The record-union., 1894-03-20
SALUTATIONS And FAREWELLS.
Customs of Various Nationaities in
Meeting and Parting.
Quaint and Curious Expressions OF
Friendship Used in Different
Parts of the World.

Few things differ more widely from
nation to nation than the modes of greet
ing. In Europe embracing and shaking
hands are the most common expressions
of friendship among the upper classes.
But while our English cousins, like the
modern Greeks and ourselves, shake
hands on being introduced to stranger,
or on meeting an acquaintance. in Ger
many, France and Italy only bows are
exchanged, the hand being only given
to intimate friends and relatives. In
England and America the lady bows or
speaks first; i'll other countries she must
let the gentleman take the initiative.
kissing among men is common only in
France, in other lands it is reserved for
near relatives and dear friends; but kiss
ing lady's hand is more or less custom
airy in most European countries. In
Austria this is so prevalent that an Aus
TRANS most habitual greeting TO lady
is, Il kiss your hand, madam ~ In
Germany it is practiced especially by
officers, or by children and young girls.
In Russia gentleman may kiss lady,
not on the hand, but the forehead.
The spoken greetings of Europe are
especially picturesque in mountainous
Roman Catholic districts. In Germany,
Switzerland and Tyrol we ind: GOD
guard" and God greet!' the latter
identical with the greeting formerly used
in English villages: "God bless you." For
tie word greet the German gulss has the
same root as great and gross; it originally
meant to make great and happy, that is,
% Ii uI,fA 4 fas
many the greeting recommended by Pope
Benedict XIII. in 172S is still heard:
praised be Jesus Christv' to which the
other person replies: Forever and ever.
Amenr' The German miner says to his
companion: safe return to the lightp
while one athlete says to another:
MAY you keep unhurtn' The light
hearted Italian peasants often say, in
stead of Good day - Happy dayw or
expressions are disappearing one after
another, like national costumes. Slavonic
nations still kiss the garments of those
they are bound TO respect. If Russian
meets his master he falls to the ground,
grasps his masters knees, and kisses
them. Laplanders salute each other by
pressing their noses together. None OF
the Germanic races have retained any
custom similar To the traditional greet
another, a Frank is said to have pulled
out one of his hairs and to have offered
it to the person he wished to greet.
The oriental greetings are far more SER
vile than those of the west. The ancient
custom OF falling down before another,
even of kissing his feet, is still prevalent
The Turk crosses both hands on mis-
breast, and bows low. The Hindoo OF
Bengal touches his forehead with his right
hand and bends his head forward. Ii he
wishes to be very respectful he lays his
right hand first on his breast, then on the
ground, and lastly on his forehead. The
CeyIonese likewise bows with his hand
on his forehead: if be sees a superior he
throws himself to the ground, repeating,
perhaps fifty times, his name and titles,
while the other passes with slight nod.
Common Arabs greet with the words:
Peace be with you ~ and the response
is: with you be peacev laying mean
while the left hand on their breast. High
born Arabs embrace repeatedly, kiss each
others cheeks, aud ask several times after
the state Of their health-each meanwhile
kissing his own hand. In Siam the in
ferior throws himself on the ground,
while the superior sends a servant to see
if he has eaten ything malodorous.
If this be so, the PROSTATE man re-
ceives a kick from his superior, and
must Immediately go Oft. Siamese women,
of whatever age, are. greeted by precious
names, invariably accompanied by the
adjective young, as Young diamond y;
~ oung pearlw ''Young heavenr'
young flowerv' In sign OF great friend
ship, men scratch their own hand and
suck the blood. In China there are dit
ferent greetings for the two sexes.
Women are forbidden to greet man.
but they say to woman, MAY all hap
piness be on thy sidep OF two Chinese
riders, the inferior dismounts and re-
mains standing till the other has passed
him. When man on foot meets a su-
perior ne claps his hands, raises them
and lets them slowly sink To the ground.
If Chinese men of the same rank meet
each claps his hands together in front or
above his head and passes the other with
bowed forehead. In Japan the inferior
takes off his sandals, puts his right hand
into his left sleeve, let's the arms, thus
crossed, sink slowly 10 his knees and
passes his superior with short, measured
steps, crying repeatedly, "Do me no
harmp'
The greetings of Africans are often |
very curious. Abyssinians fall on their |
knees and kiss the ground. Many negro |
nations seize each others hands, drawing |
out the fingers until they crack. The |
natives of Sierra Leone bend their right |
elbow until the hand touches their mouth; |
then they join thumbs and first fingers |
and slowly withdraw them. Other |
snap their fingers when they |
meet any one, draw combs from their |
hair and replace them. In Lower Guinea I
the one who greets seizes the fingers of |
the other, squeeZes them and snaps them I
asunder, crying, Thy servant Thy |
On the gold coast of Upper |
6 uinea friends embrace, press the fore |
fingers of their right hands together until |!
IL fi,os,. II
several times, "Good-day ~ IF a Man |
dingo meets woman he grasps her hand, |
lifts it to his nose and smells it twice. In |
other regions of Africa the natives re-
move their Clothes fall on their knees, |
bow TO the ground and throw sand over
their head and shoulders. An Ethiopian
seizes the right hand of another and |
draws it to his mouth, or he takes off his |
waistcoat. ties il on himself |
in sign of good-fellowship, and returns it |
to its owner. An Egyptian stretches out |
bis hand. lays it on his breast and bows !