Main content
The Handshake
All over the world millions of us use this gesture to greet others but where does this everyday ritual come from, and what purpose does it serve?
This week, Mike Williams asks why do we shake hands? All over the world millions of us use this gesture to greet others but where does this everyday ritual come from, and what purpose does it serve?
With the US presidential election just days away, Mike also looks at the role of the handshake in political life - why has it proved to be such a sensitive issue?
(Image: US President Barack Obama (R) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) shaking hands. Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
Last on
Mon 5 Nov 201211:32GMT
BBC World Service Online
Broadcasts
- Fri 2 Nov 201219:32GMTBBC World Service Online
- Sat 3 Nov 201204:32GMTBBC World Service Online
- Mon 5 Nov 201200:32GMTBBC World Service Online
- Mon 5 Nov 201211:32GMTBBC World Service Online
Podcast
![]()
The Why Factor
The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions



