Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1886 — Modes of Salutations. [ARTICLE]

Modes of Salutations.

A French traveller, says an exchange, reports that every race among whom he has sojourned has its own mode of salutation, not excepting the great Yankee nation. He informs his readers that, however, a few polite and Europeanized Americans may salute one another, the characteristic national salutation is “Hello!” We fear he is right. The telephone is accused of having fastened the stigma upon us, but in truth the telephone only adopted a word familiar to all boys and most men. The Irish say on meeting, “God bless you!" On entering a dwelling, “God save all here!” The Arabs say on meeting, “A fine morning to you!” The Turk says with dignified gravity, “God grant you his blessings.” The Persian salutation is familiar to all the world for its comic qnaintness, “May your shadow never grow less.” The Egyptian is a practical man. He has to earn his taxes by toil under a burning sun, and accordingly when he meets his fellow he asks, “How do you sweatP”

The reader is probably aware that in those low latitudes all is well with a laborer as long as he perspires freely. The good Chinaman loves his dinner. “How are you digesting?" he kindly inquires on meeting a mend. The Greeks, who are keen men of business, close bargainers, ask one another, “How are you getting on?” The national salutation of Naples was formerly. “Grow in grace!” At present in all parts of Italy they use a phrase equivalent to “How are you?” The Spaniards, “How are you passine* it?” The French, “How do you carry yourself?” The Germans, “How does it go?" The Dutch. “How do you travel?” The Swedes, “How can you?” meaning, “Are you in good vigor?" The Russians, “Be well!” The English-speaking races, in addition to the juvenile and telephonic “Hello!” say, “How are you?” and “How do you do?” We also take off the hat, shake bands, embrace, bow and kiss, as, in other climes, people rub noses, touch foreheads and take on their shot's. The American in Italy is surprised to see men embrace and kiss each other, as in the Bible lands. The Italians in turn look upon our hand-shaking as cold and ridiculous, the bobbing up and down of the arm having no meaning whatever in their view. The touching of the tips of gloved fingers, if more graceful than handshaking, mast also seem to people of the east as professional and expressionless. The bow, mm a mark of respect, is a custom used by all nations, and one that had its origin in tkmtMmm.