Montessori learners are beginning to understand the grace and courtesy associated with a handshake. At our morning group gathering, we go around the circle turning to our neighbor to offer our right hand (mostly) as a way to acknowledge each person’s presence with consciousness and compassion. They achieve a grip, make eye contact, and often smile before saying “good morning."

We talk about the history behind this tradition. Did you know people have been shaking hands for thousands of years? Archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that handshaking was practiced in ancient Greece as far back as the 5th century BC. The handshake is thought by some to have originated as a gesture of peace by demonstrating that the hand holds no weapon.

My search of the internet shows most cultures across the globe are hand-shakers. Some cultures prefer a firm grip, others a weak one. Some offer a short shake, others offer longer ones over exchanged greetings. Some add in a kiss to the cheek and others include the hug-handshake by using the other hand too. The Boy Scouts shake with their left hands and other groups have developed secret handshakes to help identify one another. The handshake comes in many varieties. It’s global, like our own community here.