Holding hands

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 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.

See also