What Is PLUR? Plus, How to Do the PLUR Handshake

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Get the 101 on rave culture (and what makes it so special)
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PLUR is short for peace, love, unity, and respect. These four core values form the backbone of rave culture, and they’re part of what makes going to an EDM rave such a powerful, moving experience for so many people. The dancing, the rainbow clothing, the bright lights, and the fun outfits wouldn’t add up to much without PLUR bringing everyone together on the dance floor. In this article, we’ll break down what PLUR is, where it comes from, and how you can participate in the culture when it comes to the PLUR handshake—a special greeting and form of gift exchange common at raves.

What Is PLUR in rave culture?

The acronym PLUR stands for “peace,” “love,” “unity,” and “respect.” These are the four beliefs that guide rave culture and inform how ravers should act when they’re dancing and socializing. They also inform the steps in the PLUR handshake, where ravers exchange Kandi bracelets with new friends and other dancers.

Section 1 of 4:

PLUR Meaning

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  1. PLUR is a foundational belief system in rave culture. It’s the idea that everyone in the room is equally deserving of affection, care, and inclusion. PLUR binds everyone at the rave together and is responsible for the “good vibes” you find at any electronic dance music (EDM) rave. [1] The four basic principles are:
    • Peace. Everyone is at the rave for a good time. Don’t start any fights, have a good attitude, say “please” and “thank you,” and care about your fellow ravers.
    • Love. Spread love! Hug new friends, dance with strangers, and maintain the positive energy radiating through the space.
    • Unity. Ravers love music. You are all bound by this mutual love, so don’t judge anyone who seems different or out of place. If you see someone who looks lonely, go say hi!
    • Respect. Have respect for yourself, your fellow ravers, and the space you’re in. Pick up after yourself, have empathy, and avoid violating the PLUR values.
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Section 2 of 4:

The PLUR Handshake & Kandi Bracelets

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  1. Kandi refers to the colorful beaded or woven bracelets ravers typically wear. These bracelets are often rainbow and usually handmade . They’re given away at raves (or exchanged via the PLUR handshake) as symbols of friendship. At raves and EDM shows, the exchanging of Kandi via the PLUR handshake is a bit of a community ritual. You do not have to participate if you don’t want to, although it’s fun to build a collection and trade! [2]
    • If you’re new to the scene, we strongly encourage participating in the Kandi exchanges. It’s such a great way to meet new people and introduce yourself to potential friends.
    • The PLUR handshake is also known as the PLUR kiss, the Kandi kiss, the raver’s shake, and the raver’s kiss.
    • Most raves probably average around 50% when it comes to Kandi/PLUR handshake participation, so feel free to sit it out if you’re still new to the scene.
  2. Depending on the rave, you may be approached by strangers, acquaintances, or new potential friends to engage in the PLUR handshake. You are not required to participate, but anyone trying to shake with you is offering to exchange Kandi, and the whole point of Kandi is to give it away and trade it with new friends so consider reciprocating! [3]
    • If you aren’t comfortable participating or you don’t understand, that’s okay! Just say so. Nobody offering a PLUR handshake is going to take offense, especially if you let them know you’re an introvert or you’re new to the scene.
    • You’re free to initiate any PLUR handshakes of your own, too!
  3. Make a “peace sign” with your index and middle fingers. Face your palm towards the other person and connect the pads of your fingers. Hold your fingers together for a moment. [4]
    • If someone makes a peace sign at you with their palm facing you from a distance, they’re offering to PLUR handshake.
  4. Hold your index and middle fingers together as you transition into the heart. Join your middle, index, ring, and pinkie fingers together and curl them up to form the top half of the heart. Curl your thumb underneath and touch it to the other person’s thumb to form the bottom of the heart. Hold this position for a moment. [5]
    • You’ll often see ravers make the heart logo with close friends (or by themselves) in photos from raves.
  5. Keep your thumbs pressed together but spread your other four fingers out. Interlock your fingers with the other person’s fingers so that the webs of your fingers are touching one another. Hold this position. [6]
  6. Traditionally, this is where you’d swap Kandi bracelets with the other person. Many ravers like to treat this part kind of like a game where you try to maneuver your wrists in a way where you can grab bracelets without using your free hand, but feel free to just slide a bracelet over to their wrist with your free hand if you prefer.
  7. The “respect” part of the shake is sort of up to you. Most ravers will dap one another up or hug it out. This is also the point where you’d introduce yourself if you haven’t already! [7]
    • PLUR handshakes are the perfect way to meet people and make new friends in the rave scene!
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Section 3 of 4:

Why PLUR Matters

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  1. Raves are not just upbeat EDM dance parties—they’re borderline religious experiences where you get to open up, let your freak flag fly, and dance your heart out amongst like-minded people. This kind of community experience is special—you don’t just cultivate something like this on accident. So, respect the heart of the scene by practicing and protecting the PLUR code. [8]
    • PLUR is also a very old set of ideals that were first developed in the 1990s. At this point, PLUR is a core element of rave culture the same way that fighting authority is core part of the punk scene, or anti-war beliefs are a core part of the hippie subculture.
Section 4 of 4:

Where does PLUR come from?

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  1. According to legend, Frankie Bones was DJing a warehouse rave when a fight broke out. Bones got on the mic and shouted, “If you don't start showing some peace, love, and unity, I'll break your faces!” [9] PLUR developed on the back of that anecdote as raver culture continued to grow.
    • As the DJ Frankie Bones story spread like wildfire, PLUR started to appear on flyers for raves and parties. This helped the acronym (and its message) spread even faster and further!
    • PLUR is closely tied to hip hop community and culture, too. Many of the early ravers and DJs were also graffiti writers, breakdancers, and hip hop fans, so a similar energy persists in hip hop today. [10]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.strikemagazines.com/blog-2-1/plur-understanding-the-rave-about-edm
      2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191014032301/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/395a/6837f945d4ed600f2fc57eb1a163347956b5.pdf
      3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191014032301/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/395a/6837f945d4ed600f2fc57eb1a163347956b5.pdf
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/qUEFABntkB8?t=31
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/qUEFABntkB8?t=39
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/qUEFABntkB8?t=39
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/qUEFABntkB8?t=52
      8. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10701949/
      9. ↑ https://iedm.com/blogs/onblast-edm-blog/aspire-for-plur-not-instagram-likes
      1. ↑ https://www.insomniac.com/magazine/frankie-bones-on-the-origins-of-plur/

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