~ A handshake, high five and hug as greetings and farewells are but memories at this time. The elbow bump and toe tap enjoyed a brief experience in usage but even these no longer enjoy the light of day with the demands of social distancing. Thankfully there are still several ways to acknowledge a nonverbal hello or good-bye, including a simple wave, peace sign, the Vulcan live long and prosper salute, heart hands and our favorite, the shaka.
Throwing a shaka at friends has been recognized as a friendly gesture for many years within the surfing community and has made its way to more main stream usage. But I wondered about it’s origins and if it truly meant what I had been lead to believe it meant. So a little research revealed the following.
The word ‘shaka’ is not of Hawaiian origins but most agree it is believed the gesture arose from a Hawaiian. Hamana Kalili of Laie lost his middle three fingers from his right hand while working at the Kahuku Sugar Mill in the 1940’s. From here there are two versions of how the gesture developed. One is that Mr. Kalili used the gesture as a symbol of blessing. The other is that after his injury, he went on to be a security guard for the railroad and to keep kids off the train he would gesture at them to disembark with his injured hand. Not to be deterred from their fun, when Mr. Kalili wasn’t looking, the kids would communicate with each other by imitating his gesture, the middle three fingers of their hand folded down, that the coast was clear to hop on the train.
Next in the evolution of this gesture enters Mr. David (Lippy) Espinda, a Honolulu TV entertainer and car salesman. He used the unique gesture to sign off from his show and when greeting his customers, furthering its exposure to the general population. The name ‘shaka’ is believed to have been derived from an ancient Buddha that prayed with his hands together in a similar formation, named Shakyumuni or from the term shark eye. Ultimately, however, it was Frank Fasi, the mayor of Honolulu, that cemented the use of the shaka gesture as a culturally accepted greeting when he used it in his 1976 mayoral campaign.
There are a few varying ways to throw a shaka but it is agreed that by making a fist and and extending the pinky and thumb while keeping the middle fingers curled down is the foundational basis. Beyond this basic formation variations on how curled or tight to the palm the middle fingers are to be as well as what wrist action is to be used may be practiced. It is my experience, however, that despite the differing qualities of a shaka gesture, it is universally understood as a friendly acknowledgment.
What I loved most as I researched this gesture, was the intent behind it. For the surfing culture and so many others, it means to ‘hang loose’ or to relax. A reminder so needed in our busy, sometimes frantic schedules. For the Hawaiians, it means to spread aloha in keeping with their belief of malama i kekahi i kekahi, which is take care of one, take care of all. What a beautiful concept of community, all expressed with a shake your hand.
Do you have a preferential greeting during these times of social distancing? Let us know is the comments below. In the meantime, stay safe. Stay home. Stay well. Share a smile. And remember this too will pass. Much love to everyone! ~
https://www.to-hawaii.com/shaka.php
https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/how-to-throw-the-perfect-hawaiian-shaka
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka_sign