What does the crossed fingers gesture mean? Gestures around the world

When you travel abroad and do not know the language of the country you are visiting, sign language often comes to the rescue.

You can use it to hail a taxi, buy groceries in a store, or ask for directions.

However, sometimes translation difficulties arise even with gestures that are familiar to us, which have completely different meanings in other parts of the world.

Here are 10 common gestures that may seem rude abroad.

1. Two-finger gesture "Victory"

The "Victoria" gesture, which is made with the index and middle finger of the hand in the shape of the letter V, in many countries means victory or peace. However, if the palm is facing the person, then in Great Britain, Ireland and Australia the V-shaped gesture takes on an offensive gesture, which is non-verbal equivalent to the phrase "fuck off!".

2. Gestures with palms ("muntsa")

The outstretched palm, often used to say "stop", takes on a different meaning in Greece. Palms directed towards the interlocutor, called “muntsa”, are an offensive gesture that is used when they want express extreme indignation or roughly speaking, “send” the interlocutor.

This gesture remains from Byzantine times, when smoke was smeared on the face of a criminal to make him an object of ridicule.

3. Thumbs up gesture

This gesture of agreement and approval often breaks down language barriers, and hitchhikers often use it on the road. However, in Thailand it is a sign of condemnation. Although the gesture itself is rather childish, like sticking out your tongue, it should be avoided. In Iran, this is an offensive gesture, the equivalent of which is the extended middle finger.

4. Alluring gesture with index finger

The beckoning sign with the index finger saying "come to me" is taboo in Asian countries. In the Philippines, this gesture only suitable for dogs and says that you consider the interlocutor below you. In addition, using this gesture can lead to arrest in this country.

5. Patting the head

Patting a child's head is usually a gesture of friendliness and affection. However, in the Buddhist religion, the crown is the highest point of the body, that is, the place where the soul resides. Touching the top of the head is aggressive invasion into the space of a child or an adult. This gesture should be avoided in countries where the majority of people profess the Buddhist religion.

6. Gesture "Okay"

Ring made of large and index finger"OK" meaning "everything is fine!" or "correctly", in France means "zero" or "worthless". In Greece and Turkey, this gesture is very vulgar, meaning a similar hole in the human body or serves hint of homosexuality. In some Middle Eastern countries, such as Kuwait, "OK" means evil eye.

7. Gesture "Fig"

The gesture “fig”, “shish” or “kukish” is not entirely harmless in nature, and is often used in cases of refusal or disagreement. In Brazil it is a more benevolent gesture used to good luck wishes and protection from the evil eye. In Turkey it has an aggressive and rude character, the equivalent of which is the middle finger.

8. Left hand gesture

In many countries, people do not pay attention to which hand they use to offer something to other people. However, in India, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East, left hand considered "dirty", intended for wiping in the toilet. Even a left-handed person should eat right hand, since only it is considered suitable for eating. The same applies to shaking hands and passing objects.

In Japan, giving with both hands is considered polite, while a one-handed gesture can imply disdain.

9. Crossing your fingers

In many Western countries people cross their index and middle fingers for good luck or to ward off the evil eye. In Vietnam, this gesture is offensive, especially if you are watching or directing it at another person. It is believed that fingers crossed represent female genital organs.

10. Gesture "Goat"

The “Goat” gesture, or as it is also called “horns”, “fingers” or “corns”, is often used by musicians and their fans. However, you should not show this gesture in Italy, especially to a man, as it hints at his wife's infidelity("cuckold").

Bonus: obscene "middle finger" gesture

This is the most famous and recognizable obscene gesture in the whole world, which is English language corresponds to the curse word "Fuck You" ("fuck you...!"). In addition, it is one of the most ancient gestures, which used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as by monkeys.

Roughly speaking, raised middle finger symbolizes the phallus, and the pressed fingers - the scrotum. By showing it, you seem to be offering the other person a “male genital organ” or rudely refusing the request. Also analogous to this gesture is elbow gesture when the left hand is placed in the crook of the right hand.

In Asian countries, however, the middle finger is sometimes used to point at something.

Cross your fingers instead of pain relief

Superstitious people often cross their fingers. This gesture is believed to simultaneously promote good luck, protect against troubles, or invalidate given by a person oath... Recently, scientists from University College London conducted a study that proved that this is not a tradition dating back centuries, but also a way... to dull the pain!

