Each house has its own handshake. Having their own handshake separates them from all the other fraternities and sororities. It is essentially a greeting for just one house. This handshake has been passed down since the very beginning of the chapter and it is secret meaning that no other member may share or have knowledge of the handshake if they are not in the house. It is a way to make the members of the house have something they only can share. It also represents their membership and devotion to the house. It is the only way a member can enter the session of “chapter”, a meeting for the entire house, so it is the gateway to all the folklore, traditions, and values that the house shares. I think it is a very cultish and old-fashioned tradition of the house.