National Handshake Day is observed annually on the last Thursday of June, which falls on June 29 this year. We are pleased that this common greeting is finally receiving recognition after all these years. Not only is the handshake the most universally recognised form of greeting, but it has also come to signify various things in different cultures, making it useful to learn more about it. The handshake has been practised as an expression of peace or goodwill throughout history and in a variety of cultural contexts; it is almost like a common language that bonds us together globally. It is therefore not surprising that we want to make a great deal out of this harmless gesture. Sociologically, the handshake has come to represent things that lie beneath the surface, as it reveals a great deal about a person based on how they clasp hands. Perhaps for this reason, secret handshakes have also gained popularity, giving individuals a sense of group membership. Regardless of how you feel about the handshake, it is undeniable that it merits its own day due to its overwhelming prevalence in our daily lives.
The background of National Handshake Day
The handshake is possibly one of the oldest forms of salutation in the world, and it deserves recognition for this as well as for all it can signify in various contexts. “This gesture is essential to first impressions and relationships,” says Miryam Roddy (of BRODY Professional Development), a professional development instructor who views the handshake as essential to making a positive first impression. This is why she established National Handshake Day in 2005, and it has been annually observed ever since.
While the precise origin of the handshake is unknown, pictorial evidence on pottery and stamps indicates that ancient Assyrians and Greeks clasped hands to seal a deal or indicate a peaceful approach. In mediaeval Europe, knights clasped each other’s arms in order to shake loose any weapons that may have been concealed up the other’s sleeve. It is widely believed that the handshake originated in Europe, due to the shaking component of the gesture that knights would use. By the 1700s, Quakers preferred the handshake to more deferential greetings, such as the hat nod or the bow, because the handshake conveys a greater sense of equality between the parties. Consequently, the gesture gained popularity. Soon, the handshake’s very nature changed, as it began to be used by secret organisations or sects (such as the Freemasons) as a type of password indicating membership.
In modern times, the handshake has taken on various meanings throughout the globe. Perhaps because historically, women did not need to suspect each other of carrying weapons, males tend to favour the gesture more than women do. In the Western world, a firm handshake is expected, whereas in East Asian countries, a light grasp and avoiding eye contact is preferred. The handshake appears to be on its way out, with the fist bump quickly replacing it in American culture. However, we vote for the return of the handshake because it conveys so much more than a fist bump does, including respect, equality, trust, and benevolence.
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5 alternative greeting gestures
This greeting has its origins in Hinduism and consists of a slight bow with the palms pressed together and fingertips pointing upward.
In Thailand, older people are shown respect by pressing the palms together and bowing the head so that the fingers contact the space between the eyebrows.
Hawaiian natives and surfers use the gesture of folding three middle fingers down while pointing the pinky and thumb upward and shaking the hand back and forth as a casual salutation.
This hand gesture, popularised in American culture by the television series “Star Trek,” entails separating the middle and ring fingers and means “live long and prosper.”
In some Islamic cultures, placing your right hand over your heart without touching it is a sign of reverence.
NATIONAL HANDSHAKE DAY DATES
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2022 | June 30 | Thursday |
2023 | June 29 | Thursday |
2024 | June 27 | Thursday |
2025 | June 26 | Thursday |
2026 | June 25 | Thursday |