Why do we shake hands as a greeting, and what are its origins?

We shake hands to say hello or goodbye, and it has been done for a very long time.

Imagine you meet someone new at school, maybe they're your friend’s brother or a kid from another class. You want to show that you are friendly and not mean. So you reach out with one hand, and the other person does the same. You shake each other's hands like you're giving each other a little hug with your hands. That shows you both are happy to meet or say goodbye.

A long time ago, people didn’t always get along, sometimes they fought! If two people wanted to be friends instead of enemies, they would shake each other's hands. This was like saying, “I’m not hiding anything dangerous in my hand,” so they could trust each other.

Now we do it just because it feels friendly and makes everyone happy. It’s like giving a high-five, but with your whole hand!