Affection Trends?

Ad infinitum

Newbie with question here.... I'm not sure where this question would belong but I think this is closer than any of the other sections on the board. I'm not Irish myself, but I was referred to these boards by someone who uses them, who said I should try asking my question here.

Anyway -- I'm wondering about touching trends in Ireland. How physically affectionate are people in public and in general? I'm more curious about platonic affection, between friends and family members, rather than romantic partners.

Thank you for the help!

Dors1976

Welcome! Mostly I guess it would depend on your relationship with that person. If you are a guy a handshake can suffice - girls tend to hug.

Beruthiel

Dors1976 wrote:

Welcome! Mostly I guess it would depend on your relationship with that person. If you are a guy a handshake can suffice - girls tend to hug.

spot on.

Talliesin

This doesn't seem like a PI, but again I'm not sure where it belongs. Humanities?

Depends upon both degree of relationship and subcommunities.

By closest friend I might salute upon greeting or leaving with a kiss on the lips and a hug and there might be a lot of contact between us while we were spending time together in terms of hands touching hands during a chat or being positioned very close together if doing something like watching a film that means we'd be sitting in the one place (unless a lover of one of us was also there, touching does tend to prioritise towards ones lovers ).

Someone I don't know I would greet with a handshake in a non-social context (business meeting), a handshake or kiss on the cheek depending upon their sex in a social context, a kiss on the lips in some gay community contexts, and a hug in some Pagan community contexts.

People in between being my closest friend and someone I don't know would accordingly be treated with a degree of physical affection somewhere between those two degrees. Hugs and handshakes combined with shoulder-clasping hugs being the most common salute to most friends.

Love2love

I would hug friends and family generally, maybe a peck on the cheek but only in Ireland. Here in Germany I have to kiss everyone 3 times when I meet them which pisses me off because I feel its invasive of my personal space and if I don't I come across as rude (especially if i have never met the person) when I'm in France I have to kiss people twice unless its the in-laws, which in that case I have to kiss 4 times. It can get very confusing!

Black Swan

Be mindful that there tends to be more social distance between urban and rural customs, be it Ireland, or wherever.

the_syco

Formal, a formal handshake.

Mates, a (I suppose) handshake, gangster/hollywood style. Also a clenched fist "punch" from both parties. Another gangster/hollywood thing, I thnk.

Relatives/family, a hug, a slap on the back or a slap on the shoulder.

=-=

This, as someone pointed out, varies between urban and rural settings, and also where they grew up, for example, if they're from the country, but live in a city (such as Dublin), they may do either.

biko

Older Irish, like Middle Easterners, would tend to hold onto you while talking. A handshake can last as long as the conversation. Or a arm grab.

Let us know how that article works out