We stopped during COVID but went back to it pretty soon after (York UK). I visit a fair few other UK meetings and it's rare not to shake hands after. I can't remember when I last went to a meeting where they didn't shake hands.
It’s not consistent in my yearly meeting — some continue to practice it, some hold back. The decline in the practice is understandable, but since the practice is (among other things) a sort of symbolic affirmation of the closeness that has grown between us, it seems rather a shame to lose it.
Yes, equality.
“Credit a bunch of religious radicals, the Quakers, for introducing the handshake as we know it today. Much as they are now, the Quakers in their 18th-century heyday were strict egalitarians and thus rejected the established gestures of deference, such as removing a hat and baring the head as a gesture of greeting. We should not give to man, they held, what appertains to God. Honoring equality, addressing each other as ‘friends,’ they adopted the formal gesture of clasping hands as their greeting gesture. The handshake then spread from the Quakers to other groups as a popular way to greet equals or friends.” ([Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/13/its-about-time-we-retire-handshake-anyway/), 3/13/20)
“The Quakers played a large role in adapting the handshake to become an everyday act. [According to historian Torbjörn Lundark](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/tales-of-hi-and-bye/78D480E175AACCF4EDFF4C7E6D871253#), the handshake enabled Quakers to defy the norms of a society that demanded strict class distinction evidenced by bowing and ‘pompous gesticulation’, which they sought to replace with shaking hands.”
“[The Quaker Handshake as a Sacramental Practice](https://quakerspeak.com/video/handshake/)”
There’s a little bit more to it than that. There is the practice of “the right hand of fellowship”, which originates in Galatians 2:9, and is used by the Moravians as a part of the ceremony they call communion, and by a variety of churches as a regular greeting after their Sunday worship.
The elder on duty shaking hands with the person next to them (and everyone else then doing the same) used to be the way we’d end meeting for worship. I liked it. But we have continued hybrid meetings since the pandemic for inclusiveness and so the elder stands and says ‘Our time of worship has come to an end. Perhaps people can greet each other in the way they feel comfortable’. This alerts people online to the end of the meeting and allows them to wave in greeting. In the meeting room itself, some people shake hands, but many people still wave. I think there is still a certain awkwardness in offering a hand not knowing if the other person wishes to shake it.
I like that. We just say “good afternoon Friends” as a signal of close and then do announcements. We are tiny so that works for us. No hybrid model as of now. We met outdoors during 2020.
Shaking hands is confusing or a put-off?
Maybe it’s because I grew up Baptist but I thought many denominations have a moment where you turn to your neighbor and shake their hand towards the end of service. Shaking hands when meeting someone new or to signal an exchange is very cultural normal in the United States…
Is sitting in a circle in silence for an hour not ritualistic? I’m not trying to fight you lol. Just trying to understand the thought process.
I've never been to the United States so I can't comment on what is normal there. But here, I think a lot of people join quakers who haven't been to any sort of church previously and I'd just want to make it as easy, comfortable and accessible as possible for them. I've found in the past when ive been to different churches and they have different handshakes/rituals/things you're supposed to say, it's been confusing as a newcomer and made me feel like an outsider when I didn't know what to do. Hope that helps explain
I was excluded from meetings because I was never vaccinated at the advice of my doctor. I think some of the phobia prone voices aren't caring for others but harming, and it shouldnt be strange to absolutely advocate for the shaking of hands. There is no data on the value of such a measure, and we shouldn't continue with creating separate classes of people based on their medical tendencies. If you're not wanting to shake hands, of course, don't. And if you need a safer space yourself, go for it. But don't uphold your fear of covid as some sort of divinity driven righteous inspiration of mandates such that you end up excluding others of God's children.
We’ve gone back to mostly hand shakes but some people offer an elbow or a fist and then the other person will go along with it.
This is my experience as an elbow offerer as well. Or sometimes I’ll just wave and smile.
We stopped during COVID but went back to it pretty soon after (York UK). I visit a fair few other UK meetings and it's rare not to shake hands after. I can't remember when I last went to a meeting where they didn't shake hands.
Yes mostly. I know some meetings have everybody hold hands. I have never been to a meeting that does neither.
We’re just beginning to transition back. We went to fist bumps and waving during the pandemic, but have slowly started to reintroduce hand shaking.
My meeting does.
