World Handwashing Day: Across civilisations, clean hands meant more than just hygiene

Hyderabad: Every year, October 15 marks World Handwashing Day, a global campaign to highlight the importance of hand hygiene in preventing disease and promoting health.

While the day is rooted in public health awareness, the practice of washing hands has existed for centuries, not merely as a hygienic act, but as a ritual of respect, purity and readiness.

In many cultures, clean hands are seen as a reflection of a clean conscience, a way of preparing both body and mind before prayer, meals or social interaction.

India: Clean hands as a sacred habit

In India, handwashing has deep cultural and spiritual roots. Long before modern sanitation campaigns, it was embedded in daily life through rituals, Ayurveda and religion.

People wash their hands before meals, after returning home and before prayers, an instinctive rhythm that blends hygiene with reverence.

According to Dr Meenakshi Iyer, an Ayurvedic practitioner, speaking to NewsMeter, said, “Clean hands have always been seen as a reflection of inner discipline. Ayurveda recommends washing hands and face before every meal, as digestion begins with ritual readiness.”

Significance of traditional practices

Traditional practices even incorporated natural cleansing agents, turmeric, neem leaves, tamarind, and ash, known for their antibacterial properties. In temples, priests wash their hands repeatedly during pujas to maintain ritual purity.

“When my grandmother cooked, she wouldn’t touch food without washing her hands first with ash or shikakai,” recalls Sujata Narayan, a cultural researcher. “It was not about fear of germs, it was about respect for what’s being offered and shared.”

Japan: Cleansing before the divine

In Japan, visitors to Shinto shrines perform a ritual called temizu before entering sacred spaces. Using a wooden ladle, they rinse their hands and mouth at a stone basin to symbolically cleanse themselves of impurity.

Japanese cultural expert Naoko Saito, who teaches at the Japan Foundation in New Delhi, explains, “Temizu teaches mindfulness through movement. You wash slowly, with intention, not as a routine but as a moment of transition from the ordinary to the sacred.”

Even in modern Japan, the value of clean hands remains tied to notions of respect, purity, and discipline.

Middle East: Purity and prayer through wudu

In Islam, cleanliness forms an essential part of faith. The ritual of wudu (ablution) requires washing the hands, face, mouth, and feet before every prayer.

This act is performed five times a day, serving both physical and spiritual preparation.

Imam Abdul Qadir from Hyderabad said, “When we wash our hands before prayer, we’re not just removing dust, we’re resetting intention. Cleanliness is an act of respect before standing before God.”

The same reverence extends to daily life, where washing hands before and after meals is seen as basic etiquette and respect for food.

Ethiopia: The hospitality of clean hands

In Ethiopia, washing hands marks the beginning and end of every communal meal. A jug of water, called shibsh, and a basin are passed around for guests to rinse their hands before eating together.

This gesture is both practical and symbolic. It signifies that everyone shares equally in the meal and that care has been taken to preserve hygiene.

“The act of pouring water for another is a sign of trust and service,” said Ayele Mekonnen, a cultural researcher. “It’s hospitality in motion.”

Europe: From courtly rituals to public health

Centuries ago, handwashing in Europe was more about etiquette than infection control. At royal feasts, servants offered bowls of perfumed water for guests to rinse their fingers between courses.

With the rise of germ theory in the 19th century, this act transformed from refinement to necessity.

“The etiquette of washing became the foundation of modern hygiene campaigns,” noted Dr Shreya Banerjee, a historian of medicine from Delhi University. “Cultural rituals gave way to science, but the meaning, respect and readiness remain the same.”

Ritual, respect, and modern relevance

World Handwashing Day may focus on soap and sanitation, but its deeper message has always existed in tradition. Across cultures, washing hands represents renewal of thought, intention, and connection.

“Our ancestors understood that clean hands are about balance, between health, humility, and harmony,” said Dr Meenakshi Iyer. “It’s one of the simplest, most universal rituals that unites us across beliefs.”

Whether it’s washing before a meal in Chennai, before prayer in Hyderabad, or before worship in Kyoto, the message remains the same: Clean hands prepare us for what comes next, physically, spiritually and collectively.