What does the symbol of 4 hands grasping wrists to make a square mean?

Answer 1

The symbol of four hands grasping wrists to make a square is commonly known as the "Four Corner Blessings" or "Four Immeasurables" in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It represents loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Each hand symbolizes one of these virtues, and when combined in a square formation, they represent the interconnectedness and balance of these qualities in one's life.

Answer 2

Ben franklin created the first fire department in 1736. By 1752 he had created an insurance company know as the Philadelphia Contributionship. The symbol of four hands holding four wrists is know as a "Fire Mark". This mark was used as "proof of insurance" and would be found on homes and businesses insured by the Philadelphia Contributionship. Other insurance companies had their own fire marks such as The Mutual Assurance Company was also known as the Green Tree company. Their fire mark was ( of course) a green tree. The Fire Association's mark shows a fire hose and a rope as their fire mark. Though all fire companies were volunteer outfits and would work to save any house, they were also usually tied to a particular insurance company: they were ever so slightly biased toward saving houses that had policies with their companies. In order to identify their house to their fire company, homeowners would affix a fire mark to the front of their home.