Gimme Some Sugar!

One thing the French are known for is their kissing, and, no, I don’t mean “French kissing” so get your mind out of the gutter.  This kind of kiss is an air kiss more than anything.  They do it twice in the cities, especially Paris, and up to four times in the country.

 The French “kiss” each other’s cheeks when they see a good friend or a family member.  It isn't an actual kiss, but rather they put their cheeks together and make the kissing sound.  Sometimes, they will grab the other person’s hand and pull them in for the cheek kissing.

If they don't know someone, they will do a quick, one pump, limp handshake.

Even though I don't see this gesture used in the states, it is fairly common to Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe as well as the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Latin America.

 There are many theories as to the origins of kissing, in general.  So far, we only have guesses and speculations.  The Bible contains one of the earliest references to kissing.  We do know that it can also be symbolic or ritualistic such as, kissing the pope's ring or other relics. If this ritual did, in fact, come from a spiritual ritual in Catholicism or Islam, then it is easy to understand why it occurs in these locations which tend to be mainly Catholic or Islamic even after centuries of war and uprisings. 

The kiss is a sign of respect, among other things.  It has been fascinating to watch how people will greet each other.  To an extent, you can almost tell their relationship from their greeting.  The kisses used to only occur between women; it wasn't until the start of the 20th century that men began to engage in this type of greeting,whether it was with a woman or another man.  It's really amusing when close guy friends do "les bisous" because they sometimes mix it in with a bro hug like guys do in the states, but instead of a hug, they go straight for the kissin'.  It's a little shocking at first. 

Young people much prefer the cheek kiss to a handshake or really any other form of greeting, here in France.  They also touch fists, but that is not nearly as popular as kissing (duh! When will anything be more popular than kissing!?)

Now, don't get too stressed about the rules to "les bisous."  Chances are, if you end up in France it will just be for a short visit, and if you do end up staying longer and building close relationships with people they'll most likely just forgive you because you're a foreign and their ways are still new to you.

By: Ashley Blackstock