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The Dutch Cheek Kiss
In the Netherlands it is considered quite normal for Dutch people to greet each other with three kisses on the cheek. It is also custom to do the same again when saying good bye. It's just a friendly way of saying hello and farewell. It's not limited to the Dutch either.
Three Kisses: Belgium, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Egypt, and Russia (where it's accompanied by a bear hug)
Cheek kissing is very common in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, the Low Countries, the Horn of Africa, Central America and South America.
Greece: Two kisses, often followed by a hearty slap on the back. Brazil: Generally speaking, two kisses is the average (it can be as many as three), and you might experience a little more warmth and intimacy than you would in Europe.
However, in some parts of France, especially in the South and South-East, we offer the left cheek first! Once the cheek is presented, how many kisses should you give? In most cases, 2 is the norm. However, in some regions, we give 1, 3 or 4 kisses.
In many European countries, people typically greet each other by kissing on the cheek three times, alternately, starting with the right. Indeed, if you find yourself in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Montenegro, or North Macedonia, then this is the way to go.
Three kisses suggest that the other person might like you. If you put three and they respond with three you have entered into a little game. It means they are definitely feeling you out.
Cheek kissing in the Arab world is a sign of greeting, friendship, comfort, and more. When around Arabs, performing the kiss is inevitable. Male-female and female-female cheek kissing is customary, with the male-male kiss being less common.
The cheek kiss is a gesture of friendship. It is simply a greeting and is not meant to convey attraction for another person. 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.
Two men will shake hands and kiss three times in the air if they are close friends or relatives. Some men may rest their hand on the arm of the other person or pat the arm to demonstrate closeness.
In Paris, as well as in some other major cities like Bordeaux and Toulouse, two kisses are the norm. In the South, particularly near Marseille and Montpellier, as well as in the North, near Lille, people have a preference for three kisses. In western France, meanwhile, near Nantes, four kisses are given (that's a lot!)
In France and other countries, however, the kiss is more common—not on the lips, but a symmetrical brush of the cheeks. The image is well known in world culture and is a part of everyday life in much of Europe, but the ritual can seem impenetrable to the uninitiated.
One respondent remarked that the custom of three kisses appeared more prevalent in the area roughly corresponding to 17th-century Protestant France, and that it could have been a way of recognising those of the same faith (three being a sign of the Trinity).
The general rule of the cheek kisses is to give one or two light kisses, one on each side.
In Colombia, though, kisses on the cheeks are generally only used as a greeting between women or between women and men who are more than acquaintances. And, contrary to other Latin American countries, in Colombia this type of greeting consists of one kiss given right cheek-to-right cheek.
La bise is a traditional, common way to greet family, friends, and even coworkers (depending on your workplace). It's the equivalent of both a handshake and a hug. Basically, faire la bise consists of lightly kissing someone on the cheek or cheeks.
Usually it's their right cheek first, but prepare to change direction at the last minute. There are no set rules on whether you should go for one or two kisses, but you should rein it in with people you don't know.
Noun. butterfly kiss (plural butterfly kisses) Fluttering one's eyelashes against someone's skin. quotations ▼ A very light kiss.
What does <3. mean? <3 is a typographical representation of a heart, used to convey love and similar warm feelings online and often evoking early internet culture.
Does 3 mean a kiss? The "3" emoticon (with the quotations) means kissing, much like :-*. The 3 is the lips puckered up for the kiss.
means she loves you. For many girls, sending a <3 is a way of saying, “I like you as more than a friend.” Maybe she's crushing on you and finally has the courage to say how she feels, or she's your girlfriend sending a quick “I love you” text.
Two kisses are also customary in the French-speaking parts of Switzerland. In northern France, the areas in pink correspond to places where people still give four kisses.
With the overwhelming effects of multi-culturism impacting on Australian customs, cheek-kissing and hugging ( including man-hugs) is now not only acceptable but commonly practiced in Australia.
In Switzerland, as in neighboring France, it is common for women and people of opposite sexes to greet each other with alternating kisses on both cheeks. The Swiss version generally involves an asymmetrical three in total, in contrast to the two more usual for 'la bise' (the kiss) across the border.