Index finger up. What does the thumbs up symbol mean?

F. W. Burley

Is President Obama a Muslim? Much has been written about this, but if photos speak louder than words, then a photo taken at the US summit and African leaders last August in Washington, DC, may shed significant light on this issue.

At it, Barack Hussein Obama raised one finger, reaffirming his Islamic faith to dozens of African delegates.
The Associated Press captured this amazing photo as African dignitaries posed with Obama, who was hosting the event, for a group photo in the auditorium. State Department. She was featured in an article in the UK Daily Mail, her only publication.

The one thumbs up gesture is a distinctive Muslim gesture: forefinger raised up, the thumb is bent and presses on the phalanx of the middle finger. The remaining fingers are clenched in the palm to emphasize the extended index finger. The raised finger symbolizes Muhammad's concept of one God and is clear to all believers, representing the symbolic "shahada", the Muslim formula of faith:

“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”

Thus, when the believers raise their index finger, they demonstrate their commitment to the concept of God Muhammad. They also affirm their belief in Muhammad's claim that he represents the link between God and man. They also show that they are part of ummah, an exclusive inter-tribal supercommunity of believers, formed by Muhammad 1400 years ago.

By raising his index finger, Obama confirmed that he is part of this community.

The Daily Mail editors didn't understand what that meant. They just recorded this gesture from Obama. But the African dignitaries understood everything perfectly and showed a whole range of emotions when they saw this gesture: amazement, surprise, curiosity, disapproval, contempt. Note the reactions of Abdelil Benkiran, the Moroccan prime minister, standing behind Obama's left shoulder, and Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the white-headed president of Mali. They are undoubtedly Muslims and they are smiling. They know what Obama's vertically raised index finger means.

The reaction of Togo's President Faure Gnassinbe, top row second from left, is less favorable. It is easy to read the thoughts of this educated leader, a graduate of the Sorbonne and the George Washington University, in his face. His face screams: "You must be joking!"

Gnassinbe country is located between Benin and Ivory Coast, not far from Nigeria, and the plague of Boko Haram is perhaps a two-hour flight in tiny Chesna from the capital of Togo to the capital of Nigeria, less than an hour on something faster. Just right During a conference in Washington, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau declared the state of Borno in northeastern Nigeria to be the seat of his caliphate. massacres entire villages. Just a few months ago, almost three hundred girls were abducted from high school Borno.

The population of Togo is seven million people, 50 percent of them animists, 30 percent Christians. The rest are Muslims "Ummah". Gnassinbe and other non-Muslims in Togo have every reason to be concerned about the radicalization of some members of this inter-tribal supercommunity of Muhammad living among them. And so his gaze expresses contempt. "You must be joking."

Maybe Obama was joking, but it's unlikely. The raised index finger was an expression of his position, stated brazenly. All the activities of his administration were propaganda of Islam in the country and abroad, and just listing the evidence of this, one could write a whole book. He made the USA a country where Islam is comfortable, from the order of NASA to provide Muslims good relationship to himself to mention the headless victim of ISIS, Petre Kassig, calling him by a Muslim name, although he converted to Islam in the vain hope of saving his life.

If only Obama's actions were limited to such gestures! But from the very beginning of his reign, he did everything possible to overthrow governments with strong political leaders that contained Islamic extremism in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen. The overthrow of the Syrian government was also part of the program, not yet achieved, but still possible. The methodology of each coup was based on the tactics of the old school of radicalism: to inflame internal problems, call for drastic retaliation, and then use the backlash to discredit the government by fanning more unrest until the regime under the gun is replaced.

Obama is comfortable with extreme Islam. He is arming such people throughout the Middle East. He brought them into our government. He supported Mohammed Morsi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, as a replacement for Hosni Mubarak, a staunch US ally and enemy of the Muslim Brotherhood. He threatened and mocked Egypt when, as a result of powerful unrest, Morsi was replaced by a moderate leadership.

All these efforts are aimed at restoring the Islamic caliphate, the path chosen by the successors of Muhammad, which ended almost a century ago with the collapse of Ottoman Empire. This has always been the goal of the Muslim Brotherhood. Their grandiose plans included the restoration of a caliphate stretching across the entire Middle East, with Jerusalem as its capital. The glory of Islam has risen! These people are striving for world domination, and the caliphate will serve as the basis of an ever-expanding war with the whole world until Islam dominates it. This has always been their goal. Muhammad ordered his followers to create a universal "Ummu" in which Islam will be the only religion. Like Obama, they're just following orders.

