open hands: medium-light skin tone
Unicode: 1F450 1F3FC
Description
An open hand, depicting the palm and fingers, often used to signify an open hand, waving, or reaching out. When followed by 1F3FC, it indicates a light-medium skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hands
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Can convey various emotions depending on context: openness, welcoming, asking for something, waving goodbye or hello, or a high-five. The skin tone modifier adds a layer of personal representation.
Backstory
The 'open hands sign' emoji (1F450) was introduced as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010. The skin tone modifiers (like 1F3FC) were added with Unicode 8.0 in 2015, allowing users to customize the emoji to better represent themselves or others, promoting inclusivity in digital communication.
Usage Examples
- Waving hello or goodbye: 'See you later! 👋👋🏽'
- Offering a high-five: 'Great job! 🙌🏾'
- Indicating an open gesture: 'My hands are open for discussion ✋🏼'
- Asking for something: 'Can I have some? ✋🏽'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used for gestures like 'high-five,' 'give me five,' waving goodbye/hello, or indicating 'talk to the hand.' The skin tone reflects diversity.
East Asian culture:
Similar uses for waving or asking. In some contexts, an open hand can signify giving or receiving, or simply an open, unarmed gesture. Skin tone usage is global for personalization.