Why Do We Shake Hands?

↓ More info and sources below ↓

Will we ever shake hands again?! With the current state of the world, no one can really say. But that got us wondering... why do we shake hands in the first place? Today, Danielle traces the history of the handshake from Babylonia and the early Greeks to the present.

Special thanks to our Historians Harry Brisson and
Melanie-Antonietta Brown and Archivist Rachel Brice on Patreon!

Created and Hosted by Danielle Bainbridge
Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios

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Origin of Everything is a show about the untold histories and cultural dialogues that make up our collective story. From the food we eat, to the trivia and fun facts we can’t seem to get out of our heads, to the social issues we can’t stop debating, everything around us has a history. Origin of Everything is here to explore it all. We like to think that no topic is too small or too challenging to get started.

Works Cited:

Albrecht, Karl. “The Art (And Psychology) of the Handshake.” Psychology Today. June 10, 2017.

Carey, Mathew. “A Short Account of the Malignant Fever Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia with a Statement of the Proceedings That took place on the subject, in different parts of the United States To which are added, Accounts of the Plague in London and Marseilles; and a list of the Dead From August 1, to the middle of December, 1793.” Philadelphia, Mathew Carey Publisher: 1794.

Cohen, Jennifer. “Seven Super Revealing Things Your Handshake Says About You.” Forbes. June 2, 2015.

“Coin: Museum number R.8153.” 128-132 AD. The British Museum Online.

Garber, Megan. “Good Riddance to the Handshake: A Terrible Custom is Gone for Good. Halleluja.” The Atlantic. May 11, 2020.

Hartley, Florence. The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness. Boston: G. W. Cottrell, 1860.

Homer, The Odyssey. Samuel Butler, transl. Internet Classics Archive.

Mayo Clinic News Network. “Experts: Handshakes Should Stop Even After Coronavirus.” Boston Herald. April 16, 2020.

“Shalmaneser III and Marduk-Zakir-Shumi I.” c. 858–842 BC. AKG-Images.

Stiepan, Dee Dee. “Is Covid-19 the End of the Handshake as we Know It?” Mayo Clinic News Network. April 13, 2020.

Strochlic, Nina. “Why Do We Touch Others So Much? A History of the Handshake Offers Clues.” National Geographic Society. March 12, 2020.

“Unknown Maker Grave Stele.” 400 BC. The Getty Collection Online.

[thomasjohnorourke]

“Why is this handy custom so difficult to shake?”
Outstanding!

[PhosphorAlchemist]

The photo of the family in the 1918 flu outbreak always gets me -- the cat is wearing a mask just like the rest of the family!

[tiago_velasquez]

"We shouldn't shake hands"...
Me and my entire latino family greeting with hugs and kisses at every party 😐😅

[nebulan]

A roommate in college told me about a book titled something like "Shake, Kiss or Bow". I kinda wish you had talked about other cultures' respect and greeting symbols. I'm down with the bow but I'm an introvert and am ok with not touching other people.

[JustMeJH]

I’d like to see a follow up video on women’s place in the history of handshakes.

[HetareKing]

I, for one, don't miss getting the bones in my hand crushed to dust by some guy who once read a self-help book about projecting confidence.

[ryan-kun]

5:49 is that cat wearing a face mask? kinda cute tho

[im_an_oyster]

There's no way we'll stop shaking hands after this is over. It's just too big a part of society. The gesture has been around for so long that to say a few years will take that away is a bit ridiculous. You said so in the video, after the Spanish flu epidemic was over, people went right back to shaking hands. It stands to reason that this will also be the case when this epidemic is over, at least in my opinion.

[LilianaKali]

6:40 I am HERE for this quality word play.

[elizabethc.graham]

Oh yay, I can tell that this is going to be an interesting video! 🙂 Origin of Everything videos are always so good.

[dwaterson]

The Romans used to shake hands by grabbing each other by the sleeved forearm to make sure the person they were greeting wasnt hiding a weapon up their sleeve. I think we should bring that back.

[laurendibiase]

Very professional sounding annprsenter. Much better than the general level found on Youtube.

[littofroggy]

I would loooove to hear about the origin of giving hugs as a greeting and where it started from :D

[EchoRumple]

I always hated shaking hands as much as making eye contact. They both make me feel uncomfortable in the presence of strangers I barely know and am not sure if I'll ever see again anyway, especially when job hunting.

[ladypoetess]

Yay you took my suggestion! ♥ Super excited for this episode

[noctembra]

Subscribed for "Why is this handy custom so difficult to shake?" 😂

[tal]

Can we all just wave and say “hello” from now on? Even before Covid I hated shaking hands especially if they’d touched their eyes or nose. And get rid of hugs as a form of greeting.

[michaelmcchesney]

Former Senator Bob Dole, as some people may not be aware, had his right arm paralyzed in combat during WWII. If you ever see a photo or video of Dole, he will most likely have a pen clenched in his right hand. I got to meet him when I was a college student in the 1980's. There was a large line of people waiting to shake his hand. Not everyone knew to offer their left hand. But Dole without missing a beat would turn his left hand thumb down and shake their right with his left. I guess of all the things he would have had to learn to do left handed it was a relatively small thing, but of course incredibly important for a career in politics. I never got to meet Senator Daniel Inouye who lost his right arm to a grenade while fighting with the 442nd in Italy during WWII. I imagine he was equally skilled at shaking right hands with his left. My family home was sold a few weeks ago and I've been going through boxes of stuff that spent the last 30+ years in the attic. in one box I came across a paper I wrote in college about the 442nd based largely on a book written by Sen Inouye. I think both men deserved to be honored for their service to this country, but Inouye had to not only contend with enemy forces, but a U.S. government that interned his family. I think I have rambled a ways away from hand shakes, so let me just say I wish I could have shaken Sen. Inouye's hand as well.

[choryferguson]

Damnit! I am a west-coast hugger!
Also, Danielle has one of those perfect voices I want to narrate the story of my life. Such joy in her exploration of any given topic! Thanks for the content!

[raffie]

Great video!❤️
But I have to say I always hated shaking hands 😅 In italy we even kiss each other on the cheeks 😓 I hope it all goes away, for us introverts and for everyone's safety!