Ancient Custom

List a few AncientCustom(s) here:

• Shaking hands
• Bowing or nodding the head - Out of curiosity, which way do you do it? My chin goes down then up.
• Winking one eye
• Raising an eyebrow or two
• Smiling
• Trashing the place upon finding its occupant away

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Nodding directions:

• [3] Down then up
• [1] A slow, up then once sharply down nod communicates thoughtful finality, sometimes used sarcastically.
• An example of WesternCulturalImperialism?. I have seen Indians use a totally different head movement (more like a no-shake, but not quite).

Nothing to do with WesternCulturalImperialism?. It seems that southern Italians do not nod to show agreement. Can some Italian give us the straight dope here?

Bulgarians shake their head for yes and nod for no. But to confuse the situation, they sometimes (but not always) reverse the situation when talking to foreigners.

Through business contacts I'm told that we Americans often confuse Asian nodding, which means "I heard you" (but may completely disagree) with American/western nodding, which means "I agree with you."

I heard (I forget where) that Indians use shake=no, nod=yes but also a sort of head-wobble that's somewhere in-between, which means something like "I would like to oblige but unfortunately I can't, sorry.". Is this true? Maybe a regional thing?

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Extending hospitality to strangers - see CodeOfHospitality.

Rising when someone older and wiser enters the room.

There's evidence that smiling is biological, not cultural: Dogs understand one's smile or frown. (Don't try this with a very big dog!)

Old story is that shaking hands (in western tradition) is a demonstration that you have no weapon in that hand.

OK if the other guy is not left-handed! [One reason why Latin 'sinister' = left became English 'sinister'!]

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To 'cut a contract': once carried out by the literal bi-section of the carcase of an animal by the parties concerned.

Sharing a Peace Pipe at the reconciliation of opponents.