https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE/MCT, GitOps DevOps Engineer

Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. Greetings are sometimes used just prior to a conversation or to greet in passing, such as on a sidewalk or trail. Greetings exist in all known human cultures.

Greeting customs are highly culture- and situation-specific. Greetings may change within a culture depending on social status, relationship, and etiquette. They can be expressed both audibly and physically, often involving a combination of the two. Greetings expressed in written communications, such as letters and emails, are known as salutations. Some languages and cultures have words and gestures that may be used for both greetings and farewells.

Some epochs and cultures have had very elaborate greeting rituals, e.g. greeting a sovereign. Conversely, secret societies have often furtive or arcane greeting gestures and rituals, such as a secret handshake, which allows members to recognize each other. This topic excludes military and ceremonial salutes, but includes rituals other than gestures.