"The Grill Illusion"

Historians claim that the custom of crossing fingers arose in the era of early Christianity: this sign, symbolizing the cross, helped Christians recognize each other. Subsequently, a belief was born that crossing fingers saves believers from going to hell. In the 16th century, Londoners began using this original "sign of the cross" to ward off evil spirits. It was customary to cross fingers when someone coughed or sneezed, as this action was associated with the machinations of the devil.

Research team leader Patrick Haggard and his colleagues suggested that superstition did not arise from empty space and is associated with relief from pain.

The experiment was based on a well-known trick called the “grill illusion,” invented more than a hundred years ago by the Swedish doctor Torsten Thunberg. The person was blindfolded and his index and ring fingers into a warm liquid, and the middle one into a cold liquid. Some time later, he began to feel a burning pain with his middle finger. By the way, the same thing happens if we touch snow or food just taken out of the freezer. The whole point is that our the brain is deceived by the temperature difference, and we perceive cold as fire...

The authors of the experiment used special equipment, which was attached to the participants’ fingers. The devices created the same effect as the grill illusion, and the volunteers experienced very painful sensations. But at the same time, when the subjects were asked to cross their index, middle and ring fingers together, the pain practically receded and returned only when the index and ring fingers cooled.

"Mirror" therapy

Experts believe that human brain When processing signals coming from body members, they take into account not only their position on the body, but also the position they occupy in space. Most likely, the phenomenon of phantom pain, when a person has pain in a missing organ or limb, is also associated with this feature.

They say that the legendary medieval doctor Paracelsus sometimes sat his patients in front of a mirror and “persuaded” their illnesses to pass to a double on the other side of the glass... How effective such treatment was is unknown, but even today mirrors are used to heal some ailments, especially those associated with painful sensations.

The whole point is that the brain perceives our physical body as a virtual image, which is formed from sensations “coming” from the senses. Previously, scientists believed that in the event of injury and damage, pain signals send signals directly to the corresponding brain centers. However, in the mid-60s of the last century, it turned out that our brain is able to reduce the intensity of these signals and even completely block them, producing special substances - endorphins.

How does the mirror therapy method work? Take people who suffer from complex regional pain syndrome. It is common for such patients to experience acute pain in the extremities, which intensifies with movement or touch. So, the patient is seated in front of a mirror so that only the healthy limb is reflected in it, and he is asked to move his healthy arm or leg, while looking at mirror reflection. The patient perceives it as if he were moving the diseased limb, but does not experience pain... This leads to the fact that over time he ceases to feel pain in the other limb.

Phantom pain, when amputated limbs “hurt,” is also treated in a similar way. After all, a healthy limb cannot hurt, which means the pain disappears... It proved to be particularly effective this technique, when it came to patients suffering from two to five months, and pain decreased after the first session.

Conspiracy or touch?

It also turned out that the amount of endorphins increases with hugs. When touched, the area of ​​the brain responsible for the production of endorphins is activated. Remember how, as a child, your mother, blowing on your bruised knee, said: “The cat is in pain, the dog is in pain, but Sasha is not in pain!” Oddly enough, the “charm” often had its effect, and the pain subsided... But do not forget that the mother usually also stroked the bruised area, thereby stimulating the brain’s production of a “natural pain reliever”...

Ours is enough a complex system, and he does not always need strong drugs to solve problems, which often have negative side effects. Maybe psychotherapy will be much more effective...

When preparing to travel, we try to learn as much as possible about the country we are going to. We look at the weather forecast, take a phrase book with us, check the political situation in the region, but often forget about the basics - sometimes not knowing some details about the people living in the country of our holiday can put us in an awkward position, or even cause us trouble . To avoid getting into trouble, you need to become familiar with sign language, which can be interpreted differently in each country.

For example, there are countries (UK, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, countries North America), where everything you say will be understood literally by your interlocutor. In France, Japan, Spain, Greece, Italy, Saudi Arabia, China, South Korea– on the contrary, much higher value, have a subtext, a nuance, an accompanying gesture. Here the meaning of a phrase does not always depend on the spoken word. For clarity, compare the gestures of the American actor Clint Eastwood, who slightly moves his finger in order to snatch his Smith & Wesson, and the “theater of facial expressions and gestures” of the Frenchman Louis de Funes. In other words, where in the first place literal meaning what is said is of little use to the gesture. They will look at you carefully and with pity, expecting specific words. Where you are accustomed to paying attention to nuances, you can express your thoughts with interjections and expressive gestures.

