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In Japan and other Asian countries, if you sneeze once, that means somebody is saying good things about you. Sneezing twice means something bad has been said, three is a sign that someone is in love with you, and four is a sign that tragedy will befall your family.
That's just a superstition, of course, but there are some serious physiological facts to consider:
When you sneeze, your chest contracts quite violently which can constrict your blood flow and disturb your heart rate. So if you feel you're about to have a big sneeze, steady yourself and sit down if possible.
Secondly, when you sneeze the blood pressure behind your eyes increases. So if it's going to be a whopping great sneeze, it's important to close your eyes. You don't want your eyeballs to be forced out of their sockets!
Searching online for myths and superstitions about sneezing will display hundreds of thousands of pages. And they'll give hundreds of thousands of different explanations. None have any scientific basis, except for a couple mentioned above.
When you sneeze, your chest does indeed contract but it’s not nearly enough to stop your heart. And closing your eyes is a natural reflex, as it is when suddenly exposed to a bright light.
Some superstitions say that turning your head to the right when you sneeze will bring good luck. Other superstitions say you should turn your head to the left. Beware, however, that if you're prone to spinal stenosis or other neck/spine problems, a twisted posture while sneezing could seriously cause injury.
The real meaning of a sneeze is that there's an irritant in your nasal mucous membrane and your body naturally reacts to this with a sneeze in an attempt to force the irritant out.
The Black Death was a bubonic plague in 14th century Europe, sneezing was one the plague's main symptoms. Pope Gregory I recommended the tiny prayer "God bless you" after a sneeze to protect the person's soul if they died from the plague.
Whether he actually said that is uncertain. It could be just a myth.