What really lies in a handshake?

A while back, I met an acquaintance and instinctively held out my hand in the anticipation that she would meet me halfway for a handshake. To my surprise, she held out her fist in my direction, as if to imply that I should tap her fist with my fist. “It’s just more hygienic this way,” uhe uttered politely.I have heard of people who don’t like shaking hands, (some of them being my friends) however this experience was an interesting one that got me thinking about many things. For example, when I was growing up, each time my siblings and I were about to eat a meal, my mother often asked us if we have washed our hands. I also began to think about everything else that comes with a handshake—we not only use our hands for greeting people, but for doing other countless things, some of which may not be considered hygienic, for example how many times have you found yourself seated next to someone in a taxi who is picking their nose? In such a case, I highly doubt that such a person will even consider washing their hands with soap and water as soon as they get into a building before using their hands to greet someone! These days, many people don’t see shaking hands as a mere act of greeting, saying good-bye or sealing an agreement but rather as a means of transferring germs from one person to another. Can germs pass through shaking hands? Studies show that germs which cause stomach infections like salmonella, campylobacter and norovirus can move directly from person to person via our hands. Some would rather hug a person than shake their hand, however a hug is usually more intimate than a handshake and therefore will not exactly be appropriate if you are meeting a person for the first time as it can sometimes be awkward. For many, a handshake almost comes automatically; they meet someone, and the next thing is to hold out their hand in the hope that the other person will do the same, however due to awareness and hygiene concerns, these days more and more people are hesitant to shake other people’s hands. ms.efuahagan@gmail.com