Why do Freemasons have a Funny Handshake?
Freemasonry is a very old society that pre-dates many present day institutions. The earliest Masonic records are to be found in Scotland and date from a time when members of Lodges were mainly illiterate. As stone masons had to travel all over the country, and occasionally overseas, some simple method of recognition had to be devised in order to secure employment appropriate to the degree of skill of each individual. Modern day Freemasonry continues that practice. Other organisations use different methods to identify between those who are members and those who are not. A membership card is the most common form and instantly shows that one is a member of a particular society etc. A membership card, or anything in writing, would have been useless to an illiterate stone mason. Freemasonry is a very traditional institution, proud of its history and what it stands for. It simply continues to use practices established centuries ago.
