Holding hands

See also Holding Hands (Band).

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Two or more people voluntarily hold hands for one of the following reasons and purposes:

• in various rituals:
  • handshake
  • in certain religious services, to pray
  • in various occult rituals
• to express friendship or love,
• to enjoy physical contact (not necessarily of erotic character),
• for emotional support,
• to act like a wild and crazy blind-folded monkey with mad cow disease
• to guide (a child, a blind person, in darkness, etc.)
• to urge to follow,
• to keep together (in a crowd or in darkness),
• to help the other walking, standing or climbing up,
• to dance.

Whether friends hold hands depends on culture and gender: in the Western culture this is mainly done by women and small children. In Arab countries, Africa and some parts of Asia it is done also by men.