For the use of the bow in musical instruments, see bow (music).

Korean bowing to Chinese in Seoul, South Korea

Bowing is the act of lowering the head, or sometimes the entire upper body from the waist, as a social gesture. This is common around the world, but is especially prominent in Oriental cultures especially in China, Korea, and Japan. Different cultures have placed varying degrees of importance on bowing, and have used bowing in a variety of ways. To show the highest degree of politeness, you bend your head and waist about 45 degrees. Common courtesy to most people is shown by bending your head and waist about 15 degrees. In a very casual meeting with a person about your age, nodding your head would be enough. People often bow while shaking hands with one or both hands. A cello bow In music, a bow is a device pulled across the strings of a string instrument in order to make them vibrate and emit sound. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 519 pixelsFull resolution (810 × 525 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Daniel Seong Taken photo by myself outside my home. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 519 pixelsFull resolution (810 × 525 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Daniel Seong Taken photo by myself outside my home. ... Seoul (서울)   [] is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the countrys northwest. ... For other uses of the word head, see head (disambiguation). ... Although the term social is a crucial category in social science and often used in public discourse, its meaning is often vague, suggesting that it is a fuzzy concept. ... The term the Orient - literally meaning sunrise, east - is traditionally used to refer to Near, Middle, and Far Eastern countries. ... The traditional culture of Korea is shared by South Korea and North Korea, but there are regional differences. ... A nod of the head is a gesture used in many cultures that is most commonly, but not universally, used to indicate agreement, acceptance, or acknowledgement. ...

In European cultures, bowing is an exclusively male practice - females perform a related gesture called a "curtsey" or "curtsy." As in Asian cultures, the depth of the bow expresses degree of respect or gratitude. In European courtly circles, males were expected to "bow and scrape" (hence the term "bowing and scraping" for what appears to be excessive ceremony). "Scraping" refers to the drawing back of the right leg as one bows, such that the right foot scrapes the floor or earth. Typically, while executing such a bow, the man's left hand is pressed horizontally across the abdomen while the right is held out from the body. A curtsey (also spelled curtsy) is a traditional gesture of greeting, predominantly done by women, in which the woman bends her knees while bowing forwards. ...

Bowing originated as a gesture of subordination, as lowering the head leaves the bower vulnerable. This was particularly the case in Asian cultures such as that of samurai Japan. For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ...

Bowing to other human beings is frowned upon in Muslim cultures as all human beings are considered equal and bowing is only supposed to be done to God in Islam. Similarly, in Judaism the second of the Ten Commandments is generally interpreted to forbid bowing before anyone but God. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ...

Bowing in East Asia

Bows are the traditional greeting in East Asia, more so in Korea and Japan than anywhere else. However, bowing is not reserved only for greetings. Bowing is a gesture of respect. Different bows are used for apologies and gratitude, to express different emotions, humility, sincerity, remorse, or deference, and in various traditional arts and religious ceremonies. Greeting is a way for humans to intentionally communicate awareness of each others presence, to show attention to, and/or to affirm or suggest a type of relationship or social status between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. ... East Asia Geographic East Asia. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 in South Korea or 조선 in North Korea, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Basic bows are performed with the back straight and the hands at the sides (boys and men) or clasped in the lap (girls and women), and with the eyes down or closed. Bows originate at the waist. Generally, the longer and deeper the bow, the stronger the emotion.

Bows can be generally divided into three main types: informal, formal, and very formal. Informal bows are made at about a fifteen degree angle and more formal bows at about thirty degrees. Very formal bows are deeper. There is an extremely complex etiquette surrounding bowing, including the length and depth of bow, and the appropriate response. For example, if the other person maintains his or her bow for longer than expected (generally about two or three seconds), it is polite to bow again, upon which one may receive another bow in return. This often leads to a long exchange of progressively lighter bows.

Generally speaking, an inferior bows longer and more deeply, and more frequently, than a superior.

