Is holding hands a romantic activity?

[bare_trees]

I don't think it is, necessarily, though it certainly can be. What do you think?

 

Edit: I was thinking between adults, not scenarios like a parent and child--sorry I didn't specify.

[awadama]

It can be, but obviously not always.

 

Children hold hands with their parents - that clearly isn't romantic.

 

Kissing can be romantic or totally not romantic, the same as stuff like hugging, winking or probably about a million other things.

[WhiteCatandcherries]

I think whether a thing is romantic or not is largely about what the people involved are feeling - do they get romantic feelings from it? then yes it is romantic. If they don't, then no. My best guy friend has slept with his head in my lab - none of us considered it romantic so it wasn't.

[Ceebs]

It can be, but isn't automatically. Obviously a parent and child holding hands wouldn't be romantic, or two kids who were best friends, or someone trying to provide comforting support to someone who was having a rough time. Even in the context of a romantic relationship, it depends. If I was going for a stroll by the lake with my partner and we were holding hands, I'd consider that somewhat romantic. If I was in the hospital laid up in a stretcher and feeling sick and scared and he was holding my hand, it would make me feel comforted and perhaps a bit safer and calmer, but it wouldn't be romantic.

[Liara]

Hm, for me, I can't imagine holding hands without romantic feelings.

But I understand the situations described in the other posts so why not... But not for me 😆

[Steel13]

I like holding hands with a friend; in that scenario, it's completely platonic. But we usually hold hands when we're being silly or walking in crowds, etc. 

If someone holds my hand in a more serious scenario or holds my hand a particular way (rubbing thumb on back of my hand, intertwining fingers, etc.), I consider that more romantic. 

 

I'm actually very picky about who I hold hands with. I enjoy doing it, but it feels very wrong unless we are very close. 

[Eutierria]

Depends on the person & how you guys have defined your relationship & what it means to you. 

 

The confusion can be caused by one person thinking it is romantic & the other person thinking it's platonic. It's easier to be on the same page or at least understand each other. 

 

 

When not a partner, it's more obvious it's non-romantic (e.g. holding hand of a dying loved one, holding hand of a child crossing the road, holding hand of a friend who'd received bad news etc). 

 

 

[Philip027]

Generally, it is seen as such.  From my experience, people generally don't want to hold hands with someone that isn't a romantic partner, unless other factors are at play -- such as one person being significantly older/younger or potentially disabled and needing a (literal) hand in getting around safely.

[Sally]

I'm assuming that the OP is talking about adults holding hands, not children and their parents/family members.  

 

Yes, I think it is, in America at least, and probably other Western countries.  In some Latin countries, men walk holding hands with other men, but that's not common.

 

 

 

 

[RoseGoesToYale]

Depends on context. In some cultures, platonic handholding is the standard. It really just depends on how the people involved perceive it.

[alto]

Naw.  I can hold hands with friends.  I can lie on top of friends.  I can share a bed with friends.  They're still friends, not romo partners.

[AceArospec]

3 hours ago, RoseGoesToYale said:

Depends on context. In some cultures, platonic handholding is the standard. It really just depends on how the people involved perceive it.

This is my understanding of it, too. I think it's a "Western" cultural thing to associate hand-holding with romance. In some cultures it's a sign of friendship & respect & isn't a signal of a romantic partnership.

[BigBassFox]

Depends on the boundaries and symbolic meaning applied of those involved. For some it's something they do with everyone, with other's it's a very personal romantic/emotionally deep activity.

[VerbalChains]

I'll be so bold as to say that holding hands between adults is pretty romantic, in most situations. 

There are always exceptions, but I'd think "romance" without any other context clues. 

[Tystie]

I selected sometimes, but I would have gone for usually had that been an option.

 

I feel like it should be similar to hugging. It could be romantic but there are other reasons for hugging: shared celebration, comfort, friendship, or just because.

 

I have to wonder, however, how many of us get conditioned out of hand holding as we get older. Maybe this is for fear of it being interpreted as romantic. Or maybe we don’t do it because its a throwback to childhood.

 

It’s not just parent/child handholding. It was also something we had to do with each other. I remember as a very small kid having to line up two-by-two with my peers and hold my partner’s hand as we walked crocodile-style to our destination. I used to hate being forced to pair up with someone I didn’t like, the sandpaper feel of dry skin against mine, and the moist and squidgy feel of someone else’s palm.

 

So, not holding hands could be seen as a right of passage to independence and self-determination. Just a thought.

 

Also, there is potentially a higher level of intimacy involved with skin to skin hand holding compared to a fully-clothed hug.

[Eroell]

When it comes to adult people, yes, it is romantic. And the urge to hold someone's hand is part of romantic attraction. At least for me.

[cinary]

It can be but deffinitely doesn't have to be. I had friends that I held hands with while we were walking or doing something. These are just hands, body parts, there's nothing inherently romantic about them really.

[Sky Tune Rein]

It can be. Sometimes it isn't, such as holding somebody's dismembered hands, and for parents to make sure they their kids don't get lost.

[Anomaly Q3Xr]

Depends on the people involved I guess. For me, personally, I would never hold hands with another adult outside of a relationship, it is something that I find very personal and intimate.

[Ceebs]

18 hours ago, Sky Tune Rein said:

such as holding somebody's dismembered hands

😂

 

I like you.

[dusktodawn]

Depends on the meaning given to it by the hand holders. It definitely can be.

[Squirrel Combat]

Hands down, yes! 

[FemmeDimanche]

Apparently it is to a lot of people. For me? Not with a casual friend, but with a partner or a close friend is appropriate.

[Purple Red Panda]

In the UK it is culturally seen as usually being a romantic activity, although from what I can gather in other parts of the world can simply be a friendship thing.

[AbeeC]

I hold hands with friends all the time nonromantically but would completely understand if someone observing us thought it was romantic. A friend and I used to joke that people probably thought we were dating because we walked around holding hands so much.