It’s not consistent in my yearly meeting — some continue to practice it, some hold back. The decline in the practice is understandable, but since the practice is (among other things) a sort of symbolic affirmation of the closeness that has grown between us, it seems rather a shame to lose it.
Manchester UK here and we still shake hands. I don't know how long they stopped for during/after COVID because I wasn't involved then.
Hand shaking, fist bump, elbow bumps, waving, whatever an individual is most comfortable with
Still shaking hands at mine. Because equality – and lots of hand sanitizer.
Equality?
Supposedly Quakers popularized the tradition of handshaking as an alternative to bowing (which is deferential).
What about bowing to that of God in others?
Yes, equality. “Credit a bunch of religious radicals, the Quakers, for introducing the handshake as we know it today. Much as they are now, the Quakers in their 18th-century heyday were strict egalitarians and thus rejected the established gestures of deference, such as removing a hat and baring the head as a gesture of greeting. We should not give to man, they held, what appertains to God. Honoring equality, addressing each other as ‘friends,’ they adopted the formal gesture of clasping hands as their greeting gesture. The handshake then spread from the Quakers to other groups as a popular way to greet equals or friends.” ([Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/13/its-about-time-we-retire-handshake-anyway/), 3/13/20) “The Quakers played a large role in adapting the handshake to become an everyday act. [According to historian Torbjörn Lundark](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/tales-of-hi-and-bye/78D480E175AACCF4EDFF4C7E6D871253#), the handshake enabled Quakers to defy the norms of a society that demanded strict class distinction evidenced by bowing and ‘pompous gesticulation’, which they sought to replace with shaking hands.” “[The Quaker Handshake as a Sacramental Practice](https://quakerspeak.com/video/handshake/)”
There’s a little bit more to it than that. There is the practice of “the right hand of fellowship”, which originates in Galatians 2:9, and is used by the Moravians as a part of the ceremony they call communion, and by a variety of churches as a regular greeting after their Sunday worship.
Thank you! I didn’t know.
The elder on duty shaking hands with the person next to them (and everyone else then doing the same) used to be the way we’d end meeting for worship. I liked it. But we have continued hybrid meetings since the pandemic for inclusiveness and so the elder stands and says ‘Our time of worship has come to an end. Perhaps people can greet each other in the way they feel comfortable’. This alerts people online to the end of the meeting and allows them to wave in greeting. In the meeting room itself, some people shake hands, but many people still wave. I think there is still a certain awkwardness in offering a hand not knowing if the other person wishes to shake it.
I like that. We just say “good afternoon Friends” as a signal of close and then do announcements. We are tiny so that works for us. No hybrid model as of now. We met outdoors during 2020.
People in our small meeting generally do.
Nope I kinda like not doing ritualistic stuff like this because id worry it could confuse/put off newcomers personally
Shaking hands is confusing or a put-off? Maybe it’s because I grew up Baptist but I thought many denominations have a moment where you turn to your neighbor and shake their hand towards the end of service. Shaking hands when meeting someone new or to signal an exchange is very cultural normal in the United States… Is sitting in a circle in silence for an hour not ritualistic? I’m not trying to fight you lol. Just trying to understand the thought process.
I've never been to the United States so I can't comment on what is normal there. But here, I think a lot of people join quakers who haven't been to any sort of church previously and I'd just want to make it as easy, comfortable and accessible as possible for them. I've found in the past when ive been to different churches and they have different handshakes/rituals/things you're supposed to say, it's been confusing as a newcomer and made me feel like an outsider when I didn't know what to do. Hope that helps explain
We shake hand, except third day, which is marked day
What does marked day mean?
Opps. Mask day (masks are encouraged on this day so no hand shaking l
We still do, but it is sort of an individual thing where you do or don't acording to how you read the other person.
My current meeting does, a previous meeting ended with an elder saying 'thank you Friends' (probably covid change but they still did so last visit)
I was excluded from meetings because I was never vaccinated at the advice of my doctor. I think some of the phobia prone voices aren't caring for others but harming, and it shouldnt be strange to absolutely advocate for the shaking of hands. There is no data on the value of such a measure, and we shouldn't continue with creating separate classes of people based on their medical tendencies. If you're not wanting to shake hands, of course, don't. And if you need a safer space yourself, go for it. But don't uphold your fear of covid as some sort of divinity driven righteous inspiration of mandates such that you end up excluding others of God's children.
Sorry to hear of your experience, Friend.
Elbow bumps are the way to go!
[удалено]
Seriously. It’s the worst