When Did People First Start Clapping to Show Appreciation?

→Subscribe for new videos every day!

Never run out of things to say at the water cooler with TodayIFoundOut! Brand new videos 7 days a week!

More from TodayIFoundOut

Are Some People Really Born With Tails?

Why Do People Seem To Get More Colds In The Winter?

In this video:

Clapping is the near-ubiquitous way we show our appreciation of something, particularly when we’re in large groups. But have you ever wondered why slapping our hands together has come to be so closely associated with approval and where the practise originated from?

Sources:

Image Credit:

[TodayIFoundOut]

Now that you know when people started clapping to show appreciation check out this video and find out about The Curious Case of the Claque:

[gallagherrutledge]

There must be a parallel universe wherein a man named Simon Clapper made a video called 'When Did People First Start Whistling to Show Appreciation'

[EmilyKun]

That entire video and I was more amused that Mozart treated himself after a great performance by going out for ice cream

[acrefray]

The background music in this episode sounded at an absolutely perfect volume. Just quiet enough to be noticable, but not loud enough to be distracting. Great job editing guys!
And naturally, great job Simon.

[AwareWolfOnWheels]

I was thinking this the other day as I've always felt uncomfortable when clapping in a crowd. It isn't something that feels natural to me.

[farihin]

"Human is the only species that hurt itself to appreciate something..."

[AngelR.]

For no reason at all I started wondering about this same topic about a week ago. Perfect timing! Thank you for another great video. 👏👏👏

[RacingisRacing]

Clapping is just giving yourself a high five for something someone else did.

[Jessica]

Round of applause
👏👏
👏 👏
👏 👏
👏 👏
👏👏

[JP-zz]

In a symphonic setting, clapping during the piece is of course highly unaccepted but I find it interesting how in marching band it is widely embraced, I suppose because of sports like influence

[ShawnRavenfire]

According to Mel Brooks' 2000-Year-Old-Man, it was to keep from slapping themselves in the face.

[Agodders]

Round of applause for Simon from the UK

[ValorousFogey]

I'm so happy I can enjoy classical recordings without people making noise all through it. I'm glad that it all went like it went.

[CosmicFuzzFM]

That whole "hold your applause to the end" thing is always so awkward, that almost haunting silence as everybody fights the urge to clap after a pause

[eggsngritstn]

At 3:30: The 'thumbs down' graphic is actually a thumbs up turned 180 degrees -- sleeves don't float up from the arm, they hang down. #pedantic

[Cadwaladr]

One thing I've always liked about live recordings of jazz performances is how the audience will applaud a soloist in the middle of a number. I've heard that happen once or twice in a live classical performance, but it's pretty rare. If I were a soloist, I'd appreciate that sort of thing a lot though.

[ginnyjollykidd]

during jazz concerts, most every player has an improv solo and between each solo is a reprise of the theme. It is common and expected that after each solo, the audience gives a brief but appreciative hand-clapping acknowledging the soloist, and then of course one at the end.

Clapping is nigh universal for appreciation, but several noises are used to show disapproval. Could you do a video on these various forms of disapproval? Particularly one that fascinates me is whistling that is used, I think, in Russia and other Eastern countries.

[silentdoe]

3:18 "waving their togas around"? lol

[ShanOakley]

Hello Simon Whistler! I clap in approval for the food of educated thought you have provided all of us with yet another video clip of education. Carry-on well, Mr. Whistler.

[chaosPneumatic]

You cited a lot of examples from western culture but what about other cultures? Has clapping been universal throughout the world or was it introduced into other cultures such as, for example, Japan? Japanese audiences are very passive to the point that I find it hard to imagine they ever made noise to show appreciation before being introduced to other cultures.