The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-07-22
WAR GAVE WORLD
PEACE HANOSHAKE
Hat Raising and Other Conven.
tional Customs Also Date
Back to Fighting Days
WHY HOSTS GLASS IS FIRST
Frock Coats Bear Stamp Of Warriors
Sword Belts-Practice Of Mounting
Horse from Left Side Traced to
Same Source-The Glove Courtesy.

Few persons realize, when shaking
hands with friends or perform any of
the ordinary courtesies of the day,
that they are assisting in the perpetu-
alton of customs established centuries
ago. Handshaking, for instance, dates
back to the old fighting days. when
every man of any consequence what
ever wore sword.
When warriors met in those days
and wished to be friendly they extend
ed the right hand, or sword hand, to
show that they didn't have knife
concealed up their sleeves. That ex-
plains why we shake hands with the
right hand to-day.
The custom of taking ones glove
off. preliminary to shaking hands. also
originated in that period. Gauntlets
were worn by all fighters then, and
were made of such stiff material that
they had to be removed before the
handshaking courtesy could be gone
through.
When persons. do not take their
right hand glove off to shake hands.
but apologize for not doing so, they
ere apologizing. in reality, in defer
ence to all old custom.
But handshaking is not the only
custom that dates back to the old fight
Ing days. Our army officers today
wear their swords attached to the
left side of their belts just as the
warriors did centuries ago. Curious
ly enough. this habit of wearing the
sword in belt and at the left side,
is responsible for two other customs
besides that of shaking with the right
hand.
Persons who ride horseback to-day
mount from the left side as that prac-
tlce has been carried on from the day
that the old time warriors were COM
PEELED to mount from that side be-
cause their long swords interfered
with their mounting from the right
When 1t is remembered that they wore
their swords on the left side the logic
OF their mounting from that side will
De understood for had they attempt.
ed to mount from the right, the sword
would have interefered with their
throwing the left leg over the saddle.
The buttons which adorn the back
Of mems frock coats and dress coats
constitute another survival of the
sword days. The buttons were neces-
sary then, as they supported the
sword belts.
Still another relic of the days when
knights were bold" is the custom Of
tipping or raising the hat. When
knight or warrior wished to greet an
CtLer and show that he was not afraid
of having his head crushed in with a
hatteaxe. he took off his helmet. When
helmets were abandoned the custom
transferred itself to hat raising"
TIE practice of host pouring the
first few drops from newly opened
bottle of wine into his own glass, al
though it has practical as well as
polite use to-day, has also been hand
ed down to us from our ancestors.
The custom was established In
Italy several centuries ago before air
tight corks were invented. In those
days the cork of wine bottle was
immersed in olive oil before it was
placed in the neck of the bottle. This
was done to render the bottle as air
tight as possible. the oil being used
the same as parafiine is to-day.
Naturally a drop or two OF the oil
would settle on the top of the wine
and as olive oil is not especially pala'
table in wine. the host would always
pour the top OF the bottle into his own
glass before serving his guests.
AS has been mentioned this custom
has a practical value to-day, for it ia
Lot an unusual thing for fragments Of
cork to drop into bottle OF wine
when it is opened. These float on the
top, just as the oil did in olden times,
and are poured by the host into his
~,