still feature this trope once in a while and is mainly used in a comedic sense. A sample would be <em>Scrubs</em> and <em>NCIS</em> where it got featured a few times.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-16T13:48:11.310Z
I find it incredibly unlikely that the Japanese superstition has anything to do with Greece.
senshin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-16T13:51:32.427Z
@senshin As far as I know the sneeze originated from Greece as a sign of the gods. This later on got adopted into other parts of the world such as Asia which gave their own twist. It also might have been China. But I am not sure how the Greek/Chineese calender collide in ancient time.
Dimitri mx
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-16T15:53:38.627Z
Wait a second... your new wiki link explains the origin of the trope. Please correct you answer then I can mark it correct.
krikara
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-16T17:50:11.153Z
@krikara seems like I totally missed that part ;) added the correct information
Dimitri mx
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-16T13:41:00.460Z
2013-12-25T11:04:29.520Z
2013-12-25T11:04:29.520Z
Dimitri mx
<p>In Homers Odyssey Telemachus sneezes when his mother speaks about him or what he is doing. So there is western precedent.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-11T01:14:56.857Z
2021-12-11T01:14:56.857Z
Seth Trantham
<p>Where did this trope originate from and why sneezing? It must be something only in Asian culture because I have never seen this in any US television shows. And yet sneezing when being talked about occurs in both anime and dramas.</p>

<tropes>
Why do people sneeze when someone talks about them?
# Why do people sneeze when someone talks about them?
Posted by: username_0 on 2013-12-16
Where did this trope originate from and why sneezing? It must be something only in Asian culture because I have never seen this in any US television shows. And yet sneezing when being talked about occurs in both anime and dramas.
**Tags:** tropes
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## 2 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2013-12-16. Score: 8 | Accepted answer
This is something that got featured in the Book of songs, this was a poem book out of ancient china (1000BC) and still is occasionally found in Anime/Manga now a days

> In certain parts of Eastern Asia, particularly in Japanese culture and Vietnamese culture, a sneeze without an obvious cause was generally perceived as a sign that someone was talking about the sneezer at that very moment - a belief that is still depicted in present-day manga and anime. In China, Vietnam and Japan, for instance, there is a superstition that if talking behind someone's back causes the person being talked about to sneeze; as such, the sneezer can tell if something good is being said (one sneeze), something bad is being said (two sneezes in a row), or if this is a sign that they are about to catch a cold (multiple sneezes). [source](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze)

Small side note to *"It must be something only in Asian culture because I have never seen this in any US television shows"*. Although not used as often in movies/series nowadays, they still feature this trope once in a while and is mainly used in a comedic sense. A sample would be *Scrubs* and *NCIS* where it got featured a few times.
> **Comments:**
> **username_2** (2013-12-16): I find it incredibly unlikely that the Japanese superstition has anything to do with Greece.  
> **username_1** (2013-12-16): @senshin As far as I know the sneeze originated from Greece as a sign of the gods. This later on got adopted into other parts of the world such as Asia which gave their own twist. It also might have been China. But I am not sure how the Greek/Chineese calender collide in ancient time.  
> **username_0** (2013-12-16): Wait a second... your new wiki link explains the origin of the trope. Please correct you answer then I can mark it correct.  
> **username_1** (2013-12-16): @krikara seems like I totally missed that part ;) added the correct information  
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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-12-11. Score: 0
In Homers Odyssey Telemachus sneezes when his mother speaks about him or what he is doing. So there is western precedent.
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