Formal Greetings and Handshakes

Formal greetings only occur between different age-groups. All formal greetings are initiated by the younger group and directed at the older group. In no case whatsoever will an older member start off with a greeting; they will only respond. Roughly, age-groups are divided as follows: children (less than 15-16 years old), young adults (16-34), adults (35-45), middle age (45-55), and elderly (older than 56 years). Greetings between members of the same age-group are similar to those in the other categories, differing slightly depending on the level of intimacy. There are no equivalent greetings in English that translate to the formal Swahili greetings. A formal greeting is normally accompanied by a handshake.