Colombian Etiquette

“It is a custom of the country… on the occasion of meeting a person for the first time each day, it is etiquette to shake hands and to make inquiries about the health of the person so greeted and of his relatives. It would not be considered polite to do otherwise.” 

Daily Handshaking and Greeting Consume a Lot of Time

It was the third or fourth day out from Santa Marta, Colombia, and early in the morning when one of the South American passengers came on deck. Another South American arose from his deck chair, extended his hand and as the men shook hands inquired after the health of the newcomer, his wife and his children. As they had parted company only about eight hours before in the smoking room, this seemed like unnecessary courtesy. The observer noticed that this happened in the case of all the Colombians on board, so he asked one man about it. 

“It is a custom of the country,” said he. “On the occasion of meeting a person for the first time each day, it is etiquette to shake hands and to make inquiries about the health of the person so greeted and of his relatives. It would not be considered polite to do otherwise.” Continuing, this man told of taking a walk one day in Bogota with a merchant of the place. They were bent on business and were to cover a distance that might be made rather easily in ten minutes. Because of the necessary stops to make the customary inquiries and to shake hands with friends of the merchant, the trip took nearly an hour.—New York Sun, 1909

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia