Kiss Without a Kiss: Countries and Cultures Where the Gesture Is Unacceptable

For a European or American, a kiss seems like something self-evident. We kiss upon meeting, as a greeting, as a sign of love, as a farewell. It's hard for us to imagine that in some places this gesture may not just be unacceptable, but cause bewilderment, disgust, or even anger. However, a study covering 168 cultures worldwide has shown that romantic kisses are practiced in only 46% of them. In the rest of the world, people do without this — either due to cultural traditions, strict religious norms, or simply because they don't know what it is. A kiss is not a universal language of love. It is a cultural construct, and in many parts of the world it either does not exist or is strictly taboo.

Strictly Islamic Countries: Kisses Forbidden by Law

The strictest restrictions are in place in the Middle East and South Asia, where Islamic norms regulate not only personal but also public life. In the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and Afghanistan, public kisses between a man and a woman are not just a breach of etiquette, but a criminal offense. In the UAE, a kiss in a public place can result in a prison sentence of up to ten days. In Iran and the UAE, a public kiss can lead to months of imprisonment. In conservative countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, public kisses are unimaginable.

Meanwhile, in Arab countries, farewell kisses between men are quite common. But kisses with the opposite sex are an absolute taboo. Even on a wedding, the groom kisses the bride on the forehead, not on the lips. In Turkey, which is considered a more secular country, farewell kisses between men and women are not accepted, and kissing on the lips in public is forbidden everywhere and at any time.

Asia: From Public Taboo to the Absence of Kisses

In Asia, the attitude towards kisses varies from strict prohibition to complete ignorance. In Japan and China, public kisses, even on the cheek, are considered a violation of personal space and are considered unacceptable. In modern Japan, kissing in the presence of witnesses is considered very indecent. That's why you almost never see a kiss in a Japanese film. If Japanese people do kiss, they do so at a distance of one step, barely touching lips with lips, without opening their mouths.

In India, the country that gave the world the \"Kamasutra\" with its 30 types of kisses, public kisses remain an absolute taboo. Kisses in India are considered a very open manifestation of sexuality. Even in Bollywood films, kisses are unusual and not approved — love is depicted through dancing. In Thailand, Vietnam, and India, public kisses and hugs are strictly forbidden.

In some Asian cultures, kisses as such do not exist at all. Tribes living in eastern Bangladesh say \"sniff me\" instead of \"kiss me.\" Chinese people greet each other by rubbing their noses or running their noses over each other's cheeks. In Korea and Singapore, greetings are limited to a light bow.

Island and Traditional Cultures: Rituals Without Lips

In some isolated cultures, a kiss on the lips is a foreign and even repulsive gesture. Residents of Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, and the residents of the island of Fuga in the Philippines greet each other by holding a fragrant object near the nose or over their heads. On the island of Socotra, it is customary to kiss each other on the shoulder. On the islands of Tonga, when greeting, they take the partner's hand and rub their nose and mouth with it. On the Royal Islands, greetings consist in the fact that those meeting press their noses tightly together and rub them against each other. The Maori of New Zealand covered each other with blankets and rubbed their noses, making a sound like a honk.

Modest North and Pragmatic America

Even in regions where kisses are known, their use may be strictly limited. In Northern Europe — Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland — a handshake or a slight head nod is enough for greetings. In Germany, social kisses are not accepted, only among friends. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, kisses on the cheek are permissible only among close friends, and in official situations, handshakes are preferred. In the United States, reserve your greeting kisses for your closest people, and a light handshake and a wide smile are the most universal way to greet anyone.

Meanwhile, in Latin America, on the contrary, kisses on the cheek upon meeting are the norm, although in some cultures of Central America, romantic kisses are not practiced at all.

Why: From Hygiene to Cosmic Unity

The reasons for such different attitudes towards kisses lie in religion, history, and cultural values. In Islamic countries, a kiss between a man and a woman in public is considered too intimate a gesture, offensive to public morality. In India, a kiss in Hinduism symbolizes cosmic unity of the opposite poles of a man and a woman, and therefore it is too sacred for public demonstration. In some African and Asian cultures, kisses were simply not invented — people expressed their feelings through nose touches, cheek rubs, or the exchange of scents. And somewhere, like in medieval Europe, kisses were forbidden due to the fear of the plague.

Conclusion

A kiss is not a universal language, but a cultural dialect. In one country it is a sign of friendship, in another a crime, in the third an unknown ritual. When traveling around the world, it is worth remembering: what is natural for us may be offensive or incomprehensible to others. And before you stick out your lips for a greeting, it's better to find out how they greet in this country. After all, respect for other traditions is also a kind of kiss: silent, but sincere.

Permanent link to this publication: