The three-finger salute

A Nice Gesture ｻ Serbian Salute by Marija Serifovic

The three-finger salute is a Serbian salute with the thumb, index, and middle fingers open. The origin of this gesture is said to be the orthodox way of crossing yourself, with three fingers instead of the entire hand (referring to the Christian Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). That is not unlikely but the actual othodox crossing is done with three fingers together, not spread. The spreaded Serbian salute could however be seen as an exaggerated version of the hand used in crossing. It is as if the Serbs, in this gesture, stress their difference from people that cross themselves with the thumb touching the fingers in opposition (catholic Croats?).

The Serbian salute is made, for example, by fans and players to celebrate sport victories. Members of other ethnic groups, especially Bosniaks and Croats, are said to find it provocative. So, it is effectively a symbol of national and/or ethnic identity.

Wow; here I thought it was just a lazy peace sign. An interesting article on how this simple hand gesture is almost as offensive as a middle finger to some people groups--and the larger more philosophical topic of when a group identity can become detrimental.