SAYING HELLO: How People Greet Each Other Around The World - Some Of Which Don't Involve Any Touching At All

People in many parts of the world, especially Western countries, greet each other with a handshake. However, there are places with really weird forms of greeting some of which does not require physical touch (it seems as if these cultures had been preparing for this coronavirus period where social distancing is needed). Here are ten of those places and how they greet.

1. Stick out your tongue – Tibet

This greeting tradition began with monks, who would stick out their tongues to show that they came in peace—and weren’t the reincarnation of a cruel 9th-century king named Lang Darma, who was known for having a black tongue. The greeting is still used today.

2. Bump noses – Qatar, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates

People in the UAE bring together their noses for a few friendly taps. Sniffing, however, isn’t allowed. This form of greeting is used to demonstrate that you view a potential business contact as a peer.

3. Air kiss on the cheek – France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Ukraine, and Québec, Canada

In all of the countries mentioned, women air kiss women, and in most of them, men air kiss women, but only in Argentina do men routinely brush cheeks with other men who aren’t relatives or romantic partners.

4. Rub noses (and sometimes foreheads) – New Zealand

This pressing together of forehead and nose is what New Zealand’s indigenous Māori people call a “sharing of breath.” The greeting signifies the sacred welcoming of a visitor into Māori culture although the honour requires an invitation and isn’t extended to everyone.

5. Shake hands – Botswana, China, Germany, Zambia, Rwanda, and the Middle East

In Middle Eastern countries, handshakes involve the right hand only, where the left hand is considered unclean. In Botswana, the handshake is more complicated: Clasp right hands, shake up and down once, interlock thumbs, raise your arms to a right angle, grasp hands again, then release to a relaxed “shake” position before letting the other person’s hand go.

6. Clap your hands – Zimbabwe and Mozambique

In Zimbabwe, the clapping of hands comes after folks shake in a call and answer style—the first person claps once, and the second person twice, in response. In northern Mozambique, people also clap, but three times before they say “moni” (hello).

7. Put your hand on your heart – Malaysia

It’s very formal, but this traditional Malaysian greeting has a particularly lovely sentiment behind it. Take the opposite person’s hands lightly in yours. Then, release the other person’s hands and bring your own hands to your chest and nod slightly to symbolize goodwill and an open heart.

8. Bow – Cambodia, India, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, and Japan

In India, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, press your palms together in an upward-pointing prayer position at heart level or higher, then bend your head slightly forward to take a bow. In Thailand, taking a bow is referred to as the wai, and the higher you place your hands, the more respect you’re showing.

9. Sniff faces – Greenland and Tuvalu (Oceania)

In Greenland, kunik, the Inuit tradition of placing your nose and upper lip against someone’s cheek or forehead and sniffing, is limited to very close relationships. But on the South Pacific island of Tuvalu, pressing cheeks together and taking a deep breath is still part of a traditional Polynesian welcome for visitors.