Cheek kissing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cheek kissing is a ritual or social gesture to indicate friendship, perform a greeting, to confer congratulations, to comfort someone, or to show respect. It does not necessarily indicate sexual or romantic interest. Cheek kissing is more common in Europe and Latin America than North America (except for Quebec) and Asia, especially the southern parts of Europe.
Soviet and other eastern European communist leaders often greeted each other in this fashion on public and state occasions.
Depending on the local culture, cheek kissing may be considered appropriate between a man and a woman, a parent and a child, two women, or two men. The last is socially accepted in Russia and the Middle East but may bring up associations with homosexuality in Western Europe, Latin America and the US.
In a cheek kiss, both persons lean forward and either lightly touch cheek with cheek or lip with cheek. Generally the gesture is repeated with the other cheek, or more, alternating cheeks. Depending on country and situation the number of kisses is usually one, two, three or four. Hand-shaking or hugging may also take place.
Cheek-kissing is used in many cultures with slightly varying meaning and gesture. For example, cheek-kissing may or may not be associated with a hug. The appropriate social context for use can vary greatly from one country to the other, though the gesture might look familiar.
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[edit] United States and Canada
In the United States and Canada, the cheek kiss may involve one or both cheeks. According to March 15, 2004 edition of Time Magazine, "a single kiss is acceptable [greeting] in the United States, but it's mostly a big-city phenomenon." In most relationships, the girl usually kisses the boy on the cheek. (sign of love or affection)
Cheek kissing of children by adults of both sexes is perhaps the most common cheek kiss in North America. Typically it is a short, perfunctory greeting, and is most often done by relatives.
Cheek kissing between adults, when it occurs at all, is most often done between a man and woman who know each other well, such as between relatives or close friends. In this case, a short hug (generally only upper-body contact) may accompany the kiss. Also common is cheek kissing between two women who know each other or are related. Likewise, hugs are common but not required. A hug alone may also suffice in both of these situations, and is much more common.
A variant of the cheek kiss is the air kiss. This kiss is done without actually making contact with the skin, but with the lips fairly close to the cheek.
A kiss may also be blown from a distance of several feet. This is most often done as flirting, but it can also be done sarcastically.
Particularly in the Southeast, elderly women may be cheek-kissed by younger men as a gesture of affection and respect.
Immigrant groups tend to have their own norms for cheek kissing, usually carried-over from their native country.
[edit] Latin America
In Latin America, cheek kissing is a universal form of greeting between a man and a woman or two women. It is not necessary to know a person well or be intimate with them to kiss them on the cheek. A cheek kiss can be accompanied by a handshake or a hug, although hugs are usually a sign of deeper trust.
As with other regions, cheek kissing may be lips-to-cheek or cheek-to-cheek with a kiss in the air, the latter being more common.
Cheek-kissing between two men is usually seen as a sign of homosexuality or femininity in most conservative countries, except father-son cases and very rarely, close friend kissing.
Other exceptions occur in Argentina and Uruguay where it's common between male friends to kiss "a la italiana", i.e. football players kiss each other to congratulate or to greet. This kind of greeting can be awkward to, say, a Colombian trying to shake hands with a new Argentinian friend who is trying to kiss him.
[edit] Southern Europe
Cheek kissing is a standard greeting throughout Southern Europe between friends. In general, men and women would kiss and women will kiss women. Men kissing men varies depending on the country and even on the family, in some countries men will kiss men, in others only men of the same family would consider kissing. It may also depend on the part of a country and the occasion. The number of kisses also varies. In France, it can be part of the official ceremonial. Accounting for it is a plot element in Frederick Forsyth's thriller The Day of the Jackal.
[edit] Greece
Greece is an example of a country where cheek kissing highly depends on the region and the type of event. For example, in most parts of Crete, it is common between women and a man and a woman that are friends, but very uncommon between men unless they are close relatives. In Athens it may be commonplace between close friends of both sexes when meeting or departing. It is uncommon between strangers of any sex, and it may be considered offensive otherwise. It's standard for children and parents, children and grandparents etc. In its "formal" form it will be two kisses, one on each cheek. It may be a standard formal form of greeting in special events such as weddings.
[edit] Middle East
Cheek kissing is relatively common, between friends, relatives, and lovers. Cheek kissing between males is common and does not have any homosexual connotation if performed after a long period of not having seen each other or when congratulating each other on holidays.
[edit] Quebec
Referred to as "la bise," people of the opposite sex usually kiss once on each cheek; it is also acceptable for a pair of women, though typically men will refrain. This customarily occurs between friends or family members, especially after some time apart.
[edit] United Kingdom
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Although cheek kissing is not as widely practised as in other parts of Europe, it is still commonplace. It is mostly used as a greeting, but can also be offered as a congratulation or as a general declaration of friendship or love. Cheek kissing is acceptable between parents and children, family members (though not usually two adult males), couples, two female friends or a male friend and a female friend. Cheek kissing between two men who are not a couple is unusual but socially acceptable if both men are happy to take part. If the relationship between any two people is close enough for a full-body hug then it is almost certainly close enough for a cheek kiss; however, it must be noted that it would be inappropriate to cheek-kiss a stranger as a greeting.
[edit] South East Asia
Cheek kissing is extremely uncommon in South East Asia, esp. in countries with predominantly Muslim or Hindu cultures. It is due to this reason that kissing between men and women is not socially acceptable way of greeting and may be considered offensive. Also South East Asian men might be uncomfortable while greeting a European woman in this manner due to this cultural practice.
