July 8, 2007
The Liberian Shake

If you walk up to any Liberian and try to shake their hand chances are they will see if you know the Liberian handshake. So to save you from embarrassment (and to maybe get you a little more respect) I will attempt to explain how to master this easy African greeting.
The shake starts just like in America, you extend your right hand and grasp his right hand just like you would if you were in a business meeting back in the states. This used to always throw me off just because I didn’t know whether or not to; continue the shake, stop there, or use the informal shake.

If you are going to do the full shake – start like I just said (like an American) but move directly into a kind of “brother” shake. This is done by using your thumbs to pivot so your fingers are on top of the other person’s wrist; you are now opposite the “American” form (where the fingers are on the bottom). Once you are there pivot back into the “American shake”. These three steps happen very quickly and depending on how much of a hurry you are in, generally takes at the very most 3 seconds to complete.
Once those three steps are finished the pace is usually slowed down a bit, so a proper conversation can begin (Don’t let small talk catch you off guard though, because the last two actions are very important and will decide how much respect you get). The forth step is more of a transition than a step, slide you hand back a little bit but at the same time bend the tips of your fingers inward, so they catch on the tips of the other person. This action is more important than you might think because it will guide you into the next step (which is what makes it truly Liberian). Once you finish step four, remove all fingers except the middle one, then using your thumb quickly snap using the top of the other person’s middle finger. The snap is done just like a normal one person snap, the only difference is you are using someone else’s finger instead of your own. It took me a long time to get a good snap, so keep working at it if you don’t get it the first time.

If you are going to do the informal shake – start out with the normal “American” shake but move directly to the “snap” (step five).

So now that you know the formal and the informal Liberian handshake, you must now learn when to use them.

The formal shake is mostly used for…
- first meetings
- and introductions

The informal shake is used for…
- agreeing with a statement
- people passing by
- warm welcomes
- the end of conversations and departures

The “how to” and the “when to” of the Liberian shake is a somewhat easy task to master, but because this is a cultural thing there are many unspoken rules that need to be learned. I’ll give you a little bit of a head start by listing a few (if you want to find out the rest you are going to have to come to Africa and learn them yourself)

- Everyone here knows about “the shake”
- Most Liberians will use it to test how much you really know about Liberia.
- A loud snap is very good
- A firm shake is considered a small sign of strength and power
- It’s more of a man-to-man shake, woman (usually) only do a weak informal or American shake
- If someone sticks out there hand its disrespectful to not take it
- if you are ever unsure about which shake to use I find it best to just use the informal shake
People here are very proud of it, so if you do happen to come over here not knowing all this you will learn very quickly.


That’s about all you need to know for now. I hope someday you will come to Africa and try it with a real Liberian (if you haven’t already) because it is a really good way to connect with the people here. My dad and I have made some good friends just because we have this one thing in common.