Sign of Peace with a limp handshake

[77stanthony77]

I went to mass today. The woman in front of me shook my hand ever so, like why is she shaking my hand if she does not want to! everyone else around me raised there hand and said peace be with you! Lent is coming, I will try to behave

Peace be with you

 

[Boy_Wonder]

I’m sorry if this is in the wrong category

My question is : why do most catholics seem unfriendly as in they don’t smile and give you a limp, non-commital handshake, when we make the sign of peace. Most unfriendly are the younger generation I’ve found.

One time I had to shake hands with a guy who I saw wipe snot mucus from his filtrum with his bare hands, I still shook his hand for the sake of politeness. Bad memories.

Apart from the part about the guy with the yucky nose wipe, this is more likely to be your perception than reality. Most people are sincere. There are a lot of weird people at Mass too. We have to accept them.

 

[Gerry49]

I’m sorry if this is in the wrong category

My question is : why do most catholics seem unfriendly as in they don’t smile and give you a limp, non-commital handshake, when we make the sign of peace. Most unfriendly are the younger generation I’ve found.

One time I had to shake hands with a guy who I saw wipe snot mucus from his filtrum with his bare hands, I still shook his hand for the sake of politeness. Bad memories.

I now make the sign of peace with a limp handshake because I have arthritis in my hands and it hurts terribly when someone grasps my hand with a firm handshake. A smile is always nice to receive but its not obligitory.

 

[Slaney]

I personally don’t care for the sign of peace, I shake hands with my heart not protocol !

 

[Gordon_Sims]

I hear women complaining about being crushed in a firm handshake, which is why a lot of men probably give us the dead fish handshake.

In my early teens I had a group of burly, robust men sitting in front of me and one frail-looking elderly woman behind me. Each of the men seemed intent on crushing my hand, so by the last one I was doing everything I could to give as good as I got. When I turned to the woman behind me, even though I wasn’t trying to squeeze hard, after the half a dozen previous vice-like handshakes, my hand instinctively clamped down on hers. I heard and felt it crack and pop. I don’t think she said anything but you could see the pain in her face. I quickly apologized but she couldn’t hold the missalette or the hymn book after. I don’t give the dead fish handshake, but ever since then I’ve made sure it’s pretty light.