What are your thoughts and experiences of social hugging and kissing?

Hey,

I have lived in a number of places where their sense of personal space was much different then in the State and frequently hugs and kisses were not uncommon...but that's just my experience.

Peace and love,
Isabelle St-Pierre

In Quebec, there's plenty of hugging, but even more kissing :-).

When they part, if a women had an interaction at all with another, or if
there was no interaction but its a friend or close acquaintance,
Women and men kiss on both cheek. Only people with whom you had little interaction and
are not friends or family get a hand except if there are very few of these people. Then,
they get a pity kiss :-).
If its a friend or family and your not going to see them within next few days, a hug is added.
Acquaintances generally don't get a hug.

When they meet, after a little while appart (not if they meet 20 times a day)
women will kiss when they meet and also hug.

For women meeting men,
the kiss on the cheeks but not a hug will happen with friends all the time
If its been awhile (a week), then there is a added hug.

The same for acquaintance you know quite a bit if its been awhile (a week), but not a hug usually

For total strangers or acquaintance you know in passing, you take the hand when you meet.

There is also a kind of social pressure. If everybody's kissing, its hard to just stand there
looking dorky and shy. Besides, hands are much more dirty than cheeks so kisses are more hygienic.

you hug someone you know...
even women shake other women's hands in more  formal situations.
R

Quote from: Renate on January 05, 2008, 06:35:16 PM
What are your thoughts and experiences of social hugging and kissing?

Hmmm, well I hug pretty much all of my female relatives and friends (and some, though not all of their spouses), both as a greeting and as goodbye.

Kissing is more rare though, mostly reserved for people like my mother-in-law or my wife's sisters. Kissing is more a special thing, a sign of love, and often done moreso on special occasions too like holidays.

I love showing affection, but hugging people is one of those times I'm always extremely self-conscious of what I have down there... that I'm STILL male.

~Kate~

Why Kate, in our province we Hug and Kiss more than anybody here!!

If you tuck, why would anyone feel anything down there. Its not a woman
wouldn't wear something bulky down there at certain times anyway.

heck, when i wear skin tight jeans, nobody can see or feel anything, im never afraid of hugging, just my face
R

Me and my boyfriend cuddle quite alot in public, think we've kissed a few times but we got stared at xD.
So its left us both abit '><' about it, still hug and stuff though=-]

I hug quite a few of my mates (who are girls) and one or two who are boys^^ But atm im a lil funny about being touched so its hard for me lol. Boyfriend obviously im alright with a few of my mates im abit funny about but i'll get round it=-]

your a boy... your meant to be aqward about physical contact
R

Here in Ontario it's quite normal for women to hug friends and family, kisses on the cheeks as well, it's what women naturally do.  Even at the place where I work I've senior staff members hug and kiss as well, but generally speaking it's more professional to simply offer your hand.

I will always hug and press my cheek against the the other person if I know them or I'm acquainted with them, it's just a spontaneous thing to do.

Steph

i'm italian so i'm a natural kisser    hugs are ok with people you know well (family, close friends, co-workers, etc) i normally kiss my friends on the cheeks & give them a warm hug.  with people that i don't know too well, i tend to be more reserved (shake hands, maybe a hug depending on the situation, etc)

In most latin cultures, or those influenced by them (northern US, Ontario) kissing the cheeks replaces touching the hands of anglo saxon culture, the hug is actually slightly more liberally in anglo saxon culture since they don't have the cheek option to show affection :-).

But, I think the cheek kiss has really spread in the last 30 years, then a lot less people in Canada and the northwest were using it than now.

A Finish acquaintance whom I escorted around the city was very surprised when I hugged and kissed her at the end of the day when we parted. I don't think they do much kissing and hugging except between friends.