It's National Handshake Day!

People across the nation observe National Handshake Day on the last Thursday of June. But do we know where the handshake originated? It's actually quite interesting. Here is a little history on the origin of the handshake.

The handshake is probably the oldest form of greeting. The history of the handshake dates back to 5th century B.C. in Greece. A symbol of peace, it showed that neither person was carrying a weapon. It is also said that knights would shake each other's hands in order to shake loose any weapons that may have been hidden. In Roman times, the handshake was more like an arm grab. The Roman handshake involved grabbing each other's forearms to make sure that neither man had a hidden knife up his sleeve. 

I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about the history of the handshake but what I do know is how I feel when someone reaches their hand out to shake mine. I feel accepted by that person and at ease. I feel as though they want to be my friend and that we share common ground as a human being on this planet. Let's reach out to someone today and make them feel loved, appreciated and accepted, whether through a handshake or by a simple act of kindness.