The United Macedonia salute is a salute

Salute

A salute is a gesture or other action used to display respect. Salutes are primarily associated with armed forces, but other organizations and civil people also use salutes.-Military salutes:...

 with the thumb and pointing finger shaped in a circle and the left over three fingers pointing up, used by some nationalist Macedonians in Macedonia

Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...

 as well among Macedonians in the diaspora, advocating the irredentist concept of United Macedonia

United Macedonia

United Macedonia is an irredentist concept among ethnic Macedonian nationalists that aims to unify the transnational region of Macedonia in southeastern Europe, which they claim as their homeland, and which they assert was wrongfully divided under the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913, into a single...

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Meanings of the salute

The meaning of this salute is, as said by Macedonians, the two fingers in a circle symbolize the letter 'O', which is the first letter of the Macedonian word 'Обединета' (Obedineta) meaning 'United' in Macedonian

Macedonian language

Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...

 referring to a United Macedonia

United Macedonia

United Macedonia is an irredentist concept among ethnic Macedonian nationalists that aims to unify the transnational region of Macedonia in southeastern Europe, which they claim as their homeland, and which they assert was wrongfully divided under the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913, into a single...

. The other three fingers symbolize the three regions of Macedonia; Vardar Macedonia

Vardar Macedonia

Vardar Macedonia is an area in the north of the Macedonia . The borders of the area are those of the Republic of Macedonia. It covers an area of...

, Aegean Macedonia

Aegean Macedonia

Aegean Macedonia is a term that refers to the Greek region of Macedonia. It is currently mainly used in the Republic of Macedonia, including in the irredentist context of a United Macedonia. The term is also used in Bulgaria as the more common synonym for Greek Macedonia, without the connotations...

 and Pirin Macedonia. The five fingers as a whole resemble the Vergina Sun

Vergina Sun

The Vergina Sun — also known as the Star of Vergina, Macedonian star, or Argead Star — is the name given to a symbol of a stylised star or sun with sixteen rays. It was unearthed in 1977 during excavations in Vergina, in the northern Greek region of Macedonia, by archaeologist Manolis Andronikos...

, which was Macedonia's flag from 1992 to 1995.

Usage

Within Macedonia itself, it is mostly used by the youth to show their thoughts about a United Macedonia as well as Macedonians in the diaspora. The use of this sign has increased over the past years, especially at protests against the possible name change in the name issue with southern neighbour Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

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Connotations

Members of other Balkan peoples, especially Greeks

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

  will often find it provocative and offensive due to possible irredentist  claims on the Macedonian region in northern Greece

Macedonia (Greece)

Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...

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