Ever wondered why people clap their hands when a plane lands? Considered by many unnecessary and a bit out of place, this custom is nonetheless often part of the flight. What is the source of this behavior? As with all human rituals it’s hard to trace it back to its origins and explain it thoroughly.
One possibility is that it’s a holdover from when air travel was still a new experience for everyone. People were unaccustomed to flying and it was considered an adventure. They dressed in nice clothes for the flight as it was a special day. Just like when somebody goes to the theater, dresses well and applauds after the performance, the same was done after the flight. While this could be true, nowadays flying is an ordinary thing – almost everybody has flown on a plane at least once.
Another explanation is that the flight is still considered a very risky endeavor. The pilot has to control a big machine which requires skill and specialized knowledge from different fields – weather, radio, navigation and function of the plane itself and the flight process.
In order to comprehend how hard and perilous it can be, consider watching the harsh weather conditions and imagine that you are the pilot responsible for everyone onboard:
Hope that it may now be easier to understand the motive behing this apparently bizarre custom.
