As we welcome new ways of greeting, are the old ways just too ingrained to part with?

We find ourselves on the brink of a new age of greeting, where our tried, tested and trusted solid handshake, which began both personal and business relationships, is now unhygienic. The handshake was not just a gesture of social etiquette; it was also a means of discovering more about the obliging hand-shaker. We would judge people on the style of their handshake, its firmness and their level of eye contact. Finding an alternative similarly capable of judging both the level of a person’s respect for others, their views on feminism, equality and their own level of self-importance, may prove tricky.

Many suggest diverting to alternative traditional greetings: a Japanese bow of the head or body perhaps or a Namaste hands together. Other options create a more ridiculous air: bumping elbows as if simulating a chicken or an ankle touch as if enacting a Morris dance. Although, as the British are internationally famous for being able to laugh at themselves, these may seem fitting choices.

However, the simple application of hand sanitiser before and after the handshake, offered also to the opposite participant, may prove to be the most respectful and socially acceptable result. If we are willing to share restroom facilities, with the addition of their sanitisation between each user, it is hardly a jump to sanitise before and after a handshake. In a world without a handshake, building rapport or trust with someone may take longer due to the lack of such an ingrained and psychologically beneficial act. Introductions may become awkward, as some nod their head, others light-heartedly wave their leg in the direction of the other. Perhaps some will be relieved at not having to enact a gesture they have never really mastered? It is just possible, however, that despite this wave of etiquette predictions, after a few months, things will return to their previous normal and handshakes will once again be in full swing in business and social introductions. Watch this space…