This cold and flu season,give holiday hugs andkeep hands to yourselfToday is Christmas Eve, and by now most of us have already participated in our share of holiday parties and family gatherings.It’s no wonder, that the holiday season and cold and flu season often become one in the same, what with all the handshaking and coughing into hands going on all at once.Not to be Scroogish, but all this social mingling adds up to one giant germ swap.All kinds of people who normally don’t bump into each other attend germ swaps near and far and bring those new germs to additional germ swaps.The germs travel from mucous membranes in eyes and noses to fingers and hands with an unknowing rub of the eyelid or scratch of the nostril.Those hands, in turn, transfer germs to door knobs, coffee pot handles, stairwell railings, and — yes — to other people’s hands.Hands are the culprits — even on the squeaky cleanest people. Just ask the Public Health Department.So, why then, in an industrially developed, highly-educated country such as ours, is it customary to greet people with a germ-infested handshake?Hand washing goes a long way in preventing the germ swap, but it would also help to keep our hands to ourselves — especially during the holidays.Instead, there’s a safer, more social alternative: holiday hugs.For churches that have incorporated handshaking into their worship routine, hugs might be the perfect Sunday morning greeting — especially for the new "charismatic" congregations that are establishing their niche as warm and informal groups.For the socially reserved congregations, pleasant smiles and cheery "hellos" will do.For the socially not-so-reserved, on the other hand, hugs and kisses might be the preferred handshake alternative. Acidic saliva, after all, is a known germ solvent. In the interest of tidy greetings, though, it’s probably best to stick with a simple Italian peck on the cheek.To take the hands-off theme a step farther, I also recommend pressing elevator buttons with knuckles, turning door knobs through shirtsleeves, flushing toilets with feet and not touching common public surfaces, such as stairwell railings and grocery carts (I pull my sleeves down for that, too).If none of this makes sense, at the very least we need to protect our immune systems in the daily battle against germs.This means eating right and getting enough sleep.All the hands-off measures in the world won’t help an immune system weakened by sleep deprivation and poor nutrition.I should know.After one too many late-night gift wrapping sessions munching on Christmas candy, I woke up two days ago with a miserable cold.I’ll try to keep my hands — and my germs — to myself. … Hugs, anyone?