Bowing at school

Students at all levels of primary and secondary education must bow many times each day. A typical class begins and ends with the students and teacher standing and bowing in unison to each other. Assemblies and club activities begin and end the same way; at assemblies students generally must also bow to each teacher who speaks in front of the assembled school. School ceremonies (such as graduation, welcome and farewell ceremonies) and special gatherings follow the same pattern as well.

Students will generally bow after speaking with a teacher in the staffroom, in thanks or apology, and particularly after being scolded.

In all but the most traditional schools, bows among teachers of similar rank are somewhat less frequent (except in thanks or apology), but subordinate teachers will usually bow when speaking with superior teachers such as the vice principal and principal.

Bows of apology and thanks

Bows are a required and expected part of any apology or expression of thanks in Japan and Korea, and only parts of China. Korea (Korean: 한국 in South Korea or 조선 in North Korea, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...

Bows of apology tend to be deeper and last longer than other types of bow. They tend to occur with frequency during the apology, generally at about 45 degrees with the head lowered and lasting for at least the count of three, sometimes longer. The depth, frequency and duration of the bow increases with the sincerity of the apology and the severity of the offense. Bows of thanks follow the same pattern. In extreme cases a kneeling bow is performed; this bow is sometimes so deep that the forehead touches the floor. This is called saikeirei (最敬礼) in Kanji and sebae (새배) in Korean. Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ...

Bows of apology are frequently performed at press conferences by high-ranking members of a company that has performed some misdeed, such as producing faulty parts that resulted in a death. These bows are almost invariably performed standing behind a table; the tips of the fingers touch the table while the upper body, held straight, is lowered from the waist until the face is parallel with the tabletop.

Bows of greeting

Bows are commonly used in greeting, both when meeting and when parting. Bows almost automatically accompany the greeting phrases, but generally are no longer used among the immediate family unless addressing a family member after or in anticipation of a long absence or separation. Greeting is a way for humans to intentionally communicate awareness of each others presence, to show attention to, and/or to affirm or suggest a type of relationship or social status between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. ...

Bows also replace speaking under certain circumstances. For example, when encountering again a person to whom one has already spoken that day, a silent bow replaces such phrases as "hello" or "hi."

A superior addressing an inferior will generally only nod the head slightly (some people may not bow at all), while an inferior will bend forward slightly from the waist.

Bowing and shaking hands

When dealing with non-East Asians, many East Asians will shake hands. Since many non-East Asians are familiar with the custom of bowing, this often leads to a combined bow and handshake which can be quite complicated to execute. Bows may be combined with handshakes or performed before or after shaking hands. East Asia Geographic East Asia. ... Shaking with the right hand while delivering a certificate with the left. ...

Generally when bowing in proximity to another, as necessitated when combining bowing and shaking hands, people turn slightly to one side (usually the left) to avoid bumping heads.

Bowing in China

Bowing in China is not as formalized as in Japan and Korea. Bowing is normally reserved for occasions such as funerals or ancestral worships only. The kowtow is extremely rare among the Chinese since the collapse of Imperial China. However in modern day China, bowing is necessary for Hangook people (Koreans) living in the Northern part of China. Vice versa for any Chinese or Japanese living in South Korea, a perfect example would be the community living in 서울특별시 Seoul City. Kowtowing Kowtow, from the Chinese term kòu tóu (Cantonese: kau tàuh) (叩頭), is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground. ... China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ...

Bowing in Japan

Bowing in Japan is distinct from other East Asian cultures when done in more traditional settings such as during a tea ceremony or during the beginning and end of a traditional martial arts match. A woman wearing a kimono performs a tea ceremony outdoors, while seated in seiza position. ...

