Have British people always kissed each other on the cheek?

Nathaniel_Essex

I always thought it was something mainly done in the rest of Europe, particularly France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. If I don't know a woman, I would always greet with a handshake or a simple hi. Even if I know the woman I am speaking to quite well, I'll say hi and bye with a hug.

Only quite recently I've noticed the cheek kissing and I just find it so pretentious. My old work place, introduced to someone for the first time and as I went in for a handshake, she went for a kiss on the cheek. Not even simply her cheeks touching mine and just making the sound, she actually kissed me on the cheek. And as I pulled back to start the conversation, she kissed me on the other cheek.

Is it just me who finds this a) annoying, pretentious and weird, and b) a new trend that has relatively recently become common?

goodwithsaving

I hate it. It's so false and I don't really want someone else's germs all over my face

BrassicWoman

I find it harrassing. I offer my hand for a firm shake, so people know what to do!

Torry_Quine

Not something I've come across and wouldn't be accepatble. I shake hands with most people and a few close friends get a hug. No-one gets kisses.

Gloomendoom

My wife's family all do it. It's not something that comes naturally to me at all.

elsien

Friends and family do it to me just to wind me up because they know I hate it. But if people want to greet each other like that in social situations I don't mind as long as they leave me out of it.
But it's not a usual form of greeting in any workplace I've ever been in.

karcher

It's not that new in England: 30 odd years ago in the UK it didn't sit well with me..kissing virtual strangers as a greeting just seemed false. You can keep your air kissing to yourself thank you very much!

In France and Spain etc it is a natural greeting and somehow doesn't seem false or forced at all..it's the equivalent of a handshake.

hazyjo

Two kisses was 'foreign'. How the French did it. Very European. We'd not have done it in the '70s/early '80s. I'd say it crept in after that time.

I'd shake a house-viewer's hand, or someone new at work, but I'd kiss a friend of a friend on a night out from work (if they looked approachable lol - just thinking of someone I used to work with who brought a mate along to a night out who was easy on the eye so I kissed the bloke I knew and said 'ooh 'ello' to the new one and kissed him on the cheek too), but some friends I just would NEVER kiss even once - mostly some I've known since school.

One or two blokes I'll kiss on the mouth goodnight. Just a kiss. Nothing more. And only if I know them VERY well. Nothing in it other than familiarity and best-mate-ish-ness.

But going back to your post - it's been like that for a VERY long time.

Torry_Quine

hazyjo wrote: »

Two kisses was 'foreign'. How the French did it. Very European. We'd not have done it in the '70s/early '80s. I'd say it crept in after that time.

I'd shake a house-viewer's hand, or someone new at work, but I'd kiss a friend of a friend on a night out from work (if they looked approachable lol - just thinking of someone I used to work with who brought a mate along to a night out who was easy on the eye so I kissed the bloke I knew and said 'ooh 'ello' to the new one and kissed him on the cheek too), but some friends I just would NEVER kiss even once - mostly some I've known since school.

One or two blokes I'll kiss on the mouth goodnight. Just a kiss. Nothing more. And only if I know them VERY well. Nothing in it other than familiarity and best-mate-ish-ness.

But going back to your post - it's been like that for a VERY long time.

Not amongst the people I meet it isn't. I certainly wouldn't kiss anyone other than my husband on the mouth ever. :eek:

FatVonD

BrassicWoman wrote: »

I find it harrassing. I offer my hand for a firm shake, so people know what to do!

I go further than that, I step back with my hands up saying, 'I don't do hugging'

pollypenny

I hate all this kissy-kissy stuff. What's wrong with a hand-shake or even just saying 'Hello'?