'I spin around and give him the finger down low, hoping Monsieur Boutin can't see. St. Clair responds by grinning and giving me the British version, the V-sign with his first two fingers. Monsieur Boutin tuts behind me with good nature. I pay for my meal and take the seat next to St. Clair. 'Thanks. I forgot how to flip off the English. I'll use the correct hand gesture next time.''/>― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss/>Hand gestures are expressive actions, which we display to communicate our messages. It is a non-verbal mode of communication, wherein we show up different movements of hands and fingers accompanied by various kinds of facial expressions. Hand gestures have a wide range of meanings, and they are also emblematic of different religious and cultural traditions. Every individual movement has a meaning symbolizing various forms of perceptions. We have explained you

this in the underlying content./>Popular Hand Gestures/>The meaning and significance of hand gestures can differ from one culture to another. Although people and cultures tend to interpret them in their own way, there are still some gestures which hold universal meanings, that is they mean the same everywhere in the world. In this write-up, we have listed some of the most widely used hand gestures./>The 'V' Sign/>▣ Raise your index and middle fingers, and separate them so as to form the alphabet 'V'. Show it to people with your palm facing outwards, and you are showing them the sign of victory. This gesture was used widely at the time of WWII, in order to symbolize 'V for Victory'./>▣ Then, in the 1960s, when the hippie movement gained impetus in the US, the same sign was used to indicate peace./>▣ Interestingly, in some of the East Asian countries, like Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan, the same gesture is often used (sometimes also with the palm facing inwards) to tell a person that he/she is looking cute, while being photographed./>▣ However, be careful in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, and New Zealand with regards to whether your palm is facing inwards or outwards. They consider it to be an offensive gesture if your palm faces inwards; mind well, you might be in for some real trouble./>Okay or A-oK/>▣ Raise your hand, and touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb to form a circular shape. Hold the remaining three fingers straight. This gesture signals the word okay, which means that everything is fine./>▣ This gesture

is one of the most important diving signals, and is used by divers, while they are under the water, to indicate that everything is fine./>▣ While the gesture indicates the same meaning in the US, in Europe, it signifies an insulting overtone, whereas in Latin America, it is regarded as an obscene action./>Stop or Stay/>▣ Hold your hand upright, with the back of your palm facing inwards. This hand gesture indicates that you want someone to stop or stay wherever he/she is./>▣ In the United States, 'stop' is depicted by showing the palm with all the fingers pointing upwards. This hand gesture also has other connotations like 'stay away' or 'talk to the hand'./>▣ In Malaysia raising the hand is explicitly done to summon waiters, or a person for conveying a message./>▣ In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, this gesture (when done with a right hand) is known as the Abhayamudra, and symbolizes safety and reassurance./>Pointing Fingers/>▣ Pointing fingers normally mean indicating some person or some object. Extending the index finger to point something is probably the most common hand gesture. You will also find babies pointing their fingers at objects they want./>▣ People also believe that pointing fingers could mean placing a blame on someone./>▣ Western cultures consider finger-pointing to be one of the most obscene hand gestures. Pointing the middle finger towards someone is a symbol of sexual disgrace./>Finger Curling/>▣ Extending the index finger and curling its tip means beckoning someone. When you call someone or try to seek attention, you usually use this gesture./>▣ In the US, it is generally used to summon waiters. However, sometimes it is also regarded as a seductive gesture./>▣ In Japan, this gesture is considered to be extremely rude, while in Singapore, it indicates death./>▣ Curling the index finger is popularly known as the 'dog call'./>Thumbs Up/Down/>▣ The thumb raised upwards, with the other fingers curled inwards is universally acknowledged as a gesture indicating 'well done' or 'things are great'./>▣ In Western cultures, it is a symbol of optimism. However, in the Middle East, Latin America, Greece, Russia, and West Africa, the 'thumbs up' gesture signifies an insult./>▣ Thumbs-down (thumb pointing towards the ground), on the other hand, signifies non-acceptance, failure, and rejection./>Crossed Fingers/>▣ This is one of the most popular hand gestures, used almost all over the world. When we cross the middle finger of either of our hands over the index finger of the same hand, this sign is formed./>▣ Crossing fingers signifies anticipation and good luck. It also symbolizes fortune, hope, and expectation of something./>▣ We keep our fingers crossed when we hope something good to happen, or even to nullify a promise./>▣ In Christianity, crossing fingers signifies a plea to God for protection against evil. However, in some ancient folkloric traditions, such symbols represented 'lies'./>I hope you have found the hand gestures interesting enough. However, always be sure of their underlying meaning before communicating anything through these forms of non-verbal communication.