1. Head gestures and touching the head and ears

2. Gesture “everything is okay”

3. Protruding upward thumb

• For hitchhikers all over the world, it is used to stop passing traffic.
• Raising your hand in front of you will mean “Everything is fine”, jerking your hand up and pointing your thumb over your shoulder means “fuck you.” So it is mainly used in Europe.
• In the Middle East, this is the way they send people to where their legs grow. In Iran, this is considered an offensive gesture, the equivalent of which is sticking out the middle finger. In Saudi Arabia, having completed rotational movements With your thumb up you say “get out of here.”
• In Greece, this gesture means “shut up.”
• A raised thumb, with the other fingers clenched into a fist, means the number 5 in China, and 6 in Indonesia.

4. Tongue, lips, chin

5. Gesture V (“victory”, victory)

In England and Australia, two fingers raised in the form of a V are perceived as a peace-loving sign in only one form, if the palm is turned away from you. Otherwise, this gesture is an insult, equivalent in strength to a raised middle finger.

Churchill himself was guilty of this “wrong” gesture.

6. Palms

7. Show the “goat”

8. Cross your fingers for luck

• Indeed, crossed index and middle fingers in Europe are a symbol of wishing good luck.
• And in Vietnam, this gesture is indecent and means female genitals.

9. “Kukish” or “fig”

10. Eyes and eyebrows

11. Legs

12. Beckon with your index finger

13. "Offensive Finger"

This is the literal translation of the ancient Roman phrase “digitus impudicus”, which called a combination of the middle finger extended forward (with the index and ring fingers clenched). This gesture is almost the most ancient gesture known to scientists. Few people know that the first person in history who used this gesture as a sign of dissatisfaction with the speech of his opponent was the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes. He made a gesture, which today is considered obscene, to the orator Demosthenes. This happened around the 4th century BC. Thus, we can safely say that the age of the “f gesture” is more than 2400 years. According to American sign specialist Desmond Morris, the middle finger in this context is a phallic symbol, hence its “offensive” meaning. It is believed that the indecent gesture was “brought” to the United States by Italian emigrants in the 19th century. It was first recorded in America in 1886, when players on one baseball team showed it to their opponents as a sign of hatred.

14. Gifts

You should also act extremely carefully when choosing gifts.

• Under no circumstances should you give a Chinese man a watch. In China, watches are synonymous with the word “death.”
• You should also not wrap a gift in white paper - this is also a deadly omen.
• You should not give white flowers to residents of Bangladesh - in this case, you will be responsible for burying the recipient of your gift.
• According to Japanese custom, the gift is not unwrapped in the presence of the person giving it. However, nowadays, more and more Japanese are beginning to adhere to Western etiquette, especially when communicating with foreigners. Any gift in Japan is wrapped in white paper and tied with a paper cord. For official occasions, special paper is used. An inscription appropriate to the occasion must be made on the package. The giver writes his name at the bottom of the package in the middle, the name of the person to whom the gift is given is written at the top left.

15. How to count on fingers

16. Say hello and goodbye

The only one universal remedy The key to a partner's affection is a smile; it is used and correctly perceived in any country and in any culture. A smile is the most effective form communication, and, ultimately, the best compliment we can give to our interlocutor will be a sincere expression of interest in him and his problems. When going to visit other countries, don’t forget your smiles.

Surprisingly, but true: superstitions and omens come true. Especially those in which a person believes or wants to believe.

This is how everyone wants to attract changeable luck into their lives and keep it around them for as long as possible. Luck is attracted by a horseshoe, coin, clover and other amulets.

Crossed fingers will also help you achieve what you want.

Crossed fingers are strong amulet. The history of this gesture dates back to early Christianity. Even then it had protective properties.

Celtic, Greek, solar, inverted, Orthodox, Lithuanian, St. Andrew's, red... The list could take a long time, but do you immediately understand that these are all varieties of the cross? This is what the crossed fingers symbolize.

The cross existed long before our era. His images were found during Stone Age excavations. And almost immediately it became a sacred sign. Already the ancient Egyptians used a mysterious and mystical sign in religion. Interesting: the Egyptian sun god was often depicted with ray-like arms, each of which had a cross.

The sign has many meanings. The cross as a symbol of a man with outstretched arms, as a symbol of the four cardinal directions, the center of the universe. Today it is a symbol of Christianity and God's protection. Sign of the Cross sanctifies, protects from evil spirits.

Does luck keep slipping out of your hands? You can hold it by crossing your index and middle fingers. What do crossed fingers mean? - you ask.

Are crossed fingers a symbol of the cross?