Bowing in Korea

Bowing in Korean culture has different aspects to it than in other East Asian cultures. It is an especially integral part during martials arts, religious services dedicated to the dead, and formalized holidays. Unlike in the Japanese tea ceremony, a central approach to tea in Korea is an easy and natural coherence, with fewer formal rituals, fewer absolutes, greater freedom for relaxation, and more creativity in enjoying a wider variety of teas, services, and conversation. As a result, other than a bow of greeting and departure, bowing is not an integral aspect of the Korean tea ceremony. The traditional culture of Korea is shared by South Korea and North Korea, but there are regional differences. ... A woman wearing a kimono performs a tea ceremony outdoors, while seated in seiza position. ... A typical setting for a Korean tea ceremony disregarding a contemporary tiled rather than paper covered floor The Korean tea ceremony is a unique form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea for more than a thousand years. ...

Bowing in martial arts: Aikido, Kendo, Karate, Judo

Bowing is an integral part of traditional martial arts. Bows are used to begin and end practice, sparring bouts and competitions, and when entering and leaving the dojo, or practice room. This tends to be standard among practitioners in any country, and is common also among the practitioners of martial arts originating from outside of Japan, such as tae kwon do and kung fu, but in Japan other types of bow (for example, of thanks or apology) are also standard in the dojo. In feudal Japan, a kneeling bow after a kenjutsu (swordplay) duel when one was defeated meant a plea for beheading to avoid shame. A dojo is a term used in Japanese martial arts that refers to a formal training hall. ... Taekwondo is the Korean national sport and martial art, and is also one of the worlds most commonly practiced sports. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

Bowing in tea ceremony

Bowing is an important part of the Japanese tea ceremony. A woman wearing a kimono performs a tea ceremony outdoors, while seated in seiza position. ...

There are three main types of bow performed in a ceremony; they are classified as shin (深), gyō (行), and sō (草). All are usually performed from a kneeling position. Shin bows are the deepest; from a kneeling position, the bower bends forward from the waist, placing the hands palms down on the floor in front of the body, with the fingers facing. Shin bows are performed to teachers and superiors. Gyō and sō bows are less deep and less long (gyō bows are deeper). From a kneeling position and bowing from the waist, the hands are slid over the knees until the tips of the fingers touch the floor in front of the body. They are performed among persons of similar rank.

Students of tea ceremony bow to each other and to their teacher; each class begins with bows between the teacher and students. If a senior student is teaching a junior student, bows are exchanged between the two. Before beginning a practice, a student bows to all the other students as well. This pattern is repeated when the practice ends.

A bow is performed at the door before entering the tea room, or tea house. One then proceeds to the tokonoma, or scroll alcove, and bows again. Finally one greets the teacher, and then the other students, or the other guests, with bows. This pattern is repeated when leaving the tea room as well. Yugao-tei, Kanazawa Ihōan at Kōdai-ji in Kyoto Tchai-Ovna, Glasgow Tea houses are houses or parlors centered on drinking tea. ... A tokonoma ( Japanese 床の間) is a small raised alcove where decorative scrolls are hung. ...

The host of a tea cereomony bows before beginning the ceremony. Bows are exchanged repeatedly throughout a tea ceremony, between the host and guest of honour, among the guests, between guests and the hosts assistants, and between the host and guests.

Bowing in religious settings

Bows are performed both in Shinto and Buddhist settings. Korean Zen Buddhism has a daily ritual in which practitioners do 1,080 full prostration bows, usually spread throughout the day. More casual practitioners and laypeople typically do 108 bows once a day instead. Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... A silhouette of Buddha at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... A woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, (Japan, 1887) depicting Bodhidharma the founder of Chinese Zen. ...

Visitors to a Shinto shrine will clap or ring a bell to attract the attention of the enshrined deity, clasp the hands in prayer, and then bow. A Jinja (Japanese: 神社) is a Shinto shrine including its surrounding natural area but it is more common to refer to buildings as a jinja. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ...

For bowing in Islam see Ruk'u. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Ruku is the bowing performed during Muslim prayer. ...