The caliphate was resurrected last year, just not in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood, at least not yet. However, it happened. The caliphate was created by Obama, and he only marginally pushed him back. Now he has asked the US Congress for permission to use military force against what he has created. What is Obama up to? The purpose of everything he does is to cause harm. What evil is he up to now?

There is nothing American in Obama's head. He is the antithesis of the American, the polar opposite of all his values, which he regularly destroys. He is an unabashed member of the inter-tribal supercommunity created by Muhammad 1,400 years ago. He belongs ummah and not America. His raised index finger at the Conference of African Leaders clearly testifies to this.

Translation:

On Wahhabi resources, one can often read demagoguery about the “Shiite idol-alam”, that is, about the hand symbol that is used in Shiite ceremonies, especially in everything related to the mourning for Imam Hussein (A).

Alam looks like this:

That is, it is a hand with an open palm, which symbolizes the severed hands of Abulfazl Abbas, the hero of Karbala and brother of Imam Hussein (A). According to another interpretation, the five fingers of the hand mean five " askhabi l-kisa"-" people under a cloak "purified by complete purification (Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hasan and Hussein, peace be upon them).

In one of the Wahhabi articles we read the following: “The word “alam” is derived from the Turkic al (əl) – “hand”. Alam became widespread among the Azerbaijani Turks during the reign of the Shia Safavid dynasty. Some Shiite preachers present the name alam as a derivative of the Arabic علامة "alamyat", which means "symbol" or "sign" in translation. Based on the fact that alam is used in Shiism as a symbol, this version at first glance looks plausible, but this is not true, since the Shia Arabs themselves do not call alam "alamyat", but are called "Abbas's Palm" or "Fatima's Hand" ”, as for the word (ألم) “alam” directly, then in Arabic it does not mean “symbol” or “sign”, but means “pain” or “suffering”.

In fact, "alam" comes from the Arabic "alaam" (علم) with "ayn", which means "flag", "banner" (in Farsi it will be the same). This origin of the name is obvious as the alam is used as a banner in mourning ceremonies.

“The origin of the alam is connected both with the ancient moon goddess of the Phoenicians Tanit, whom the ancient Phoenicians considered the patroness of the city of Carthage, her symbol was the image of an open right palm, and with Buddhism, where alam is a universal sign of protection. Alam is used by Buddhists as a symbol and a protective amulet, which is resorted to from the evil eye and damage, called the "Hand of the Buddha." It occupies a special place in the Dharmachakra - the Buddha's mudra of teaching and protection. In addition, alam is widely used in Judaism, although it is known that the Jews borrowed it from the ancient Phoenicians. It is worth noting that in Judaism, alam is called “hamsa” (in Hebrew חמסה ), and “hamsa”, in turn, in the languages ​​of the Semitic group means “five”, in modern Hebrew - “hamisha” ”.

Thanks to the Wahhabis for an excursion into the history of religions: along with the “moon goddess of the Phoenicians Tanit” and “Dharmachakra”, they could also mention the Aztecs and Incas, who also had a similar symbol, despite being separated from the Shiites by thousands of kilometers of ocean.

In fact, everything here is much more prosaic: people in all places and at all times tend to use approximately similar symbols, which are rather limited. Since the palm, as they say, is “always at hand”, many religions have used it in their symbolism, and this does not say anything about any borrowings.

Otherwise, we would have to accuse the "Salafis" themselves of idolatry because of the finger they love so much, demonstrated decisively in all forms and angles. However, the index finger extended upwards is one of the main symbols of Freemasonry, which, in turn, borrowed it from ancient pagan religions, where this finger symbolized the connection of a person with “ higher powers". Also in the rituals of black magic, Satan is often depicted with a finger raised up, as can be seen in the photo below.

From a book about Masonic symbols- extended index finger:

Statue of George Washington, the first American Freemason President:

The location of the figure of the statue in the pose of Satan:

Worshiping Satan, sitting with his index finger up:

Raised finger of the Buddha:

Raphael's raised finger of Plato. Symbolizes pagan wisdom and magical connection with higher powers. :

Raised finger in the Papal Sinktine Chapel:

Doesn't it look like it?

