Sage-Tips

Why do Westerners kiss?

In the Western world, a kiss is a common gesture of greeting, and at times a kiss is expected. Throughout all cultures people greet one another as a sign of recognition, affection, friendship and reverence. Cheek kissing is most common in Europe and Latin America and has become a standard greeting in Latin Europe.

Where do people greet with a hug?

In Germany (as well as in Poland and the United States), it’s customary to greet someone with a hug/handshake. The hug/handshake is also common in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, although a verbal greeting is preferred if you haven’t met the person before.

Why do people hug as a greeting?

Among good friends, hugging is a natural greeting, assuming a similar greeting has not taken place recently. The positive effects of hugging are enhanced by the addition of encouraging verbal communication. A diminished friendship may be emphasized by replacing hugging with handshaking or a verbal greeting.

What culture is the most affectionate?

The world leader for love is the Philippines, where 93\% of the population reported feeling loved on a typical day.

What culture hugs the most?

From personal observation, it seems Latin American cultures and Mediterranean cultures tend to be more physically affectionate (e.g. kiss on the cheek to greet, more “touchy-feely”, hugs, etc.) when compared to Northern Europeans or East Asians.

What cultures do not kiss?

Kissing isn’t universally accepted and, even today, there are some cultures that have no place for it. Indeed, some 650m people—or about 10\% of the world—don’t partake at all. Until contact with the West, for example, kissing wasn’t practiced among Somalis, the Lepcha people of Sikkim or Bolivia’s indigenous Sirionó.

In what countries is a kiss appropriate?

One kiss: Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, the Philippines. Two kisses: Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, Brazil (though, like France, the number can differ by region), and some Middle Eastern countries (though not between opposite sexes)

What cultures kiss as a greeting?

Greeting with a kiss isn’t just a ‘French thing’ First things first, while many Anglo-Saxons believe that kissing as a greeting is unique to France, the practice is common in a wide range of European and Latin countries, as well as Russia and certain Arabic and sub-Saharan nations.

Is it true that some cultures are uncomfortable with hugging?

I don’t know about all the cultures that would be uncomfortable with hugging, but in general, many Asian cultures do not embrace (hah!) the concept. This is especially true when it’s cross-gender physical contact. Even cultures that are OK with hugs in general, may still consider cross-gender hugs to be taboo.

Is it rude to hug someone you know well?

Hugging can be considered impolite and can even show a level of disrespect for the other person. More common gestures are: pats on the shoulder (for someone whom you’re very familiar), a shake of the hand (maybe coupled with a pat on the shoulder), a gentle bow, or a polite nod.

Is it okay to hug the opposite gender in Judaism?

Or Orthodox Judaism – touching someone of the opposite gender is not generally allowed. These are some extremes, but they do illustrate the idea. Things are changing these days, but what I learned growing up in China, is that we just don’t hug.