Public greeting is an act of communication between humans beings that can vary from waving ones fist from side to side in the air to kissing the cheeks upon first meeting. From culture to culture and throughout time these gestures and salutations have changed, evolved and for many cultures, stayed exactly the same. Many of these gestures have their background in the showing of and respect for social status between groups and individuals. While this article will focus on mostly physical gestures, many salutations and gestures are audible as well, or combine the two. Here is a list of some of the most popular forms of greeting and salutation, most of which can be done standing up and some even capable of being done from the bar stool.

High Five

Easily one of the worst greeting gestures, the high five is brutish, low and vulgar. It should only be allowed amongst adolescent males and even then, should be banned from usage at the age of sixteen. Under no circumstances should a female ever be involved in a high five situation—it is course and demeaning to everyone involved.

Hug

The hug is a fine greeting gesture that should obviously be saved for only those who are on close, mental and physical terms with one another, such as very good friends, relatives and acquaintances. In no circumstances should you ever find yourself in a hug embraces at your place of work or business, although. In those cases, all prior hug precedents are null and void and a handshake or bow is perfectly acceptable.

Cheek Kissing

A standard greeting in many parts of the world, cheek kissing still has different connotations among most Americans, those connotations ranging from upper-class snobbishness to phoniness but is largely seen as a much too intimate form of greeting, especially among people you may not know very well, whereas in other countries it is a standard greeting for any new friends and acquaintances.

Alan McGee is a freelance writer from MN.