Of course, the "Salafis" will say that the raised finger only symbolizes monotheism (that God is one) and has only an external resemblance to Masonic and other fingers. But in the same way, we will say that the alam symbolizes the hands of Abbas and has a purely formal resemblance to the symbols of the palms used in other religions.

Or take another common symbol that many consider inextricably linked to Islam, crescent . The crescent moon is not used by the Shiites and occurs only among the “ahlu sunnah wal jamaa”, who borrowed it from Christians, and those, in turn, from pagan religions. There are no hadiths about the crescent moon symbol, nor evidence of its use in the first centuries of Islam.

So, "bidaat", "idol", "pagan sign"? Call it what you want, if you want, like the Wahhabis, to practice demagogy:

The crescent was printed on the coins of the pagan Turkic Khaganate, then it was a symbol of the Persian Sassanid Empire and the emblem of the city of Constantinople - the capital Christian empire. Most likely, it was after the conquest of Constantinople by the Sunni Turks that the crescent moon entered Sunni Islam and became its symbol.

Crescent on the Sassanid royal winged crown:

And if you want to shine with erudition, then you can mention the crescent moon in the iconography of Hinduism - Shiva wears it in his hairstyle:

In Egypt, the solar disk with the horned Moon, or located between the horns of a bull (cow), meant the divine unity of two in one, the common solar-lunar gods and the secret marriage of divine couples.

Among the ancient Sumerians, the crescent is an attribute of the Babylonian god of the moon, Sin, the ship on which he sailed through the vast expanses of space.

Crescent on an ancient Sumerian coin:

Here the king dedicates his daughter to the goddess. The crescent symbolizes the god Sin, the sun - the sun god Shamash:

What is this thumbs up symbol?

It is clear that the meaning of the symbol depends precisely on which country and which finger is used. And here there are a great many options: from greetings and approval to indecent analogies.

1. Forefinger right hand, raised up, among Muslims is a symbol of the proclamation of monotheism, that is, translated into Russian it means: “There is no God but Allah!”.
2. In Germany, this gesture says: "Everything is fine."
3. In Slavic countries, a raised index finger means a call for attention from others, and in American schools, students thus ask the teacher for permission to answer a question.
4. If at the time of the conversation you raise your index finger up and shake it from side to side, then the interlocutor of almost any nationality will understand this as a rejection of the offer or unwillingness to discuss the topic.

What are we talking about with a thumbs up?

The symbol - the index and thumb connected with the others raised up, means in America and most European countries: "Everything is fine!". But in Brazil and Turkey, such a gesture will be perceived as an insult.

A resident of Holland, inviting you to a friendly drinking party, will raise his little finger, and take his thumb to the side. Here you will probably want to answer him with the gesture described above. Still: "Everything is fine"! And the Frenchman can raise his little finger in response, which will mean: “Get away from me!”

If someone raises their thumb up - the symbol hardly needs a special decoding - this is a sign of good luck, recognition that everything is going as it should, agreement with the proposed program of action, etc.

True, in Turkey and the Arab countries, such a gesture is a phallic symbol, and in Greece it is a demand: “Shut up!”.

Most common symbol

The thumbs up is also raised in other cases. The truth is not one, but two: we are talking about the V-shaped sign known in Europe with the index and middle fingers of the hand.

It was introduced during the Second World War by Winston Churchill to indicate victory, and since then this gesture has become very popular. True, for the British, one nuance is important in it: which side is the palm turned to the speaker at this moment. If with the back, then it is: “victory” (“victory”), but if with the palm, then its interpretation becomes offensive.

No less popular is another gesture: “goat”. We are talking about the index finger and little finger raised up. On the territory of the CIS, this is the infamous "rocker" symbol. The thumb is raised in a similar way as a sign of superiority over someone, a desire to humiliate him. Although in mystical rituals this sign is protection from dark forces.

Why do Muslims always point their index finger up? What does this gesture mean?

Alla㋛♠♣♦

The finger of the right hand raised up is a symbol of the proclamation of monotheism among Muslims) by the way, for those who profess Islam, left hand considered "unclean". Therefore, if you hold out a gift or money with your left hand, you may offend a Muslim.)

