[DianeM]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

I think the 'Western' culture of handshaking should be discouraged (or banned)...history>


Handshakes: Then and now
With origins dating back to ancient Greece, handshaking is believed to have originated to prove participants were not holding weapons (the shaking may have been a way to loosen daggers hidden inside clothing.) A funeral stone in Berlin’s Pergamom museum from 5th century B.C. shows two soldiers clasping hands.

Even then, handshakes were likely a formalization of a pact between two parties. Homer references handshakes in both “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad,” usually as a display of trust.

I vote for:

Namaste
It's a Sanskrit phrase that means "I bow to you." You place hands together at the heart, close your eyes and bow. It is good manners to say namaste to the elders. It was the equivalent of hello, but with an element of respect.

Or, if holding a briefcase or such, eye contact and a slight bow or 'head bow'.

NO CONTACT, but a warm personal greeting.

I bow to no one except God.