National Handshake Day
June 25
About National Handshake Day
National Handshake Day takes place on Thursday 25 June 2026. The day, observed annually on the last Thursday of June, recognises one of humanity’s oldest and most universal greetings. From medieval knights checking for hidden daggers to modern boardroom introductions, the handshake has carried symbolic weight for thousands of years.
How to Celebrate National Handshake Day
This is a deliberately simple day, but there is plenty you can do to mark it:
- Greet new colleagues properly – Introduce yourself with a firm but not crushing handshake, eye contact, and a clear statement of your name. The simple ritual still makes a strong first impression.
- Reach out to a contact you have not seen – The day is a good prompt to message a former colleague or business contact and propose a coffee. The handshake at the end is the best part.
- Practise with children – Handshakes are still a useful life skill. Spend a few minutes coaching kids on a confident greeting, eye contact, and how to introduce themselves.
- Reflect on alternatives – Since the COVID-19 pandemic many people prefer fist bumps, elbow taps, or namaste-style greetings. Use the day to think about which greeting feels right for which context.
- Try a sports tradition – Many sports include a post-match handshake as a sign of respect. If you play a sport, lean into the gesture today.
- Watch a famous handshake – From the 1953 armistice signed at Panmunjom to the Mandela-de Klerk handshake of 1990 and the Trump-Kim summit of 2018, history’s most charged handshakes are easy to find online.
- Improve your grip strength – Grip strength is a marker of overall health and longevity. Use the day as a small motivation to add a few exercises to your week.
- Talk about cultural differences – Handshakes are not universal. Use the day to learn about greetings in cultures you visit or work with, including bows, hand on heart, and namaste.
What is National Handshake Day?
National Handshake Day is a US observance celebrating the handshake as a tool of human connection, business etiquette, and cultural ritual. It is used by employers, etiquette coaches, and writers to highlight the value of a confident, considered greeting in everyday life.
When is National Handshake Day?
National Handshake Day 2026 falls on Thursday 25 June 2026. The day is observed annually on the last Thursday of June. The pattern means the date moves each year.
The History of National Handshake Day
The handshake itself is one of the oldest gestures in recorded history. A ninth-century-BCE relief sculpture depicts an Assyrian king clasping hands with a Babylonian ruler to seal an alliance, and Greek funerary art from the fourth and fifth centuries BCE shows handshakes as symbols of friendship and loyalty. Ancient Roman writers describe the gesture in similar terms. One popular theory is that the handshake originated as a way for medieval knights, Roman soldiers, or earlier weapon-carrying men to check the other person’s forearm for hidden daggers, with the up-and-down shake intended to dislodge any concealed weapon.
National Handshake Day, the awareness day itself, is much more recent. It was created in the mid-2000s by Miryam S. Roddy, then working at BRODY Professional Development, a US business communication training firm. Roddy felt that the gesture deserved its own day at a time when business etiquette was being reshaped by mobile phones, casual workplaces, and shifting cultural norms. She chose the last Thursday in June as a date that fell at a quieter point in the calendar.
The day has been observed by Stadium Solutions, etiquette schools, and chambers of commerce, and gained an unexpected boost in profile during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when greeting practices were forced into a global rethink.
Fun Facts About National Handshake Day
- The earliest known depiction of a handshake is on a ninth-century-BCE Assyrian relief showing King Shalmaneser III clasping hands with Babylonian king Marduk-zakir-shumi I.
- National Handshake Day was founded in the mid-2000s by Miryam S. Roddy of BRODY Professional Development.
- The Guinness World Record for the longest continuous handshake is over 43 hours, set in 2011.
- Grip strength, as measured in a handshake, is widely used in medical research as a predictor of longevity and overall health.
- The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily replaced the handshake with the elbow bump, the fist bump, and the foot tap in many workplaces and public events.
- The 1990 handshake between Nelson Mandela and South African President F. W. de Klerk is widely considered one of the most consequential greetings in modern history.
Why National Handshake Day Matters
The handshake is small, but it carries surprising weight. Studies in social psychology have shown that a confident handshake measurably improves first impressions in interviews and negotiations. In an era of remote work and digital communication, the day is a small reminder that physical, in-person greeting still matters when it is appropriate to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Handshake Day?
National Handshake Day is a US observance celebrating the handshake as a greeting and a piece of business etiquette. It is held annually on the last Thursday of June.
When is National Handshake Day in 2026?
National Handshake Day 2026 falls on Thursday 25 June 2026.
Who created National Handshake Day?
The day was created in the mid-2000s by Miryam S. Roddy, then a corporate communications professional at BRODY Professional Development, who wanted to recognise the value of a strong handshake in business and personal interactions.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your favourite handshakes on social media with #NationalHandshakeDay and #HandshakeDay2026. Tag the colleague who taught you the importance of a strong greeting.
Related Awareness Days
- National Good Neighbor Day – Another US observance celebrating everyday human connection.
- World Kindness Day – The international day promoting acts of kindness, including small social gestures.
- Let’s Hug Day – A complementary day celebrating physical greeting and warmth.
Links
- Visit the National Day Calendar’s Handshake Day page
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
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