6 LESSEN IN LIEFDE

This is how you kiss across the border

You’ve probably sniffed across the border a few times this summer and hopefully that will continue in August. The point of attention is the phenomenon The Kiss. Because a country's honor, a country's kiss. Read along because it saves you a lot of awkward situations.

Here we go.

Let's start with the Netherlands. Because here too, a kissing change is taking place. In principle, we kiss three times, starting on the other person's right cheek. The younger generation prefers to kiss each other once in a hug-like movement but focuses on the left cheek.

Baci Italiani, Italians are generous with their kisses, so don’t be surprised if people move towards your cheek at a first meeting. The point of attention is that Italians start the kiss on the right, while we start on the left. Also, Italians are done with kissing after one kiss.

Spain, two times and then on to the tapas. It won’t surprise you, but here kissing is sprinkled even more than in Italy. From the first meeting to little rendezvous in between, there is kissing. Two times, that’s for sure, so you’re done quickly and can immediately move on to tapas and vino blanco.

France, a complicated issue. The French kiss everyone. And everywhere. But kissing in France is a Very Complicated Matter. It depends on a thousand factors. How your relationship is (the baker is kissed differently than your aunt) and the location. Roughly speaking, you could say that two kisses are perfectly fine. Some French people say that four kisses are for the lower social class, but I also know very stylish Parisiennes who kiss four times. I can tell you, it’s quite a task if you have to go around in a circle. My advice? Let yourself be guided by the hostess and in case of blundering, excuse yourself by saying that you are Dutch and we always kiss three times. Although that’s not entirely true anymore (see point 1.)

Sweden, the forbidden kiss. In Sweden, kissing is Quite Unusual. Lip contact is only for your beloved. It’s like saying ‘I love you’ in Italy, you don’t do that. To a friend, you say ‘Ti voglio bene’, never ‘Ti amo’. Just so you know, it can save you awkward situations. In Sweden, you give each other a hug. Wrap your arms around each other, head over the other’s shoulder, and after two seconds, let go.

America, easy does it. Here too, the two-kiss adage applies. However, the kiss is usually started on the right, just like with us, so it’s actually just stopping a kiss a bit earlier.