Say no to a handshake, refuse every peck on the cheek and
definitely avoid hugging. Instead, try a direct gaze, or maybe a hand
gesture.
Around the world people are changing their
habits at work, home and in worship to reduce the risk of contracting
the new coronavirus and prevent it from spreading any further.
AFP looks at changes in behaviour due to the coronavirus, which has killed more than 3,000 worldwide.
In
Beijing, the capital of the country where the outbreak began, red
hoardings tell people not to shake hands but to join their own hands
together in a sign of greeting.
Loudspeakers tell people to make the traditional gong shou gesture -- a fist in the opposite palm -- to say hello.
Newspapers
have been filled with advice on how to replace kissing on the cheek --
an everyday greeting in France, even between people who have only just
met -- and handshaking, a common formality at work
Etiquette expert Philippe Lichtfus, who has been widely cited in
the media, says handshakes are a relatively recent development that
began in the Middle Ages.
He says simply looking into a person's eyes can suffice as a greeting.
Brazil's
health ministry has recommended that citizens not share metal straws
used to consume the caffeine-rich South American drink mate, also known
as chimarrao.
Meanwhile a kiss -- even if not on the mouth -- is totally advised against as a greeting.
In
a sign of the times, Germany's Interior Minister Horst Seehofer
rebuffed Chancellor Angela Merkel's attempt to shake hands with him on
Monday, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself.
They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) attempts to greet German Interior
Minister Horst Seehofer as she arrives for a summit on integration at
the Chancellery in Berlin on March 2, 2020. He refused to shake her
hand. PHOTO | JOHN MACDOUGALL | AFP
The outbreak could hit one of Spain's most
cherished traditions -- the kissing of sculptures of the...
Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter.
Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter.
With just a month to go before the week starts, the ritual could be banned.
"It is one of the measures that is on the table," said national health official Fernando Simon.
"It is one of the measures that is on the table," said national health official Fernando Simon.
During
the holy week, the faithful queue up to kiss the hands or feet of
sculptures of Mary and the saints, seeking their protection.
Romania's
Martisor festival marks the beginning of spring when talismanic strings
and flowers are handed out, often from men to women.
But
the government has passed on a message to people urging them to hand
over the flowers and talismans without the accompanying kiss. "Let's
give the flowers but not the kiss," said Nelu Tataru, state secretary at
the health ministry.
In Poland, one of Europe's most
Catholic countries, the faithful are allowed to take "spiritual
communion" instead of consuming the communal bread -- or it can be taken
in the hands rather than the mouth.
The faithful have
also been asked not to dip their hands in the holy water when going in
and out of the church and instead make the sign of the cross.
Is the footshake the new handshake?
Is the footshake the new handshake?
In
Iran, where 66 have been killed by the coronavirus, a video has gone
viral showing three friends meeting, hands in their pockets and two of
whom are wearing masks, tapping their feet against each other as a
greeting.
A similar video in Lebanon shows singer
Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against
each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.
Some
educational institutions in New Zealand have temporarily abandoned the
Maori greeting known as the hongi -- which involves two people pressing
their noses together.
Wellington polytechnic WelTec
said that instead of staff greeting new students with a hongi, its
welcome ceremony would instead include a waiata, or Maori song.
The United Arab Emirates, as well as Qatar, are advising citizens to stop the traditional "nose to nose" greeting.
The UAE also said that people shouldn't shake hands or kiss. Greet each other "by waving only", it said.
No comments :
Post a Comment