Eugene of Ardynsky, is your god Jesus? You don't even know who your God is, how can you call everything else evil!?
The central person for Christian worship is the Son of God - Jesus
Christ (hence the name "Christians").
It is through him that Christians come
to God the Father. God the Father is the only image of God for Christians, Jews and Muslims.

They heard a ringing, but they don’t know where it came from! Among the Wahhabis, such a sign is common - an index finger extended upwards. According to the naive ideas of the "Salafis", this sign should demonstrate their commitment to monotheism - after all, God is one, like a finger. Wahhabis are very fond of posing for photos with such a “finger”, thereby wanting to show their “monotheism”. However, there are no hadiths that would speak of such a finger as some kind of symbol of Islam or monotheism.
Where did this gesture come from?
The fact is that the index finger stretched upwards is one of the main symbols of Freemasonry, which, in turn, borrowed it from ancient pagan religions, where this finger symbolized a person’s connection with “higher powers” ​​(that is, Satan).
Also in the rituals of black magic, Satan himself is usually depicted with his finger raised up, as can be seen in the photo below.
Thus, since Wahhabism was an invention of English Freemasonry, someone introduced this sign into it so that the “Salafis” would bear the satanic mark on themselves.

What does ☝☝☝ that index finger up mean?

A raised index finger in Germany means “fine”, a French waitress will take this gesture for ordering one glass of wine.
There is also a difference in the gestures of different peoples.
A raised index finger in Germany means “fine”, a French waitress will take this gesture for ordering one glass of wine.
Two fingers raised means:
in Germany - victory
in France - the world
in the UK - 2
in Greece - go to hell, to hell.
Raised up five fingers of the hand mean:
in Western countries – 5
everywhere - stop!
in Turkey - go away
in other countries - believe me, I'm telling the truth!
Raised little finger and index finger:
in the Mediterranean - your wife is cheating on you
in Malta and Italy - a sign that protects from danger and the evil eye
Raised index finger and thumb:
in Europe - 2
in the UK - 1
in the USA - please serve me, bring the bill
In Japan, it's an insult.
Raised little finger:
in France - leave me alone!
in Japan, a woman
in Mediterranean countries - a sexual hint
Thumb up:
in Europe - 1
greece is a swear word
in Japan - a man, 5
in other countries - well done, well, a sign for stopping vehicles on the road.
The index finger and thumb are connected, the other fingers are raised up:
in Europe and North America- good, fine
in the Mediterranean, Russia, Brazil, Turkey - swearing, sexual insult,
in Tunisia, France - 0
Raised little finger and to the side of the allotted finger:
in Holland – how about a drink?
in Hawaii - no panic! Calm down!

Index finger up of the right hand What does this mean?

★ஐ✽ นңңα ✽ஐ★

Finger combination gestures different cultures have very different meanings. So, for example, the “thumbs up” symbol can speak both of the decision to pardon the vanquished (the famous gesture at the time of the struggle of Roman gladiators), and of the usual request for a lift, take a fellow traveler (hitchhiking), if we are talking about a raised thumb by the road somewhere in America. The index finger carries other information. Let's look at everything in more detail.
What is this thumbs up symbol?

It is clear that the meaning of the symbol depends precisely on which country and which finger is used. And here there are a great many options: from greetings and approval to indecent analogies.
1. The index finger of the right hand, raised up, among Muslims is a symbol of the proclamation of monotheism, that is, translated into Russian it means: “There is no God but Allah!”.
2. In Germany, this gesture says: "Everything is fine."
3. In Slavic countries, the index finger raised up means a call for attention from others, and in American schools, students thus ask the teacher for permission to answer the question.
4. If at the time of the conversation you raise your index finger up and shake it from side to side, then the interlocutor of almost any nationality will understand this as a rejection of the proposal or unwillingness to discuss the topic.
What does the "thumbs up" symbol mean?

It is generally believed that when we show someone a thumbs up as a sign of praise, we repeat another gesture of the ancient Romans - the thumb pointing up meant “spare”. But this opinion is not true.

D. Morris in the book “Gestures” explains that the Romans supported the vanquished not by sticking out the thumb, but by covering it with their hand. When the spectators wanted the victorious gladiator to finish off the enemy, they waved their hands to him, putting their thumbs aside (Morris believes that this was supposed to represent a blow with a dagger).

