In Bulgaria, a sneeze isn’t just a reflex. It’s a message from fate! When someone sneezes, locals don’t just say “Bless you”, they might call out a random three-digit number. This quirky Bulgarian sneeze superstition turns an everyday sneeze into a cosmic game of numerology and connection.
While many cultures focus on “bless you” (to protect the soul/heart or ward off illness, dating back to plague times), the Bulgarian custom is unique in its explicit formulaic combination of a random number, simple addition, and a national alphabet to reveal an initial.
TL;DR – The Sneeze Reveals the Fate
- A sneeze is regarded as a prophecy
- Bulgarians engage in a numerical game.
- It reveals the identity of the person thinking about the sneezer.
- A Sneeze as a Sign: The Bulgarian Superstition Explained
- How the Bulgarian Sneeze Superstition Fate-Math Works
- But Wait… You Can’t Reach 29 or 30. So What Happens?
- The Bulgarian Alphabet: Your Sneeze Decoder
- Why Do Bulgarians Do This? The Origins
- FAQ About the Sneezing Superstitions in Bulgaria
- Links
A Sneeze as a Sign: The Bulgarian Superstition Explained
For many cultures, saying “Bless you” protects the soul, wards off illness, or simply keeps tradition alive. But Bulgaria adds a numerical twist. When someone sneezes, someone present like a friend, a colleague, or even the sneezer themselves, calls out a random three-digit number. It should be fast, instinctive, almost like fate placed it on their tongue.
Why? Because in Bulgarian folklore, a sneeze is considered a mini-prophecy. The number reveals who is thinking about you at that exact moment.
How the Bulgarian Sneeze Superstition Fate-Math Works
This is a superstition about people you know, close friends or part of a wider circle of people. It supposedly reveals the first initial of someone who is thinking about you at that very moment. Might be a family member, a classmate, a colleague, a boss. But it is always someone the person who sneezed knows.
Here is how the fate-math works:
- Someone sneezes.
A real sneeze, no fakes! It should be natural, not feigned.
- Someone shouts a three-digit number
It must be random but there are some catches. For example: 376.
- You add the digits
3 + 7 + 6 = 16
- The sum corresponds to a letter in the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet
The Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet has 30 letters total. But there is a catch. Read about it below.
- The result is a letter
The resulting letter is the initial of the person currently thinking about you.
For example: 835 becomes 8 + 3 + 5 = 16.
If you get “16“, it’s the 16th letter (“П“), meaning someone’s name who starts with the Bulgarian letter “П” (“P” in Latin) is thinking about you. A Peter or Petya might have you on their mind!
But Wait… You Can’t Reach 29 or 30. So What Happens?
But hey, some of you may notice that actually one can never reach number 30 with a 3 digit number. Then what about the elusive letters at the end of the alphabet “Я” (29) and “Ю” (30)? Since most three-digit sums shrink below 29, how can you force fate to reveal these rare initials? The “loophole logic” of Bulgarian superstition kicks in.
The cheat sheet is simple!
You can not go beyond 27 with the three-digits (999 => 9+9+9) but you can skip some letters. Usually, people counting the alphabet skip some letters at the end of the alphabet which are not popular as first letters in given names (see the table below) or pure grammar disallows them to be a first letter. The common workaround is to skip the letters “Ъ” (27) and “Ь” (28) because traditionally in Bulgaria just a few names start with the letter “Ъ” and no name or word start with the letter “ь”. This bumps later numbers up.
Alternatively, some people shout numbers like 290 or 300, interpreted symbolically as 29 or 30.
The universe loves a loophole or two. If you need a letter like “Я” or “Ю,” just declare it. After all, superstitions thrive on a little mischief.
The Bulgarian Alphabet: Your Sneeze Decoder
Take the Bulgarian Challenge! If you want to play the sneeze-number game, you can use your own alphabet, but for a real challenge, try it with the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet! It might make your day trickier and way more interesting. If the Bulgarian alphabet feels too hard, just laugh it off because the universe has a sense of humour too.