Since ancient times, crossed fingers have symbolized the cross on which Christ was crucified. IN early period During the development of Christianity, this gesture was used as protection from evil. During the persecution of the Romans, the cross made of fingers was a kind of password for Christians; their co-religionists were recognized by it. In the Middle Ages, the gesture served as a talisman against evil spirits. Currently, the meaning of the gesture is not related to religion. Crossed fingers are used when you want to attract good luck and protect yourself from the evil eye.

Different meanings

But not everywhere. IN different countries this gesture is interpreted in different ways. “I’m not lying,” this sign said in Russia quite recently. In Vietnam, if you show your fingers crossed to another person, you will get into trouble. Here this gesture is offensive because it symbolizes the female genital organs. In Turkey and Greece, if the interlocutor shows crossed fingers, he wants to end friendly communication with him. Icelanders use this gesture when they have forgotten something and want to remember. In Denmark - when they take an oath. Crossing their fingers is like tying a promise in a knot.

The most common meaning of this gesture in the West is to attract good luck. Cross your fingers and everything works out.

How to attract good luck

How can you be sure not to let luck slip out of your hands? After all, fingers can be crossed in different ways. Middle finger can be located both above and below the index finger. As mentioned above, the history of the gesture goes back to the origins of Christianity. So in the painting by the Spanish artist Francisco Ribalt “ Last Supper"(1606) depicts Jesus Christ. He raised his hand with crossed fingers, his forefinger located above the middle one. This position of the fingers will attract good luck.

Fingers crossed behind your back

Another variation of the gesture, which also came to us from the West, is crossing the fingers behind the back. It is used when telling lies. By deceiving someone, a person protects himself from evil spirits. The cross will save you from punishment for lying.

Fingers crossed against pain

English scientists have proven that a gesture can protect not only from evil spirits, but also relieve severe pain. Research leader Patrick Haggard says pain can be controlled by moving one part in relation to another. Thorsten Thunberg's works, which explore phantom pain rather than real pain, have become the basis for research. Scientists have proven that crossing fingers relieves acute pain.

Good luck symbol

Over time, the gesture of crossed fingers has become not just a symbol of good luck, but a symbol of attracting it. This gesture is used for the logo of the National Lottery of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as for the Oregon Lottery and Virginia Lottery in the United States of America.


So fingers crossed for good luck will help you achieve what you want. After all, everything is in our hands.

Each of us wants luck to be his constant companion. There is an opinion that crossed fingers is one of the techniques to attract her into your life.

Good luck symbol

The question about the nature of this gesture and its origin is quite interesting. Most people cannot logically explain why two fingers crossed is a guarantee of achieving their goals. However, this does not prevent them from actively using this technique and even feeling some moral satisfaction and peace of mind from the ritual.

An apt remark is that in this way luck will certainly not slip through your fingers. Still, a small obstacle has been created for her. Fingers crossed will keep her at bay. But it’s still interesting where such a unique tradition came from and what caused it.

Many rituals have long become habits and are used unconsciously. It is curious that from childhood many people begin to cross their fingers.

Story

When you catch yourself using this gesture, you involuntarily ask the question “Why and why am I doing this?” There is enough information in this topic to give a comprehensive answer.

The history of this tradition is very ancient. Of course, a direct connection can be traced here with the symbol of the cross. Moreover, the same one on whom Jesus was crucified. Since ancient times it was used as protective symbol, it was also believed that crossed fingers could be equated to a wooden or metal crucifix, with the help of which demons, devils, all kinds of ailments and bad thoughts were warded off. First of all, it is a security symbol.

Protection

This was especially true when Christianity was still developing, and wearing special signs on the neck was not so common. Also, since adherents of this belief had to hide from the Romans who were pursuing them, the crossed middle and ring fingers were a kind of password and a sign that a like-minded person was nearby.

They did not forget about this technique during the Middle Ages, when they also believed that with its help one could drive away demons and unholy spirits. In our time, when, in principle, many areas of human life are becoming less and less connected with religious aspects, and this phenomenon, among other things, no longer carries with it the background of faith. If any supernatural forces are implied, they are not directly identified with biblical god. Today, crossed fingers are believed to be a magnet for good luck and an enemy of the evil eye.

Variations

It is known that customs in different countries can vary greatly. The same applies to this gesture. For example, even living in Russia, not many people know that until very recently, crossed fingers meant the truthfulness of a person’s words.