And, indeed, a thumb bent in any direction meant death for the vanquished, symbolizing a drawn sword. And to save the life of the war, the audience showed a clenched fist, which meant a sword hidden in a sheath.

artist Jean-Leon Gerome

If the thumbs-up gesture really originated in Rome, one would expect it to remain popular in the Mediterranean today. But, as it turned out, it is in Italy and Greece, unlike other European countries, that this gesture is rarely used in an approving sense. In many areas of Greece and southern Italy, a protruding finger is generally perceived as an obscene insult.In Australia and Nigeria, it means "get out of here!" In this case, the direction of the intended departure is indicated with the thumb.In Europe, it means "excellent!" or used by hitchhikers to stop their car.

Most likely, the birthplace of this gesture is in completely different places.

It is not easy to trace its origin - however, the history of gestures is, in principle, difficult to study, since the sources are slurred and contradictory. One can only refer to Morris and other authoritative specialists. They believe that western culture generally tend to associate bottom-up movement with positive feelings and optimism, and top-down movement with negative feelings and pessimism. The finger, protruding upward, is directed towards the sky. In the 1970s, the index finger extended upward became the symbol of fundamentalist Christians. For them, this gesture not only means “God is one” or “there is no other way to salvation but ours”, but also reminds where God lives and where good Christians will someday go.

Perhaps we stick out our thumbs as a sign of approval simply because it is easier to do it physically. Try to stick out some other finger, bending all the others.

1. Middle finger

Thanks to Hollywood exposed middle finger became famous all over the world. At the same time, in no country does this gesture mean something positive or peaceful. The classical meaning of this phallic gesture is very harsh, and it means an abrupt end to the conversation and a wish for travel in a certain direction.

According to anthropologist Desmond Morris, the display of the middle finger, symbolizing the offensive display of the penis, is one of the most ancient gestures known to us. AT Ancient Greece pointing the middle finger at someone was considered a serious insult, as it meant an accusation of passive homosexuality.

In the comedy of Aristophanes "Clouds", Socrates, undertaking to teach the sciences to an ordinary peasant Strepsiades, asks if he knows the poetic size of a dactyl (literally "finger"), to which Strepsiades readily shows his middle finger. The philosopher Diogenes said that “most people are only one finger away from insanity: if a person stretches out his middle finger, he will be considered crazy, and if he is index, they will not be considered.” They also told about him that “when visitors wanted to look at Demosthenes, he pointed to him with his middle finger with the words:“ Here is the ruler of the Athenian people.

In ancient Greece, pointing with the middle finger accused of homosexuality

In Rome, the gesture, and with it the middle finger itself, was called the "shameless finger." The gesture is mentioned by a number of Roman authors, for example, in one of the epigrams of Martial, an old man, proud of his health, shows the middle finger to the doctors.

2. Up or down thumb

Gesture using thumb often demonstrates the attitude of a person to what he happened to see. Thumb up - "I like it!"; thumb down - "I don't like it."

This sign is often associated with the tradition of ancient Roman gladiator fights. French historian and archaeologist Jerome Carcopino in his book " Everyday life ancient rome. Apogee of the Empire" noticed that when it seemed to the crowd that the vanquished defended himself with all his strength, the audience waved their handkerchiefs, raised their finger in the air and shouted: "Let him go!". If the emperor agreed with their wishes and raised his thumb up, the vanquished was forgiven and released from the arena alive. If the spectators, on the contrary, believed that the vanquished deserved defeat by his cowardice and unwillingness to continue the fight, they put their finger down and shouted: “Cut!”. Then the emperor, putting his thumb down, ordered the slaughter of the defeated gladiator, and he had no choice but to expose his throat for a “strike of mercy”.

In Iran, a thumbs-up is a threat of violence

The raised thumb is interpreted differently in many countries. If in Germany it is peacefully neutral and means the number 1, then in Greece this gesture will be similar to the phrase “Fuck you!”. In Uruguay and Iran, a proudly raised thumb symbolizes the male sexual organ, and the gesture itself means the threat of sexual violence.

A sign in the form of a ring formed by the index and thumb was given to people by divers, who thus inform their partner that they are all right. There is also a version that this is an invention of journalists who sought to shorten the most common phrases.

