Do you hug and kiss friends on the cheek?

steddyeddy

A lot of my friends are Italian or Mediterranean and we often greet each other with a hug or a kiss. I would also hug my Irish friends on occasion but some people seem to take offence to it. I generally don’t hug people unless I know they’re alright with it but to be honest I can’t see the big deal. Some of my Mediterranean friends also had a similar reaction over here. They get the impression that some people sexualise the hug and that we’rea prudish people. I have to agree that I think a lack of physical contact with friends is a weird thing to me. Would it bother you if we were more Mediterraneanin our approach to friends?

Vicar in a tutu

No we usually punch eachother in the tits

Pilotdude5

I give them that upward nod and a grunt to acknowledge their presence.

stefan idiot jones

My Brother has lived in France for the last eight years and he does this all the time.

However, he knows better than to act gay when he greets me when I visit.

stimpson

High five or slap on the arse depending on sex.

steddyeddy

stefan idiot jones wrote: »

My Brother has lived in France for the last eight years and he does this all the time.

However, he knows better than to act gay when he greets me when I visit.

Well I would mainly only give female friends a hug as some Irish men see it as "gay".

herisson

I nod at my friends or wave and say hello and then hug them when im leaving. When i lived in France it was non stop hugging and cheek kissing. I like my personal space.

IM0

hugs are for your other half and kids and aunties you havent seen in a long time not day to day friends unless you sense they need it. and male friends? well you better be going through some really bad **** if you want to even contemplate trying to get one

Cody Pomeray

no, i don't mash faces with my acquaintances. a simple Hello has always been adequate.

Don't understand the need to do this but whatever people are into, no harm.

NothingMan

I hug all my friends, male or female. Some males in the one hand clasped and bump shoulders "manly" stlye, some in the bear hug, pick up and squeeze kind of way. I wouldn't kiss my male friends on the cheek though, but would some female friends and my family. Nothing wrong with showing some affection to the people you care about.

Although when I was in France I didn't realise you didn't acually kiss the cheeks on the 2 cheek kiss thing. Wonder if I offended any mademoiselles...

Vicar in a tutu

I actually find cheek kissing and hugging extremely put on and fake.

enigmatical

You can't go wrong with a bear hug! (unless one party has BO)

steddyeddy

Pixie-Fairy wrote: »

I nod at my friends or wave and say hello and then hug them when im leaving. When i lived in France it was non stop hugging and cheek kissing. I like my personal space.

Well that's the attitude that I encountered a lot here. I don't understand it. It comes across as cold to be honest!

Real Life

I would often hug my female friends when i meet them, rarely the male ones though unless they have been away for a while

The Pheasant

Might give my female friends a kiss on the cheek, for the lads a slap on the back or a pat on the shoulder or whatever - if I'm drunk or haven't seen 'em in a while they might get a bearhug

SEPT 23 1989

I do not

steddyeddy

The first friendly hug I got off an Italian girl was when I was sitting down and at eye level with her boobs! She proceeded to give me a very passionate long hug while burying my head in her bits! Why can't more Irish women be like that :P

IM0

steddyeddy wrote: »

A lot of my friends are Italian or Mediterranean and we often greet each other with a hug or a kiss. I would also hug my Irish friends on occasion but some people seem to take offence to it. I generally don’t hug people unless I know they’re alright with it but to be honest I can’t see the big deal. Some of my Mediterranean friends also had a similar reaction over here. They get the impression that some people sexualise the hug and that we’rea prudish people. I have to agree that I think a lack of physical contact with friends is a weird thing to me. Would it bother you if we were more Mediterraneanin our approach to friends?

question, where are you from and lived to early 20's? different cultures do different things

steddyeddy

IM0 wrote: »

question, where are you from and lived to early 20's, and m or f ?

I'm Irish, never lived in a mediterranean country and I'm male.

Lando Griffin

A male friend of mine I ha-dent seen for a while hugged me down the local a few years back and my arms just froze by my side.
All my mates went Ohhhhhh and the barman pulled me a beer shandy.

The Backwards Man

I like the shaking hands thing that happens in a lot of countries. No one seems to do it here though.

IM0

steddyeddy wrote: »

I'm Irish, never lived in a mediterranean country and I'm male.

how did you end up with lots of mediteranean friends then

WilyCoyote

I try to but when they turn and run I do the Heimlich on them. High Fives all round!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Special friends get hugs, other friends only get hugs if I'm drunk and they're sad.

Tonyandthewhale

I'm surprised how many people have said hugging is gay or weird. I understand that some people are precious about their personal space and don't want people hugging them but generally I was under the impression that platonic physical contact is a natural part of being close friends with someone. When I meet up with friends the greeting can be a nod, a handshake, a hug or a kiss on the cheek depending on the mood and the context and the friends in question.

smurfjed

In the Middle East its extremely common that all greetings are done with a handshake, when you meet friends or even some colleagues the greeting is a number of kisses on each cheek. This i can deal with, but i bloody hate when a male takes my hand and starts leading me somewhere, totally freaks me out.

smurfjed

IM0

smurfjed wrote: »

Around here its extremely common that all greetings are done with a handshake, when you meet friends or even some colleagues the greeting is a number of kisses on each cheek. This i can deal with, but i bloody hate when a male takes my hand and starts leading me somewhere, totally freaks me out.

smurfjed

lovely. but i missedthe memo on where youre from?

