Two people hold hands, apart from in the case of a handshake:
  • to express friendship or love
  • to guide a child
  • to keep together in a crowd
  • for emotional support
  • to help the other standing or climbing up

Whether friends hold hands depends on culture and gender: in the Western culture this is mainly done by women and small children. In Arab countries it is done also by men.

See also Physical intimacy.