Here’s the simplified name-friendly list used in this Bulgarian sneeze superstition:
| Number | Cyrillic Letter | Latin Letter | Example (Name) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A | Ангелина (Angelina) |
| 2 | Б | B | Борис (Boris) |
| 3 | В | V | Вероника (Veronika or Veronica) |
| 4 | Г | G | Габриел (Gabriel) |
| 5 | Д | D | Димитър (Dimitar or Dimiter) |
| 6 | Е | E | Елена (Elena) |
| 7 | Ж | ZH | Жени (Zheni or Jenny) |
| 8 | З | Z | Златина (Zlatina) |
| 9 | И | I | Игор (Igor) |
| 10 | Й | Y or I | Йордан (Yordan or Jordan) |
| 11 | К | K | Константин (Konstantin or Constantine) |
| 12 | Л | L | Любов (Lyubov) is translated to Love |
| 13 | М | M | Мартина (Martina) |
| 14 | Н | N | Никола (Nikola) |
| 15 | О | O | Огнян (Ognyan) Fun fact: this name is translated to “fire” |
| 16 | П | P | Петър (Petar or Peter) |
| 17 | Р | R | Рада (Rada) |
| 18 | С | S | Симеон (Simeon) |
| 19 | Т | T | Таня (Tanya) |
| 20 | У | U | Ума (Uma) |
| 21 | Ф | F or PH | Филип (Filip or Philip) |
| 22 | Х | H | Хари (Harry) |
| 23 | Ц | TZ or TS | Цветан (Tsvetan) Fun fact: it means Floral |
| 24 | Ч | CH or TSCH | Чарли (Charlie) |
| (25) | Ш | SH or CH | Шарлота (Charlotte) or Шанел (Channel) There aren’t many Bulgarian names with this letter |
| (26) | Щ | SHT or ST | Щелиян (Shtelian) or Щефан (Stephan) There aren’t many Bulgarian names with this letter |
| (27) | Ъ | Closest is A | Not many people are named with a name starting with this letter but some names were imported, for example the Western name Ърнест (Ernest) |
| (28) | Ь | Combines with O, it is YO | There is no word or name in Bulgarian starting with this letter, it is used only in the middle of the sentence |
| 29 | Ю | YU | Юлия (Yulia, it is the Bulgarian for Julia) |
| 30 | Я | YA | Яна (Yana) |
Next time you sneeze in Bulgaria, listen closely, someone’s thoughts might just be reaching you through the numbers!
Why Do Bulgarians Do This? The Origins
The sneeze-as-prophecy idea may trace back to ancient Greek and Roman beliefs, where sneezes conveyed divine signs from the gods. Over centuries, Bulgarians adapted the idea into a friendlier, more playful numerology game.
In a time when everyone is rushing and feeling a little more distant, this tradition becomes a rare chance to pause and reflect on the people you care about. Why would they be thinking of you? Have you caught up lately? Is there a promise you forgot, or perhaps a favour someone still owes you?
Today, this Bulgarian sneeze superstition is not taken seriously. It’s a social ritual — a spark of mischief between friends, kids, classmates, or couples.
But the magic? That still lingers.
FAQ About the Sneezing Superstitions in Bulgaria
It is a charming social custom and a game, especially popular among children, teenagers, and friends. It is often performed with a sense of playful mischief rather than deep conviction.
Yes. It’s meant to be quick, spontaneous, and random.
Not in a profound sense. But it feels like fate, which is often enough.
Of course. But if you want the full experience, try it with Cyrillic. Bonus points if you’re travelling in Bulgaria.
Links
- Light Love Rituals: Bulgarian Myths, Legends, and Folklore
- Bulgarian Mythology and Legends: Journey Through Time With Myths and Folklore
- Bulgarian Folklores: Timeless Collection of Stories from the Heart of the Bulgaria
If you have ever wondered why Bulgarians tell numbers after someone sneezes and what it really means, now you know, it is a hint of cosmic mischief. Utterly local!
Would you like to learn some basic Bulgarian for your trip or just the Cyrillic letters, to help you get by? Or learn more about the most curious and typical Bulgarian superstitions: