Guys kissing as a greeting

[regularGuy]

I was wondering whether someone could give an explanation for the fact that it is culturally acceptable for guys to kiss as a greeting in many med places but it is considered slightly abnormal in northern europe?

Or am I wrong on this one?

I know guy friends kiss as a greeting sometimes in southern france, in italy, and levant. Going as far as Iraq which isnt in the med region. I dont know about Greece and spain though?

Any reason for this? I personally think its cool for guys to kiss as a greeting... after all if your not gay why should it be a problem?

[IfTheLightTakesUs]

Yeah, I'd like to see an explanation as well. Americans in particular are extremely homophobic, so even touching another male's hand is socially unacceptable.

Med culture is like fire, passionate and warm, while N europe is like ice, too cold and devoid of emotion.

I see nothing wrong with hugging/kissing a man on the cheek to greet him.

EDIT: maybe more testosterone has something to do with it?

[alexandrian]

Yeah, I noticed that too, it seems to be predominant throughout the entire Med region (North, South, East West) and also in non-Mediterranean ARab countries. YOu never really see it happen among Northern Euros, East Asians, or black Africans.

[Josh]

What about in Eastern Europe? I've heard that in Ukraine, male friends form very close friendships with each other, and that closeness of their friendships would make an average American suspicious of homosexuality if they didn't know any better.

[Josh]

IfTheLightTakesUs said:

I see nothing wrong with hugging/kissing a man on the cheek to greet him.

Neither do I. Interestingly, with my half-Mexican half brother, whenever I go down to Mexico to see him, he gives me a hug and once he gave me a kiss on the shoulder as a farewell. I imagine that attitude came from the Spanish influence on Mexico. Also, his Mexican half is predominatly or fully Iberian, so maybe there's a genetic component in it for him.

[IfTheLightTakesUs]

Josh said:

Neither do I. Interestingly, with my half-Mexican half brother, whenever I go down to Mexico to see him, he gives me a hug and once he gave me a kiss on the shoulder as a farewell. I imagine that attitude came from the Spanish influence on Mexico. Also, his Mexican half is predominatly or fully Iberian, so maybe there's a genetic component in it for him.

Eh? why do you call him mexican then? You wouldn't call me an american just because I live in america.

[Josh]

IfTheLightTakesUs said:

Eh? why do you call him mexican then? You wouldn't call me an american just because I live in america.

Because his mother's family has been in Mexico for many generations. He has lived in Mexico his whole life. He considers himself Mexican. Not all Mexicans are Mestizo or Indian. Looking at his mother, I suspect that she could have some distant Amerindian admixture.

[santana]

in middle eastern countries it is very normal to see two men holding hands or hugging.. however due to westernization we are seeing less of that going on... with girls too.. girls are also alot more affection with each other than western girls.. its just a cultural thing.. also dont forget being homosexual in the middle east is not acceptable at all.. so ppl are more affection with each other without the fear of being judged as a homosexual..

[Siafu X]

lol intresting thread because when i went to india i see both males and females holding hands with the same sex as they walk yet they are not gay lol

[Crimson Guard]

Josh is right..They do it in Russia and or the Ukraine areas in North Eastern Europe.

I do this to,give a kiss on the cheek,but only to family of coarse,.

[Educate Me]

In Argentina it is not just common, it is pretty much the rule with people you know, for that other latin americans call us weird (as in gay)

"Cheek-kissing between two men is usually seen as a sign of homosexuality or femineity in most conservative countries, except father-son cases and in very rare, close-friend kissing.

Other exception occurs in Argentina and Uruguay where it´s common between male friends to kiss "a la italiana", i.e., football players kiss each other to congratulate or to greet. It can be, for instance, embarrassing to a Colombian trying shake hands with a new Argentinian friend who is trying to kiss him instead."


I just googled argentine greeting kiss cheek and found this from an american who came here in a business trip

"
Finally, at the business site, I was escorted into the building, then into the conference room where the meeting was to be held. I met and shook hands with two businessmen already present. We talked about how my flight was and how beautiful the day was in Argentina while we waited for the other ten members of the group.

When the additional group members arrived, I noticed a difference in how they greeted me in comparison to how they greeted each other. The business meeting consisted of both professional men and woman. As they shook my hand and exchanged business cards with me, each of them turned and greeted one another with a shake and a kiss on the cheeks. I stood astounded as I observed each man to woman, woman-to-woman, and man-to-man practice this form of greeting in a happy, gesticulate manner. It was a culture shock to me, because as a Polynesian American citizen, the only times I have seen such greeting practices was either in church, during family visitations, weddings and funerals. I thought to myself, if this were to happen where I live, in Silicon Valley, California, the courts would be overflowing with sexual harassment cases everywhere. "

www.bootsnall.com/articles/02-07/argentina-with-a-kiss-on-the-cheek-buenos-aires-argentina.html

[gelaye]

alexandrian said:

Yeah, I noticed that too, it seems to be predominant throughout the entire Med region (North, South, East West) and also in non-Mediterranean ARab countries. YOu never really see it happen among Northern Euros, East Asians, or black Africans.

in ethiopia you see guys holding hands walking down the street, also in korea too - and they are straight! its a cultural thing i dont think its determined by race lol

[tonynatuzzi]

I have done this but only in father-son cases and grandfather-grandson cases when it comes to kissing another man on the cheek.

[syriano]

yes kissing greeting is normal here, however, holding hands is not. some very little people do it, but it's not the norm at all. I think holding hands is more comon in South Asia & afghansitan.

anyways it also differs by the # of kisses
in Syria it's usually 2 kisses
in Lebanon it's 3
some Palestinians kiss too much (like 5)

[Soomaal]

gelaye said:

alexandrian said:

Yeah, I noticed that too, it seems to be predominant throughout the entire Med region (North, South, East West) and also in non-Mediterranean ARab countries. YOu never really see it happen among Northern Euros, East Asians, or black Africans.

in ethiopia you see guys holding hands walking down the street, also in korea too - and they are straight! its a cultural thing i dont think its determined by race lol

I think it's all the same in horn of Africa, good friends hold hands.

Also when you hug or kiss family members you do it three times. lol