Since the dawn of man, upon meeting a new person polite people have always had a warm smile and out stretched hand to greet them with. Globally, greetings have provided people a way to make new friends, network, and communicate with people. Although greetings vary from person to person and place to place it doesn't matter what language you speak or where you are from because greetings are universally understood. In this new era of Coronavirus(COVID-19) , the old ways of greeting people just does not cut it anymore.
At the beginning of 2020 the world began its' battle with the Coronavirus pandemic. Nations that were once open and inviting closed to visitors and even some if its' own. People could no longer gather socially or even for business. People also had to stay quarantined in their homes in order to attempt to flatten the curve of the rapidly growing very infectious potentially life-threatening COVID-19 virus. The second half of 2020 we saw nations reopen their societies and borders to countries with low Coronavirus numbers. In spite of the world reopening back up Coronavirus is still around and it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
According to the world's top scientist, we must wash our hands, wear a mask, and socially distance at least 6 feet to prevent the spreading of the Coronavirus because of this, greetings that require touch or taking one's face mask off might become a thing of the past or reserved only for immediate family. In a poll conducted by Business Insider earlier this year more than half of Americans want to permanently ditch the handshake! What does that mean for the future of greetings? Is it even possible to replace the handshake with another gesture of goodwill? As with most situations that require change in life, innovation and creativity comes into play when thinking about a way to replace the handshake.
I personally, have never been a huge fan of the handshake because of germs (people don't wash their hands) and people that like to choke the hand. The day has finally come where handshakes are distant memories of an ancient society. Here are some ideas about what to do in lieu of an handshake and how to politely decline one without insulting anybody.
1. The "Wakanda"
Popularized by the 2018 Marvel pop culture phenomenon, The Black Panther, a feature film about a young king's quest to protect his kingdom. Played by the late Chadwick Boseman (R.I.P.) King T'Challa is seen throughout the film making the gesture. Globally, The Black Panther raked in more than $1 billion dollars. This is a gesture that has the potential to totally replace the handshake because of its' simplicity and world wide recognition already for "hug" in American Sign Language. Also, it is a great way to honor actor Chadwick Boseman who passed away on August 28th, 2020 after a long fought battle with colon cancer.
2. Spirit Fingers
Used by cheerleaders and preppy people everywhere spirit fingers is another viable alternative for a greeting. Yes, most of the world are not doing Bring it On style somersaults and backhand springs to accompany the Spirit fingers but, people will still understand the gesture as a greeting. Already a viable replacement for clapping, Spirt Fingers says "Hi, Nice to meet you." or even "You did awesome". The only downside is that this might be to exciting for some people.
3. The "Air Five"
Similar to the popular high five, the air five is just a high five with six feet of space in between you and the other person. A air five can be used in place of the high five in all situations.
4. The "Air Hug"
A great alternative to the traditional embrace of a hug, the air hug, is totally contact less and still can provide the comfort that a hug brings by hugging yourself. There are two versions of the air hug the first one is the one that Justin Bieber is demonstrating below is the full hug, when you fully hug yourself. The second is the one being demonstrated by two men at a Dodgers game. All air hugs should no contact and 6 feet apart!
5. The Namaste
The to go to of yogis and peaceful people all over, the namaste is a gesture of respect. The namaste is a great way of saying "Hello." or "The pleasure is mine.", to anyone you might interact with. A person does not have to have an already established relationship to use this gesture.
Thanks to these five gestures handshakes are a thing of the past. Always remember while declining a handshake to All Eels Swim. Acknowledge the awkward, Explain your stance, and Suggest an alternative. With these five alternatives to the handshake you will be able to be both polite and not look like a jerk while stopping the spread of germs.