Ihatecuddles-old

I'd kiss most of my male friends when I'm saying hello ..

kisaragi

I mainly hug/kiss my male friends. I would hate anyone to see me hugging a girl and think I might be straight.

steddyeddy

IM0 wrote: »

how did you end up with lots of mediteranean friends then

College! It's a great way to meet people off all flavours.

anncoates

I usually hug some close male friends and would kiss close female friends on the cheek on greeting.

You get to know over time who doesn't really do it but most do.

It's just one of a number of ways to greet people. No big deal.

I don't really buy the usual student claptrap that everybody in Ireland is some kind of frigid, uptight prude while everybody on the continent is passionate and non-repressed.

Staff Infection

I am quite passionate (as in heart on sleeve type) so I normally greet my friends as follows.

1. Walk towards them, smile and say their name while outstretching my arms.

2. As I get closer to them my arms lower and I extend my right hand in front of them before giving them a good handshake while looking them in the eye smiling.

3. If they are receptive to the handshake I take that as a sign and pull them in for a quick hug and pat on the back usually while saying something like "it has been too long".

4. Finally, I plant my left hand on their right shoulder and ask them how are they're keeping.

I rarely do this for people I've only met, more for old friends but I am a physical guy so it's rarely a non contact greeting from me.

howamidifferent

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

I'd kiss most of my male friends when I'm saying hello ..

Hello there ;-)

crazygeryy

we rub noses and pat each other on the arse.

cletus van damme

a pet of mine, i hug my missus and kids. end of.
i hate people who intrude on my personal space

I work with a company who are global and when people based abroad are over it's all hugs and kisses. false and I fcuking hate it.
They get offered a handshake and some are lucky to get that.

Galwayguy35

I ofton see women hugging each other on nights out or if they are walking on the street they would have their arms linked around each other but you won't see men doing that and never will.

I wouldn't feel comfortable with some fella giving me a hug, and certainly not a kiss on the cheek, maybe others don't mind it but that's just how I feel and living in a tough enough area I would imagine every other fella here would be the same.

Peregrine

Jokes on you, OP. I have no friends!


..


Aw

TheLastMohican

steddyeddy wrote: »

The first friendly hug I got off an Italian girl was when I was sitting down and at eye level with her boobs! She proceeded to give me a very passionate long hug while burying my head in her bits! Why can't more Irish women be like that :P

Steadyonthere steddyeddy, while I reach for the Lipitor

Pumpkinseeds

As a nation I think we're fairly uncomfortable with PDA's unless copious amounts of booze are involved before hand. I don't get this whole business of shaking hands with people you know. To me shaking hands is a formal thing you do when being introduced to someone you don't know. I see groups of lads shaking hands with their friends and it just seems a tad ridiculous to me. Each to their own.

Micky Dolenz

Most if the time I kiss my female friends and hug my male friends when in Ireland. If I see them everyday I'm less inclined to do it. Where I live now it's a kiss on the cheek male or female.

Galwayguy35

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

As a nation I think we're fairly uncomfortable with PDA's unless copious amounts of booze are involved before hand. I don't get this whole business of shaking hands with people you know. To me shaking hands is a formal thing you do when being introduced to someone you don't know. I see groups of lads shaking hands with their friends and it just seems a tad ridiculous to me. Each to their own.

It is a very common practice with Eastern European men when they meet to shake hands, I work with a lot of Polish lads and they always shake hands with each other when starting work or when they meet in the canteen.

Wattle

A firm handshake for me and I always try and break their hand cos it makes me feel like a big man

ToddyDoody

I give them a nice open-palmed slap on the behind

YeDirtyHoor

Living in belgium for a month was strange.. they are all at it! Even the boys!

Micky Dolenz

YeDirtyHoor wrote: »

Living in belgium for a month was strange.. they are all at it! Even the boys!

Pfft. Thats nothing. You should try prison.

YeDirtyHoor

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Pfft. Thats nothing. You should try prison.

Naa your alright thanks.. i'd rather never be greeted by someone sticking their finger up me bum.

MadsL

Hugs and kisses all around as far as this male is concerned. I have male friends who get big hugs, male friends who get the two cheek kiss hello/goodbye and one close gay male friend who always gets a kiss on the lips.

I have also noticed Americans to be very huggy. My wife works in a particularly huggy workplace.

gw80

Staff Infection wrote: »

I am quite passionate (as in heart on sleeve type) so I normally greet my friends as follows.

1. Walk towards them, smile and say their name while outstretching my arms.

2. As I get closer to them my arms lower and I extend my right hand in front of them before giving them a good handshake while looking them in the eye smiling.

3. If they are receptive to the handshake I take that as a sign and pull them in for a quick hug and pat on the back usually while saying something like "it has been too long".

4. Finally, I plant my left hand on their right shoulder and ask them how are they're keeping.

I rarely do this for people I've only met, more for old friends but I am a physical guy so it's rarely a non contact greeting from me.

would they be so inclined to even shake your hand if they knew you,er boards name

LizT

Hugs for most female friends if I haven't seen them in a while or if I'm leaving them after a night out. Or if I'm pissed. Kiss on the cheek and/or hug for male friends I haven't seen them in a while.

If I see them most days/ few times a week, it's just a wave, can't be wasting all that time hugging

Talib Fiasco

Yeah of course. It's like this:

Hai guise
xoxoxoxo

*forever alone*

Precious flower

Kissing on one cheek or two I find uncomfortable hugging is grand. As someone said earlier I don't think the Irish are comfortable with hugging each other (the men anyway) let alone kissing as a greeting!