Remember not to actually kiss the person on the cheek. Instead, gently rest your cheek against theirs and kiss the air. There are a select few individuals who insist on kissing others square on the cheek, leaving you to peck the air miles away from their face, but thankfully such experiences are far and few between.
Cheek kissing is acceptable between parents and children, family members (though not often two adult males), couples, two female friends or a male friend and a female friend. Cheek kissing between two men who are not a couple is unusual but socially acceptable if both men are happy to take part.
03/8A peck on the cheek
A kiss on the cheek or a peck is a friendly gesture, which does not imply any serious romantic inclination. It only means that they like you but will never be drawn to you romantically.
A kiss on the cheek can show support, friendship and attraction. While a short peck can demonstrate friendship and support, to show your sweetheart your attraction, give him a soft and lingering smooth on their cheek.
The cheek kiss is most common between a man and a woman, or two women, but it can take place between two men—especially if those two men are family members. In most countries, it is done once or twice, but it can be done up to three or even four times in some cultures.
Not every first kiss, though, is a great kiss. They can be awkward, especially if the moment is not right or even forced. Even still, we are physically wired to tell the difference between a bad kiss from a good kisser and a "this does nothing for me" lipsmack.
Is kissing your best friend on the cheek OK? I don't see why not unless your friend isn't comfortable with it. In fact, in all situations, a kiss should only be shared - whether on the cheek, forehead, lips or anywhere else - if the recipient is comfortable with it.
General Guidelines (No Matter Where You Are)
In most countries where cheek kissing is the norm, you usually offer your right cheek first. No big deal if you both go in opposite directions — just laugh it off. Generally speaking, an air kiss is an air kiss. When in doubt, avoid planting your lips on the other person.
Described by Relationships Australia NSW CEO, Elisabeth Shaw as “an act of intimacy that is not romantic or sexual in nature,” platonic kissing “even on the cheek - is most often reserved for extended family or closer friends, rather than something we would bestow on anyone.”
: the act or an instance of fluttering one's eyelashes against another person's skin. "… I've invented a new way of kissing. You do it with your eye-lashes." "I've known that for years. It's called a butterfly kiss." Evelyn Waugh.
First, keep your lips soft and slightly opened, in a gently inviting and receptive way. Don't press them together tightly, but also avoid opening them too wide. Drooling and too much saliva is almost always a turn-off for men and women. On the other hand, some women and men like steamy, sloppy, wet kissing.
The general guidelines for a social kiss are:
A social kiss is usually from right cheek to right cheek. But sometimes, depending on the culture and tradition of a country or region, it is from the left cheek to the left cheek. If you're in another country, take the cue from them… and, good luck with that!
Interestingly, this is largely agreed upon across generations. No need to wait for the official first date to get a little face time, however. Americans agree kids are ready for their first kiss at age 15 (15.1 on average), while on average, they had theirs at age 14.5.
In John Gottman's relationship research, he was able to find that six seconds is the length of a kiss that can actually create a connection with your partner. In fact, he recommends you have at least one six-second kiss per day. John calls the six-second kiss “a kiss with potential.”
A kiss might seem like a natural thing to do for most of us, but the scientific jury is still out on whether it is a learned or instinctual behaviour. Approximately 90 per cent of cultures kiss, making a strong case for the act being a basic human instinct.
Whilst bad breath, a darting tongue and a wet sloppy kiss are rated as the biggest kissing turn-offs according to science, it might also be your smell, taste or even your pheromones that's causing the problem. Being a bad kisser can be a deal breaker, but kissing is more complicated than most people think.
The fear of kissing may stem from a more profound concern over intimacy or vulnerability. This fear is sometimes rooted in a fear of rejection, which causes people to worry about not being enough or about being disappointing or disgusting.
While cheek kissing is a common greeting in many cultures, each country has a unique way of kissing. In Slovenia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland and Lebanon, it is customary to "kiss three times, on alternate cheeks".
What is la bise? La bise is a French greeting where two people kiss each other's cheeks two, three, and even four times.
As for the age-old dilemma, "to kiss or not to kiss," if you're having trouble reading your date's cues or you can't tell whether a kiss would be appropriate or not, it's always best to err on the side of caution on a first date, especially with someone you've met online. A warm hug and even a cheek kiss are fine.