Bowing in Christian liturgy

Different types of bows in Eastern Orthodoxy

In Christian liturgy, bowing is a sign of respect or deference. In many traditions, individuals will bow when passing in front of the altar, or at certain points in the service (for example, when the name of Jesus Christ is spoken). It may take the form of a simple bow of the head, or a slight incline of the upper body. A profound bow is a deep bow from the waist, and is often done as a substitution for genuflection. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... Look up Altar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Look up Genuflection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

For bowing in Eastern Orthodoxy, see zemnoy poklon. ... Poyasny (little bow) and zemnoy poklon (great bow) are different kinds of bows used in an Eastern Orthodox worship service. ...

Bowing in Jewish settings

In Jewish setting, bowing, like Christianity, is a sign of respect, and is done at certain points in the Jewish services. This is done by merely bending the knees, and then, while straightening the knees, bending the upper body forward. After a few seconds, the congregant returns to the standing position. Most importantly during the concluding Aleinu section of the services, congregants will bow when they say "V'anachnu korim umishtachavim u'modim," meaning "we bend our knees, bow, and acknowledge our thanks." Another moment in the service which triggers the bow is during the "Bar'chu." Many bow at the mention of "Adonai" (the Jewish addressing of the Lord) at this and various other parts in the service (most likely if they are to remain standing during that prayer). The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination...

The Talmudic texts as well as writings of Gaonim and Rishonim indicate that prostration was common among many Jewish communities until some point during the Middle Ages. Members of the Karaite denomination practice full prostrations during prayers. Ashkenazi Orthodox Jews prostrate during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as did Yemenite Jews during the Tachanun part of regular daily Jewish prayer until somewhat recently. Ethiopian Jews traditionally prostrated during a holiday specific to their community known as Sigd. Sigd comes from a root word meaning prostration in Amharic, Aramaic, and Arabic. Among Talmide haRambam, a small modern restorationist group with perspectives on Jewish law similar to that of Dor Daim, there is a move to revive prostration as a regular part of daily Jewish worship. The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a. ... Geonim (also Gaonim) (Hebrew: גאונים) were the presidents of the two great rabbinical colleges of Sura and Pumbedita, in Babylonia, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta (Exilarch) who wielded secular authority over the... Rishonim (ראשונים Hebrew - sing. ... Karaite Judaism is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the Tanakh as the sole scripture, and rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmuds) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים Standard Hebrew, AÅ¡kanazi,AÅ¡kanazim, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾAÅ¡kănāzî, ʾAÅ¡kănāzîm, pronounced sing. ... Orthodox Judaism is one of the three major branches of Judaism. ... This article is about the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. ... Yom Kippur (IPA: ; Hebrew:יוֹם כִּפּוּר, IPA: ) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... Yemenite Jews (Hebrew: תֵּימָנִים, Standard Temanim Tiberian ; singular תֵּימָנִי, Standard Temani Tiberian ) are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen (תֵּימָן, Standard Teman Tiberian ; far south), on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. ... Tachanun or Tahanun (Hebrew: תחנון Supplication) is part of Judaisms morning (Shacharit) and afternoon (Mincha) services, after the recitation of the Amidah, the central part of the daily Jewish prayer services. ... The Beta Israel (or House of Israel), known by outsiders by the pejorative term Falasha or Falash Mura (exiles or strangers) are Jews of Ethiopian origin. ... The Ethiopian Sigd festival falls on 29th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, and is a festival unique to the Beta Israel community. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Dor Daim, sometimes known as Dardaim, are adherents of the Dor Deah movement in Judaism. ...

See also

• Prostration
• Genuflection

Prostration can mean either: the placement of the body in a reverentially or submissively prone position (for instance, as part of religious or spiritual observance); or, physical or mental exhaustion (for instance, as part of a medical condition). ... Look up Genuflection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

External links

• More information on bowing in religious settings

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