Handshake - wikipedia Handshake For the telecommunications concept, see Handshaking. Two people shaking hands A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other 's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up - and - down movement of the grasped hands. Using the right hand is generally considered proper etiquette. Customs surrounding handshakes are specific to cultures. Different cultures may be more or less likely to shake hands, or there may be different customs about how or when to shake hands. Contents 1 History 2 Modern customs 3 Germ spreading 4 Chemosignaling 5 Records 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History Hera and Athena handshaking, late 5th century BC, Acropolis Museum, Athens Archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that handshaking -- also known as dexiosis -- was practiced in ancient Greece as far back as the 5th century BC ; a depiction of two soldiers shaking hands can be found on part of a 5th - century BC funerary stele on display in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin ( stele SK1708 ) and other funerary steles like the one of the 4th century BC which depicts Thraseas and his wife Euandria handshaking ( see images on the right ). The handshake is believed by some to have originated as a gesture of peace by demonstrating that the hand holds no weapon. Pictures : Handshaking depicted on historic artifacts Hoplite greeting an older man with slave carrying the aspis Funerary stele of Thrasea and Euandria. Marble, ca. 375 - 350 BC. Antikensammlung Berlin, Pergamon Museum, 738 Antiochus I Theos of Commagene, shaking hands with Heracles 70 -- 38 BC, Arsameia. Modern customs Shaking with the right hand while delivering a certificate with the left Tennis players shaking hands after match Public image consultant Álvaro Gordoa demonstrates a handshaking technique at a presentation at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico City Leaders welcome a boy into Scouting, March 2010, Mexico City, Mexico. Note the left - handed handshake. There are various customs surrounding handshakes, both generically and specific to certain cultures : The handshake is commonly done upon meeting, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, expressing gratitude, or completing an agreement. In sports or other competitive activities, it is also done as a sign of good sportsmanship. Its purpose is to convey trust, respect, balance, and equality. If it is done to form an agreement, the agreement is not official until the hands are parted Unless health issues or local customs dictate otherwise, usually a handshake is made with bare hands. However, it depends on the situation. In Anglophone countries, in business situations. In casual non-business situations, men are more likely to shake hands than women. In The Netherlands and Belgium, handshakes are done more often, especially on meetings. In Switzerland, it may be expected to shake the women 's hands first. Austrians shake hands when meeting, often including with children. In Russia, a handshake is performed by men and rarely performed by women. In some countries such as Turkey or the Arabic - speaking Middle East, handshakes are not as firm as in the West. Consequently, a grip which is too firm will be considered as rude. Hand shaking between men and women is not encouraged in the Arabic world. Moroccans also give one kiss on each cheek ( to corresponding genders ) together with the handshake. Also, in some countries, a variation exists where instead of kisses, after the handshake the palm is placed on the heart. In China, where a weak handshake is also preferred, people shaking hands will often hold on to each other 's hands for an extended period after the initial handshake. In Japan, it is appropriate to let the Japanese initiate the handshake, and a weak handshake is preferred. In India and several nearby countries, the respectful Namaste gesture, sometimes combined with a slight bow, is traditionally used in place of handshakes. However, handshakes are preferred in business and other formal settings. In Norway, where a firm handshake is preferred, people will most often shake hands when agreeing on deals, both in private and business relations. In South Korea, a senior person will initiate a handshake, where it is preferred to be weak. It is a sign of respect to grasp the right arm with the left hand when shaking hands. It is also considered rude or disrespectful to have your free hand in your pocket while shaking hands. Related to a handshake but more casual, some people prefer a fist bump. Typically the fist bump is done with a clenched hand. Only the knuckles of the hand are typically touched to the knuckles of the other person 's hand. Like a handshake the fist bump may be used to acknowledge a relationship with another person. However, unlike the formality of a handshake, the fist bump is typically not used to seal a business deal or in formal business settings. The hand hug is a type of handshake popular with politicians, as it can present them as being warm, friendly, trustworthy and honest. This type of handshake involves covering the clenched hands with the remaining free hand, creating a sort of `` cocoon ''. Another version popular with politicians is a `` photo - op handshake '' in which, after the initial grasp both individuals turn to face present photographers and camera men and stay this way for several seconds. Scouts will shake hands with their left hand as a gesture of trust, which originated when the founder of the movement, Lord Baden - Powell of Gillwell, then a British cavalry officer, met an African tribesman. In some areas of Africa, handshakes are continually held to show that the conversation is between the two talking. If they are not shaking hands, others are permitted to enter the conversation. Masai men in Africa greet one another by a subtle touch of palms of their hands for a very brief moment of time. In Liberia, the snap handshake is customary, where the two shakers snap their fingers against each other at the conclusion of the handshake. Germ spreading Handshakes are known to spread a number of microbial pathogens. Certain diseases such as scabies are known to spread the most through direct skin - to - skin contact. A medical study has found that fist bumps and high fives spread fewer germs than handshakes. In light of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the dean of medicine at the University of Calgary, Tomas Feasby, suggested that fist bumps may be a `` nice replacement of the handshake '' in an effort to prevent transmission of the virus. Following a 2010 study that showed that only about 40 % of doctors and other health care providers complied with hand hygiene rules in hospitals. Mark Sklansky, a doctor at UCLA hospital, decided to test a `` a handshake - free zone '' as a method for limiting the spread of germs and reducing the transmission of disease. However ; UCLA did n't allow the ban of the handshakes outright, but they rather suggested other options like fist bumping, smiling, bowing, waving, and non-contact Namaste gestures. Chemosignaling It has been discovered as a part of a research in the Weizmann Institute, that human handshakes serve as a means of transferring social chemical signals between the shakers. It appears that there is a tendency to bring the shaken hands to the vicinity of the nose and smell them. They may serve an evolutionary need to learn about the person whose hand was shaken, replacing a more overt sniffing behavior, as is common among animals and in certain human cultures ( such as Tuvalu, Greenland or rural Mongolia, where a quick sniff is part of the traditional greeting ritual ). Records Atlantic City, New Jersey Mayor Joseph Lazarow was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for a July 1977 publicity stunt, in which the mayor shook more than 11,000 hands in a single day, breaking the record previously held by President Theodore Roosevelt, who had set the record with 8,510 handshakes at a White House reception on 1 January 1907. This had already been broken, in 1963, by Lance Dowson in Wrexham, N. Wales who shook 12,500 individuals hands in 10 1 / 2 hours. This was recognised by the Guinness World Records Organisation and published in their 1964 publication. WSAI DJ Jim Scott broke the record at Northgate Mall, Cincinnati, Oh. On 31 August 1987 Stephen Potter from St Albans Round table shook 19,550 hands at the St Albans Carnival to take the World record for shaking most hands verified by the Guinness Book of records. The record has since been exceeded but has been retired from the book. Stephen Potter still holds the British and European record. On Memorial Day 2008, two friends from Muscatine, Iowa, Kevin Whittaker and Cory Jens set the Guinness World Record for the world 's longest handshake at 9 hours and 30 minutes in San Francisco. On 21 September 2009, Jack Tsonis and Lindsay Morrison broke the Guinness World Record for the world 's longest handshake, shaking hands for 12 hours, 34 minutes and 56 seconds. This record was broken less than a month later in Claremont, California, when John - Clark Levin and George Posner shook hands for 15 hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds. The next month, on 21 November, Matthew Rosen and Joe Ackerman surpassed this feat, with a new world record time of 15 hours, 30 minutes and 45 seconds certified in the latest edition of the Guinness Book of Records on page 111. At 8 pm EST on Friday 14 January 2011 the latest attempt at the longest hand - shake commenced in New York Times Square and the existing record was smashed by semi-professional world record - breaker Alastair Galpin and Don Purdon from New Zealand and Nepalese brothers Rohit and Santosh Timilsina who agreed to share the new record after 33 hours and 3 minutes. See also Dap greeting Fist bump Namaste Golden handshake Greeting habits Handshake Man Holding hands Scout handshake Secret handshake References ^ Jump up to : `` Fist bumps, high - fives spread fewer germs than handshakes, study says ''. Los Angeles Times. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Attention Germaphobes : A Less Icky Alternative to the Handshake ''. ABC News. Retrieved 7 June 2015. ^ Jump up to : Fist bump can pound out flu transmission Archived 20 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Thomas, Chris ( 27 August 2009 ). `` Handshake -- Priest and two soldiers, 500BC. Pergamon Museum Berlin ( SK1708 ) ''. Picasa Web Albums. Google. Retrieved 4 September 2011. Jump up ^ Busterson, Philip A. Social Rituals of the British. Jump up ^ `` Dear Uncle Ezra -- Questions for Tuesday, April 3, 2007 ''. Cornell University. 