ai-AI-AIVASTAA!!!

[redgreen]

Hei everyone,
I know that aivastaa is to sneeze, but what do you say after someone sneezes? I've wondered this for a while, but never been able to find out.

[dafd]

Hi I think it is Terveydeksi! Finns dont seem to use it though. They just look at you funny. The know what you mean when you say terveydeksi though. When I first moved here I said it after they sneezed but soon noticed that I was the only one and quit.

[mookoo]

I am pretty sure you are right dafd. And yeah, no one says it. No one says anything. Its always very uncomfortable for me being around a sick Finn. They sneeze and I just have to sit there. I want to say SOMETHING. But they give an expression similar to my dog when I ask her a question. The eyebrows might get close, sometimes the head slightly tilts to the side, but mostly the blank stare dominates. At least I have trained my Finn to say "bless you" when the Americans sneeze! And he conversely has trained me to just shuddup (not an easy thing to do mind you! )

[dafd]

Saying "excuse me" after sneezing draws a similar reaction. Mostly I have just stopped saying it but every now and then I find myself saying "excuse me" very quietly so no one can hear. I dont know why.

Perhaps if you sneeze violently on top of the Finn and you had something to be really sorry about then you could say it.

[mookoo]

Perhaps if you sneeze violently on top of the Finn and you had something to be really sorry about then you could say it.

Saying it while you are wiping him off with a hanky.

[Hank W.]

If someone sneezes thrice you can try to cheer them up with "kerta vielä kiellon päälle"...