The case for banning handshakes

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing people to rethink the wisdom of shaking hands and seek other options that perform similar functions without entailing getting quite so close. One man in Ethiopia has been making the case for banning handshakes for the past ten years.

Berhane Achame is a teacher and writer who lives in Mekele, capital of the Tigray region. He is known in the city for a historical novel that he authored in Tigrigna language “Wedi Waero” that focuses on the history of Ethio-Eritrean relations. He is also known for something else: He has not shaken anyone’s hands for the past ten years. He says a vast number of infections are passed from person to person via the hands, in an interview with BBC Tigrigna. This is what he said.

“It all started ten years ago when I came across a study that shows the average office keyboard has 4,000 colony-forming units of bacteria per square inch. That was disconcerting because as a university teacher, I used to spend a lot of time on a public computer. The thought of carrying those bacterias and transmitting them to others and vice versa with handshakes repulsed me. I automatically avoided shaking hands and refused to do it when people offered to do, sometimes verbally and sometimes in more subtle ways. There were some in my circle of friends who were supportive but they did not follow suit because they feared the social impact of taking a stand.

I am not saying we should not greet others. What I am saying is we should avoid handshakes. Even from a cultural point of view, it has not been our tradition until it was introduced by the Italians. Even after its introduction, not many people used it. When we were kids, our parents used to greet each other with a respectful head nod, lowering the netela (a large shawl) or removing the hat. They did not shake hands. Since it is not even our tradition, it is better to replace it (western handshake) with the traditional greeting. Second thing, handshaking has more harm than good.

I refuse to do it in any circumstances, even with my wife. When I arrive home from work and when I leave for work, I give my wife a kiss but no handshakes. She and other members of my family know that. They respect my choice. They tell others saying that ‘Berhane does not shake hands’.  When people greet me, I give them a friendly wave. Even if they try to hold my hands, I would not let them. Some of them ask, « What happened to him ? » but later they come to terms with it. Because it has been ten years now.

Coronavirus will pass but other diseases would persist. Our hand is a carrier of viruses, germs, and bacteria. If we keep our hands clean, the rest of our bodies would remain clean too. There are other options than shaking hands. So we could simply say ‘Hi’ from afar or just bow our head. Or if you carry a hat and if the person you are about to greet happens to be your senior, you could show him respect by tipping your hat.”