Having visited Vietnam, you can find out that in this way the residents of this country can make money serious problems, because the symbol is considered indecent and offensive. It is associated with elements of the female reproductive system. Once in Turkey or Greece, you can find out that this is a sign of the end of a friendly conversation. For Icelanders, this is a way to remember something forgotten. Residents of Denmark use this combination when they swear to something. There is a metaphor here that a promise is tied with a knot.

Of course, figuring out what crossed fingers mean in reality Western world, most often you can encounter meanings associated with attracting good luck. It is believed that in this case all plans should go smoothly. Who knows, maybe it's just a placebo effect that allows people to believe less in magical power gesture, how many in own strength, backed by some guarantees of the highest order.

The right combination

What should you do to ensure that luck does not run away from you, and that your dreams certainly turn into reality? You also need to be able to cross your fingers for luck correctly. Attracting positive energies is not such an easy task. Many, imbued with this issue, begin to be interested in which of the fingers should lie on top, and other similar details, which are given truly sacred meaning.

Again, if we go back to the original source, that is, Christianity, it is worth looking at the work of an artist named Francisco Ribalt, who comes from Spain. Of all his works, the most famous is The Last Supper, which he created in 1606. It depicts the Savior himself and his immediate circle.

His palm forms exactly the combination in question. Christ's lies above average. It is believed that this arrangement is correct.

Purely western version of a given gesture is its interpretation behind the back of the one who uses such a maneuver. Here we're talking about about those situations when a person lies. In this way, he tries to protect himself from evil spirits, who supposedly should bring punishment for lying.

Healing properties

You can also find interesting information about what crossed fingers mean in medicine. Insidious entities are images that are quite far from human concepts. Where people are closer to their own physical bodies, the pain in which they feel as realistically as possible.

Scientists in England have found that this combination is extremely useful in the fight against painful sensations. P. Haggard says that a person can control his own nerve endings. It is important to learn this skill. For this purpose, the movement of pulses must be initiated.

T. Thunberg, who devoted quite a lot of time to studying the slightly different from those we feel during an impact or similar situations, also studied in detail this question. Fundamental work has been carried out, during which it has been proven that if you have negative physical sensations, you can cross your fingers and significantly improve your well-being. Thus, it becomes clear that this gesture is given a much more serious meaning than just a magnet for good luck.

It is used as a symbol of the national lottery in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Oregon, and Virginia (this sign is very common in other US states).

As they say, our life is in our hands, so all goals are realistic and achievable.

Through the eyes of a child

Parents or those who frequently come into contact with children may have noticed that children often unconsciously use this symbol. It immediately becomes interesting why and why the child crosses his fingers.

Mothers and fathers, of course, wonder if this is a pathology, if it means something bad. Child psychologists most often answer that such a phenomenon is not considered a cause for concern. You should rather be happy for your child, because he is already with young nails practices mudra number 20, practically does yoga on the fingers. One can even conclude that children, due to their purity and sensitivity to the world around them, subconsciously feel what position their fingers should take in order to establish peace of mind.

In the process of growing up, such connections are broken, and a person’s ability to feel the world so subtly is erased.

Children's wisdom

So in the situation described above, adults should rather learn from their children than wean them from a habit that many mistakenly begin to consider harmful, looking for a negative connotation in it. Sometimes children have more natural wisdom than us adults.

A child is a concentration of spiritual warmth and bright energy. It is worth following him on the path of contact with nature, while he follows you, learning all the features of this cruel world.

Thanks to mudra number 20, you can get rid of a lot of harmful diseases. It is also useful for preventive purposes against colds. It is used at a time when complications in the functioning of the nasopharynx, lungs, respiratory tract(at the top). Children cross their fingers quite often when they get a cold.

Worldwide distribution

This one sign simultaneously combines protection from demons and evil spirits, a symbol of health and mental well-being, and, of course, the success so desired by every person, good luck that brings necessary cards into the deck. After all, it is known that although much depends on us, various factors, unknown to us, also have a significant influence on the course of things.

It's important to come to right time to the right place, but first it is necessary that such a point exists at all. So you can use this gesture to turn the situation to your advantage. In any case, even if it does not have real power to influence circumstances, the confidence that a person feels is worth a lot; I understand that I have already made some contribution to my own business, in a certain way I have secured myself, putting an end to all empty doubts and uncertainty in to yourself. Moreover, it cannot be a coincidence that the sign was given great importance both in Christian circles and in the East since ancient times.

Such similarities, as a rule, concern only those things and facts that have a real and material background.