Getting Cheeky: Kiss Like a European
In tips on May 19th, 2009 by Josh Shayne | 1,922 views
You’re about to say goodbye to your good friend, Monique who is visiting from Paris. You go to hug her and she goes to kiss your cheek. Do your noses collide or are you clued-in as to which cheek gets kissed first? And how many kisses will this farewell take?
In Paris and central France, most people give two kisses – one on each cheek. But a swath of northern France, from Normandy to the Belgian border, opted in general for four. And southeastern France, from Marseilles to the Alps, preferred three. The French upper class seems to go for two kisses. But which cheek first, dammit!!
The answer? Nobody knows. The Italians kiss all over the place — left, right, it doesn’t matter which is first. In Spain you have to kiss the right cheek first or risk having your toes stomped. The French may prefer that you kiss the left cheek first, but this is heavily influenced if you are dyslexic.
Photo: moonsoleil on flickr
Robin
Says:May 20th, 2009 at 10:42 am
As an American living in France, I usually let the natives take the lead. But I think in general, most people went for the other person’s left cheek first – meaning you angle your own head towards your right.
The real question, though, is do you actually put your lips on their cheeks or do you just touch cheeks? If the latter, do you make an air kiss, and if so, with kissy noises or not? That’s where it gets tricky.
vic
Says:May 22nd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I always wondered about this. In Boulder, many people say you should always kiss the right side first so that your hearts touch. Frankly, I don’t want anybody touching my heart except for a cardiologist. And even then, I expect dinner and a nice bottle of wine first.
Nina B
Says:May 23rd, 2009 at 6:44 am
In Russia it’s three kisses. Alternating cheeks.