vulcan salute: medium skin tone
Unicode: 1F596 1F3FD
Description
An open hand with the thumb and little finger extended, resembling the 'shaka' or 'hang loose' gesture, represented with a medium skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-open
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents a friendly greeting, solidarity, surfing culture, a call for relaxation, or a 'hang loose' attitude. Can also signify friendship or support.
Backstory
The shaka sign originated in Hawaii, attributed to Hamana Kalili, a local fisherman who lost his middle three fingers in a sugar mill accident. His distinctive wave became a common greeting within the local community. It was later adopted by surfers and became a global symbol of surf culture, friendship, and positivity. The 🖖 Vulcan Salute emoji (U+1F596) was added as part of Unicode 7.0 in 2014, and the skin tone modifier (U+1F3FD) was added with Emoji 2.0 in 2015, allowing for diverse representations of the gesture.
Usage Examples
- Greeting friends: 'Hey guys! 🤙🏽'
- Expressing optimism: 'Everything's gonna be alright, just hang loose! 🤙🏽'
- Celebrating a good wave: 'That was an epic ride! 🤙🏽'
- Showing support: 'I got your back, man! 🤙🏽'
- Inviting relaxation: 'Just chill and enjoy the vibes 🤙🏽'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Popularized by Hawaiian surf culture, it's widely recognized as a 'hang loose' sign for greeting, farewell, or expressing goodwill and relaxation, particularly in beach or sports contexts.
East Asian culture:
Similar usage to Western culture, especially in contexts influenced by global surf or youth culture. May also be used playfully.