3 April 2007. Question 8. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011. There are many conflicting theories about the origin of the handshake. It seems that the most common one involves the evidence of the lack of a weapon in the right hand, which normally bears a weapon. It is shown to be empty by its connectedness to the opposite person 's hand. Jump up ^ Evergreen.edu 4 December 2002 Jump up ^ csun.edu − 28 August 2002 Jump up ^ `` Shaking hands with women ''. GQ. Condé Nast Digital. 2000. Retrieved 4 September 2011. Jump up ^ Post, Emily ( 1922 ). Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home. New York : Funk & Wagnalls. Chapter 3. Jump up ^ `` Why Do People Shake Hands ? Why Do People ''. whydopeople.net. 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012. ^ Jump up to : Theconnectedwoman.com -- `` Handshakes from Around the World '' Jump up ^ `` Shaking Hands Around the World ''. wisc-online.com. 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012. Jump up ^ Strubbe, Kevin ; Hobert, Liesbeth ( 2009 ). Etiquette in het buitenland ( Etiquette Abroad ) ( in Dutch ). Leuven : Van Halewyck. ISBN 978 - 90 - 5617 - 910 - 6. Jump up ^ Handshake : Student 's Book : A Course in Communication. OUP Oxford. 7 November 1996 ). ISBN 978 - 90 - 5617 - 910 - 6. Check date values in : date = ( help ) Jump up ^ Handshake - Free Zone : Stopping the Spread of Germs in the Hospital Jump up ^ Idan Frumin ; Ofer Perl ; Yaara Endevelt - Shapira ; Ami Eisen ; Neetai Eshel ; Iris Heller ; Maya Shemesh ; Aharon Ravia ; Lee Sela ; Anat Arzi ; Noam Sobel ( 3 March 2015 ). `` A social chemosignaling function for human handshaking ''. eLife Sciences. Jump up ^ `` Two friends shake hands for 9.5 hours in SF to set a new world record ''. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 7 June 2015. Jump up ^ McClymont, Mhairi ( 21 September 2009 ). `` Great shakes ! World record raises charity funds ''. ABC News. Retrieved 9 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Movers and shakers -- an article on the new World Record ''. The Jewish Chronicle. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Longest Handshake : Team New Zealand and Team Nepal set world record ''. New York City : Worldrecordsacademy.org. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011. Jump up ^ Galpin, Alastair. `` Records achieved ''. WorldRecordChase.com. Longest continuous handshake. Retrieved 4 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Kiwis break world record for a handshake ''. TVNZ.co.nz. Television New Zealand Limited. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011. External links Media related to Handshake at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of handshake at Wiktionary http://www.videacesky.cz/ostatni-zabavna-videa/gesta-napric-kulturami Gestures Friendly gestures Air kiss Applause Cheek kiss Dap Elbow bump Eskimo kiss Fist bump Forehead kiss Hand heart Handshake Hand wave Hat tip High five Hongi ILY sign Kiss Liberian snap handshake Namaste OK Pinky swear Pound hug Shaka Thumb signal Gestures of respect Adab Bow Curtsey Gadaw Genuflection Hand - kiss Kowtow Kuji - in Mano Mudra Namaste Prostration Sampeah Sembah Schwurhand Wai Zolgokh Salutes Bellamy salute Nazi salute Raised fist Roman salute Scout sign and salute Three - finger salute Two - finger salute Vulcan salute Zogist salute Celebratory gestures Applause Crossed hands Fist pump High five Victory clasp V sign Finger - counting Finger binary Chinese number gestures Chisanbop Obscene gestures Anasyrma Bras d'honneur Cornuto Fig sign Finger Mooning Mountza Reversed V sign Shocker Thumb / index - finger ring Wanker Taunts Akanbe Finger Loser Talk to the hand Head motions Head shake Head bobble Nod Other gestures Air quotes Allergic salute Aussie salute Crossed fingers Facepalm Eyelid pull Finger gun Gang signal Hand - in - waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Pabebe wave Pollice verso Shrug Sign of the cross Sign of the horns Related List of gestures Mudras Articulatory gestures Manual communication Nonverbal communication Sign language LCCN : sh2003010820 GND : 7756832 - 1 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Handshake&oldid=808527670 '' Categories : Greetings Parting traditions Hand gestures Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles needing more detailed references All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from September 2011 CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) CS1 errors : dates Use dmy dates from May 2017 Articles lacking reliable references from February 2016 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Pages containing citation needed template with deprecated parameters Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú Català Čeština ChiShona Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Português Русский Shqip Simple English Suomi Svenska Tagalog Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 3 November 2017, at 11 : 44. 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Question: when do you shake with your left hand
Answer: Scouts