However, in France, Portugal and some countries Latin America beloved by Americans and many Europeans, the “OK” gesture is perceived as indecent and symbolizes the anus. This can be felt especially acutely in Turkey, where a finger ring is an open accusation of homosexuality. But in Tunisia, this gesture can be interpreted as a threat to kill a person. In the United States and Russia, the OK gesture is perceived as normal, which cannot be said about Brazil, where it is considered very obscene.

In France, the “OK” gesture is a symbol of the anus.

We also note that the OK gesture has more than 2500 years of history. Among the ancient Greeks, he was a symbol of love, personifying kissing lips. It was also used to praise the speaker for his speech.

4. V (Victoria)

This is one of the most common gestures in the culture, meaning victory or peace. Shown with the index and middle fingers of the hand pointing upwards in the shape of the Latin letter "V".

The history of the origin of the Victoria gesture goes back to the Middle Ages. According to this version, during Hundred Years War the captured English and Welsh archers, who intimidated the French, were cut off precisely these two fingers on their right hand so that they could not use their bows in the future. The archers, knowing this, teased the French before the battle, showing them intact fingers - "Fear, enemies!".

During the Second World War, this sign was heavily popularized by Winston Churchill to indicate victory, but for this the hand is turned back to the one who shows it. If, with this gesture, the hand is turned with the palm towards the speaker, then the gesture acquires an offensive meaning - “shut up”.

During World War II, Churchill popularized the Victoria gesture.

Another meaning of this gesture is associated with the popular film "V for Vendetta", in which the sign V stands for the protagonist, an anarchist terrorist wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.

5. Sign of the Cross

In Christianity, this gesture denotes a prayer ceremony, which is an image of the cross with a movement of the hand. The sign of the Cross is performed in different occasions, for example, when entering and leaving the temple, before or after saying a prayer, during worship, as a sign of confession of one's faith and in other cases; also when blessing someone or something.

In Orthodoxy, the sign of the cross characterizes the bodily expression Christian dogmas, confession of faith in the Holy Trinity and the God-Man Jesus Christ, an expression of love and gratitude to God, protection from the action of dark forces. There are three variants of finger composition: two-finger, three-finger and nominative finger-composition.

So, the two-fingered was adopted along with the Baptism of Russia and prevailed until the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in the middle of the 17th century and was officially recognized in Moscow Russia by the Stoglavy Cathedral of 1550.

It was practiced until the middle of the 13th century in the Greek East. Later it was supplanted by tripartite. When making double fingers, two fingers of the right hand - index and middle - are connected together, symbolizing the two natures of the one Christ, while the middle finger turns out to be slightly bent, which means divine indulgence and incarnation. The three remaining fingers are also connected together, symbolizing the Holy Trinity; and in contemporary practice the end of the thumb rests on the pads of the other two, which cover it from above. After that, with the tips of two fingers (and only them) they sequentially touch the forehead, abdomen or lower part of the perseus (chest), right and left shoulder. It is also emphasized that one cannot be baptized at the same time as bowing; the bow, if required, should be done after the hand has been lowered.

Using the three fingers to make sign of the cross fold the first three fingers of the right hand (thumb, index and middle), and bend the other two fingers to the palm; after which they sequentially touch the forehead, upper abdomen, right shoulder, then the left. Three fingers put together symbolize the Holy Trinity; symbolic meaning two other fingers different time could be different. So, in Russia, under the influence of controversy with the Old Believers, these two fingers were rethought as a symbol of the two natures of Christ: Divine and human. This interpretation is now the most common, although there are others (for example, in the Romanian Church, these two fingers are interpreted as a symbol of Adam and Eve falling to the Trinity).

An Orthodox priest, blessing people or objects, folds his fingers into a special signet, called nominative. It is believed that the fingers folded in this way depict the letters ICXC to get the name Jesus Christ in ancient Greek spelling.

Catholic prayer books, speaking of the sign of the cross, usually cite only the prayer that is said at the same time (In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti), without saying anything about the combination of fingers. Even Catholic traditionalists, who are usually quite strict about the rite and its symbolism, admit the existence of various options. The most accepted and widespread option in the Catholic world is the sign of the cross with five fingers, open palm, from left to right, in memory of the five wounds on the body of Christ.