The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

THE BOOK OF TELLS
kisses were not the customary pecks on the cheek that one
finds today - they were kisses on the lips! Most Europeans
at the time considered this practice highly improper, and
even the French (whom we now regard as a nation of great
kissers) were scandalized by the English social habit of
kissing on the lips.
The English kissing custom started to decline during the
sixteenth century, but it lasted up to the Restoration in
1660, when it was abandoned. At that point the English
joined the league of non-kissing nations. However, over
the past few decades things have started to change and
social kissing is now making a serious comeback.
The way that people kiss each other socially tells us a lot
about what kind of people they are, their attitudes to each
other, and how they feel about kissing.
• HAND KISSES. Up until the last world war it was
common for men in Europe to greet women by kissing
their hand. This practice has disappeared among young
people, but there are still some elderly men who have
retained the custom of kissing women's hands when they
meet them.
• HEAD KISSES. Kissing someone on the forehead or the
top of the head is another one-sided way of kissing
people - it's how parents kiss their young children and it's
also used as a form of benediction. If someone kisses you
on the head it shows that they have a protective attitude
towards you.
• CHEEK KISSES. Social kisses typically consist of kisses on
the cheek. In countries where the convention is
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