Most Italians are warm and demonstrative. They particularly enjoy bestowing their kisses on close friends and family, but for new acquaintances (potential future friends), in business settings, and with strangers, a handshake is the greeting of choice.
In general, Italians are more touchy-feely than their more northern neighbours, and kissing as a greeting has a long history in Italy. The Ancient Romans are credited with spreading the kiss throughout Europe and North Africa, though they certainly didn't invent the custom.
Depending on the occasion and the culture, a greeting may take the form of a handshake, hug, bow, nod, nose rub, a kiss on the lips with the mouth closed or a kiss or kisses on the cheek. Cheek kissing is most common in Europe and Latin America and has become a standard greeting in Latin Europe.
It's very common to cheek kiss strangers, whether it's once or three times, so don't feel awkward or uncomfortable about it. If you're unsure, I suggest to put out your hand for a handshake, and let the other person decide on the second course of action (just like in the man-man interaction).
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)
It is common to give air kisses on both cheeks (starting with your left) when greeting those you know well. This is called the 'il bacetto'. However, in Southern Italy, men generally only kiss family members and prefer to give a pat on the back to show affection in a greeting.
Let's pause for a minute here – although most people lead with their right cheek and lean to their left, in Italy it's customary to lead with the left cheek and lean to the right. It's not as complicated as it sounds – promise! So, unless you're on a weekend jaunt to Italy, stick to leaning left.
With Italian lovers, it's a more of a full body sport... A bit more bite or squeeze in by the lips. A firm tenderness with fingers on cheek, neck or gentle tug of hair while kissing. Kissing often being part of a well planned, sensual meal.
In Italy, it is a common practice to greet someone with a light kiss on both their cheeks. This is true even if you are just newly acquainted or if you have known someone for quite a long time.
As long as both parties agree and set parameters, experts say kissing or showing other displays of affection with friends is all right – and the decision remains up to the respective parties alone.
It can simply be an expression of the care that you have for each other, and it can take any form that is consensual and desired by each person. Opening up your friendship to include more hugs, hand-holding, kisses, cuddling, and more can bring in a level of connection and vulnerability that is completely new.
The researchers found romantic kissing to be the norm in the Middle East, with the practice established in 10 out of 10 cultures studied. In Asia, 73 percent enjoyed romantic kissing; in Europe, 70 percent; and in North America, 55 percent. No smoochers were found in Central America.
Three kisses in a row is a new type of kiss that a person in love gives to the one they love. These kisses are short ones that come one after the other. If they give you these magical three kisses, one after the other, they want to make sure that you know that they love you.
In Italy (especially southern and central Italy) it is common for men to kiss men, especially relatives or friends. In most Southern European countries, kissing is initiated by leaning to the left side and joining the right cheeks and if there's a second kiss, changing to the left cheeks.
Physical Contact: Italians are generally tactile people and quite affectionate. It is common to see hugging, kissing, back slapping and hand holding in public.
*As you can hear in the audio, it's common to offer a kiss on each cheek when you're saying hello or goodbye in Italian. These are air kisses — your mouth doesn't actually touch the other person's cheek!
The iconic image that expresses this wonder is the chef's kiss, a gesture “of cartoonish delight,” Blevins writes, “as if the thing being reviewed couldn't possibly be any better.” That gesture, called al bacio (“as good as a kiss”), is one with sincere roots in traditional Italian culture.
Fingertips Kiss: Gently bring the fingers and thumb of your right hand together, raise to your lips, kiss lightly, and joyfully toss your fingers and thumb into the air. This gesture is used commonly in Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Germany as a form of praise. It can mean sexy, delicious, divine, or wonderful.
Finally, we came to the simplest expression you can use to say I love you in Italian. “Ti amo” is pretty different from “sono innamorato di te”. While the latter can only be used to confess your love once, you can say “ti amo” whenever you want.
A butterfly kiss is an affectionate gesture made by fluttering the eyelashes against someone's skin or eyelashes.
As to greeting friends and relatives, the tradition dictates that you must exchange a hug and two kisses on the cheeks. Many foreigners, especially those from northern countries, tend to find the traditional way of greeting people in Italy rather unpleasant.
Lip-on-lip kissing is not nearly as universal as we might think it is, so can the diverse number of ways that humans kiss reveal what it is about this intimate act that we find important? Less than half of all societies kiss with their lips, according to a study of 168 cultures from around the world.
Receiving a forehead kiss while hugging signifies an increased sense of concern on the part of your partner. The person is extending to you the same feelings of safety and love that are often linked to the frontal kiss.