The Handshake: Around The World

For thousands of years, across cultures and civilizations, the handshake has endured as one of the most ubiquitous and significant nonverbal gestures in the grand tapestry of human interaction. Its origins can be traced back as far as the 5th century BC, when we find the earliest artistic depictions of handshakes exchanged between ancient Greeks on ceramic vases and reliefs. This simple yet profoundly meaningful practice of grasping another's hand has come to embody the very essence of greeting, agreement, trust, and respect between individuals and communities. Throughout history, the nobility of the handshake's intent has allowed it to transcend borders and language barriers. Despite conquests and power shifts that have redrawn maps and reshaped national identities repeatedly, the integrity of the open hand remains intact across the globe.