If you are here in this article then you know what we are going to talk about in this article. Here are the 7 best alternatives to handshakes that we have included in this article.
You will need some time to get through this article so take some time out and then give it a read. It is better to stock up on ways to greet each other in this world of social distancing.
Why Do We Shake Hands?
Experts are not exactly sure about the fact from when handshaking originally originated, by which culture, or for what reason. But some of them believe that the Ancient Greeks originated the gesture as a sign of peace.
This was done to show that their hands held no weapons and that they do not mean any harm. Some of the others believe that the Ancient Romans clasped each other’s sleeves to check for hidden weapons in the body.
Now handshakes are actually the way to greet new people and making acquaintances. This is also a gesture of the official business world. But now in the quarantined world, what do you need today to greet others since shaking hands is clearly out of the question. So read on to find out about the alternatives to handshakes.
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The 7 Best Alternatives to Handshakes
In this world at the time when we are all trying to social distance, handshakes are no way a greeting that you can use. So how do we greet people? Surely we do need some alternatives to that. So here are the 7 best alternatives to handshakes. Let’s go through all of them one by one. Buckle up your seat belts and let’s get into this list.
1. Namaste
Namaste is a gesture that comes from India and Nepal. It is the common gesture of greeting there rather than a handshake. The namaste is done in order to press your own hands together. This is a part of their culture and has been so for generations.
However, you can learn a few things from them and adopt it from the people too. The namaste is making its way across the globe and has been used quite a lot in the recent few years. The Sanskrit term translates to “bend or bow to you”.
2. The Wai
The wai is from and as you have guessed already, it is from Thailand. The wai is a standard way of greeting in Thailand. One presses the hand in front of themselves and gives a gentle bow to the other person.
This is because of the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism in the world of Thailand. The wai does not require any contact with the other person so it is safe to practice during the period of social distancing. We can learn a lot from the different cultures around the world and they sure come in handy.
3. Bowing
This one is from Japan. This is the practice of the nobility for a long period of time. This is a nonverbal greeting in Japan. This has been widely accepted. It is not only a form of greeting, it is said to be a form of manner and etiquette in Japan.
So we can accept this form of greeting from the Japanese and inculcate it in our life. This way of accepting the different cultures are also going to bring us together. Try this one out the next time while greeting.
4. The Stiff-Upper-Lipped Salute
A salute seems to be going too much for being an alternative to handshakes. However, it is still a real classy one so we needed to include this one in our list. This is a safer and more sanitary way of greeting each other. The salute is something that should have made its way into our life a long time ago.
No matter, we can always start today. Doing stuff Churchill style, we will definitely do something right in this quarantine. We also wish that the spock salute came into the world too but let’s just settle for the stiff-upper-lipped salute too.
5. Fist Bump
The fist bump is something that we do in our life with our bros don t we? This is a sign of greeting and acknowledgment that is extremely cool. A fist bump is something very intimate to some people and done with people who are well acquainted with each other.
Many people might not like this option because it is technically still touching hands. But it will be okay if you are literally not sneezing or coughing into your hands and then doing the fist bump. And we can overlook that little detail because of how cool it is.
6. Tip your hat
Tip your hat when you are actually wearing a hat. Thus this is a greeting that can only take place under circumstances but if you happen to be around hanging wearing a hat then take advantage of the situation. This is one of the coolest ways to give a greeting to others.
This is like a call back to the golden era of Hollywood. This greeting is done in a more formal setting but it’s true that this greeting has some kind of different appeal to it. Do try it once if you can. You won’t be disappointed neither will be the one receiving the greeting.
7. Peace Sign
The V sign with the hands is a peace sign that has been used for a long period of time. It represents victory from the time of world war 2. You must be thinking about how it is possible that the peace sign is a greeting or an alternative to handshakes.
This is used by hippies and disco dancers for some time now it is making a comeback. If you are uncomfortable using the peace sign as a greeting then you can pick something from the other 6 options too!
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Conclusion
We hope that you liked the article. We tried our best to include the best ways to greet others instead of a handshake that we possibly could. They are all relatively safer than the handshake. So you can rest assured and fall back to these basic ways of giving a greeting.
Thank you so much for giving this article a read. This was an exciting article to write. Do spread the word to others too and share the article. That will help us a lot too. Thanks once again, we appreciate it. Stay safe guys and take care of yourself.
