greeting rituals
Formal hello customs
Greeting rituals are the formalized behaviors people perform when meeting—handshakes, bows, kisses, waves, or verbal exchanges like hello or how are you.
These vary widely across cultures: a bow in Japan, cheek kisses in France, a firm handshake in American business settings.
The term often appears in anthropological or sociological contexts to emphasize that even casual greetings follow unwritten social scripts.
- hugTight, affectionate clasp
- handshakeMutual palm-gripping gesture
- firm handshakeTight palm-to-palm greeting
- secret handshakeMembers-only coded greeting
- nodBrief head tilt
hello · bow · greetings · fist bump · welcome · warm welcome · namaste · hi · aloha · curtsy · salaam · salute · tea ceremony · good morning · kowtow · good evening · high five · peace sign
greeting ritualsleave-taking
Act of saying goodbye
valediction · valedictions · send-offs · last rites · funeral rites
greeting ritualsshunning
Deliberately avoiding someone
snubbing · cold shoulder · ostracism · silent treatment · ignoring