noun
ritual hand clapping at a shrine
Specifically refers to the formal, two-clap gesture performed when praying at a Shinto shrine, distinct from ordinary applause.
神社で二礼二拍手一礼の作法に従って柏手を打った。
At the shrine, I performed the ritual clapping following the two-bows, two-claps, one-bow etiquette.
拍手 (はくしゅ) means general applause or clapping, while 柏手 (かしわで) is the specific ritual clapping at Shinto shrines.
The term 柏手 likely derives from the shape of the hands when clapping, resembling an oak leaf (柏). The exact origin is uncertain.