Critic
History Suggests the Handshake Will Survive the Pandemic
Although kissing and other physical forms of greeting have experienced periods of decline in the past, they don’t tend to last. Human contact is enduring.
Illustration: SANY
Ever since the novel coronavirus upended the world, people have rushed to predict which norms are gone forever. Chief among them: the handshake, with all its symbolism of sealed deals and sportsmanship. Yet history suggests such physical pleasantries aren’t so easily eradicated.
Consider the kiss. As a greeting, the European double-cheek smooch and its cousin, the air kiss, are the handshakes of high society and excellent contenders for the banished list. (This is possibly a welcome development for the legions of Americans who’ve ever bungled the ritual abroad.)