Today is the day of the kiss. Officially, this day of remembrance has existed since 1990, but people have been kissing for much longer. Wikipedia lists 10 different types of kisses and humans give out around 100,000 kisses in the course of their lives.
Why?
Scientists cannot agree on why people actually kiss. Theories range from the development from a feeding ritual to sexuality. Apparently, humans spend an average of more than 76 days kissing in 70 years of life. American researchers see kissing alone as an expression of sexual drive. At the same time, kissing is also a kind of health check, which is used to test whether a person is genetically suited to you.
Kissing promotes health
It is said that people who kiss a lot live five years longer than those who don’t. The heart and immune system are strengthened by kissing and the body produces more hormones, the heartbeat speeds up and blood pressure rises. Kissing is also a good muscle workout, as up to 34 facial muscles are exercised, depending on the type and intensity of the kiss.
Non-kissers in the majority
However, kissing is not universal, but culturally shaped. According to American researchers, “romantic-sexual kissing” only occurs in 46 percent of different cultures. This is the result of a research study in which a total of 168 cultures were examined. Within this group, there were 77 cultures in which romantic-sexual kissing was practiced and 91 cultures that did not. No romantic-sexual kissing could be identified in sub-Saharan Africa. This data therefore shows that romantic-sexual kissing is not universal, nor does it transcend humanity – even if we would like to believe this in the Western world. In more socially complex societies, i.e. especially in societies with different social classes, this type of kissing is more likely. Researchers also assume that it only became fashionable as foreplay or a means of partner bonding with increasing oral hygiene.
Other countries, other kisses
In China and Japan, people don’t kiss outside the home. The rule there is: if you kiss, you want sex. That is why Chinese people are only allowed to kiss when they are engaged. This also applies to a kiss on the cheek. In Cambodia, it is also considered extremely unseemly to kiss in public.
There are also official bans on kissing in public, for example in Indonesia, India, Dubai, Malaysia and Russia.
Lip service is banned at level crossings in France and in England the area outside Warrington Bank Quay station was declared a kiss-free zone in 2009.
The Americans also take the cake when it comes to kissing, with some particularly absurd kissing bans. In Connecticut and Michigan, for example, you are not allowed to kiss on Sundays and in Wisconsin, kissing on trains is prohibited. Kissing time is limited by state in some U.S. states, such as Halethrope, Maryland (1 second), Rhode Island and Iowa (maximum 5 minutes). In Eureka (Nevada), moustache wearers are not allowed to kiss women. And in Boston, you are officially not allowed to kiss in front of a church – so a wedding kiss for a souvenir photo is also prohibited there. In Riverside (California), two people are only allowed to kiss if they have dabbed their lips with rose water beforehand.
World kissing records
- The two Mexicans Ernesta Hernandez Ambrosio and Jesus Juàres Vite kissed a car for 76 hours (!) in 2013. Hopefully from the outside, because kissing in cars is banned in some areas of Italy.
- Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat kissed for 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds in 2013.
- The longest underwater kiss took place in Italy in 2010 and lasted 3 minutes and 24 seconds.
- A real kissing festival took place in Mexico City in 2009, when 39,879 people kissed at the same time. Kisses were also allowed between more than 2 people – hence the odd number.
These prohibitions and bizarre kissing activities don’t bother our animal friends so much, so they kiss for all they’re worth.
