Handshake

A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp their right or left hands, often accompanied by a brief shake of the grasped hands.

The handshake is initiated when the two hands touch, immediately. It is commonly done upon meeting, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, or completing an agreement. Its purpose is to convey trust, balance, and equality. Handshakes possibly originated as a gesture showing that the hand holds no weapon.

In Anglophone countries, men are more likely to shake hands than women, however in business situations it is considered the standard greeting for both sexes. It is considered to be in poor taste to show dominance with too strong a handshake; conversely, too weak a handshake (sometimes referred to as a "limp fish" or "dead fish" handshake) is also considered unseemly.