No-Contact Covid-19 greetings
After the world was affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, we continue to adapt to new and safer ways to go about life. One of the casualties of the pandemic is the way we physically acknowledge each other’s presences such as handshakes, fist-bumps, high-fives, kisses, embracing each other in hugs and more.
If the above are your usual approaches, now would be the time to learn how to say ‘hello’ without compromising your health or your loved ones. Well, this can be quite a challenge to practice out of the ordinary, but do not worry as we’ve got four ways to greet without physically touching each other.
#1 Wave and Smile
Whether you’re one metre or three metres away, the wave and smile gesture is a universally understood sign of greeting and is easily understood. Plus, this is probably one of the most common ways of greeting that many would have already tried and gotten used to. At first, it can be a little weird to just smile and wave to someone you used to fist-bump with or hug. However, due to the pandemic, it’s an understandable and safer way to greet people. Plus, it’s simple, straightforward and even works when you’re wearing your mask!
#2 The Bow
This particular way of communicating doesn’t only apply to greet someone, but it is often used to bid farewell, apologise, show gratitude and congratulate. The custom and rules of bowing may be different in certain cultures, but it’s still considered as a form of greeting that anyone can understand right away. If you choose to bow to someone, be sure to be well distanced to ensure that both parties are at a safe range.
#3 The Namaste Salutation
We’re pretty sure you’ve seen people do this salutation numerous times. The Namaste is a respectful form of acknowledgement, greeting and welcoming family members, relatives, guests or strangers used by the Hindus and Buddhists from countries like India, Japan and even here in Malaysia. Other countries such as Nepal also use this salutation in their everyday life.
#4 The Salute
You may have done this to your friends after hanging out with them at the ‘mamak’ or even at home when your mother asked you to finish up your chores of homework. The salute is just another popular form of greeting that both from the younger and older generations know. Salutes are considered as a symbol of respect, especially in militaries from around the globe. It’s simple, quick and can easily be done from any visible distance.
