Kissing as a standard social greeting. I hate it. Am I strange?

I am not a natural hugger unless I really care for someone so I am happy that physical contact is now frowned upon.

However I have always been happy to shake hands on introductions and was horrified to have automatically done so at the weekend. Both of us mid handshake realised that we shouldn’t be doing so. Cue lots of laughter and apologies.

Family and friends only,why would anyone kiss anyone they work with ?.
My gs tells me he owes me 28 kisses and hugs since Covid19 adviced us not to , i can`t wait !!!.

Hate it and don't kiss anyone. It was/is one of the reasons I've always hated NYE - all that false bonhomie and kissing everyone in the room at midnight. Ugh!!

Hugs and kisses from family and hugs from good friends .....lovely.
Anyone else...... No thank you.

Well I'm glad it's not just me. I hate it
It's awkward and embarrassing.

I don't like kissing and hugging people I don't know well and I'm glad I'm not alone. I reciprocate out of politeness.

I hate it too. Hugging and kissing certainly wasn't something that our family did when i was growing up, and as far as I was aware, no one in my parents' wide circle of friends ever greeted each other like that either.
Even now, the only people I am comfortable about hugging are my grandchildren (kisses too when they are little, but only on their heads).

My youngest dgc (age 2), despite being very affectionate, has made it clear from very early on that she doesn't like cuddles, not even from her parents. She will happily race up to any of us as if to cuddle us, but makes the quickest contact you can imagine. She's also only ever given air kisses, never on the face, unlike most young children. Unusual, perhaps,, but nice. My kind of girl

I'm glad it's ended too.I only liked hugging and kissing my husband. Although I did hug and kiss my young grandchildren and great grandchildren before Covid. Oddly enough one of the few to spontaneously hug me since my husband died is my GP who is very much a people person..A hug from her was very comforting.

I hated it! I never learned one is not supposed to kiss the other's cheek but just kiss the air. I like my own social space and always have except for dogs, horses, babies , and sex.

Definitely not the only one. I hug and kiss and cuddle those I love.
I don’t want to do the same with anyone else.

I’m with you op. I once stopped going to a very good hairdresser because he used to do that continental kissing malarkey. I use to think “your my hairdresser not one of my family’”

morethan2
I’m a beauty therapist and I can do without hugs from my clients.

Worst of all are manhugs!

I am sure we didn't do all this social hugging and kissing when I was growing up. I don't like that sort of intimacy with strangers.

I can't be on with all the kissing and hugging either. It makes me feel very uncomfortable, particularly with people I'm only just meeting.
I do love a hug from my grandchildren, and have missed them during the lockdown.

Oh no yuk, kissing strangers, kissing friends nah not for me, hug for friends that’s ok,

I an glad to have met my sort of people. I really don't like hugging and kissing people when me meet. My sister lived in France for a number of years so is very much into kissing but until recent years I have tried to politely avoid hugs and kisses from people other than close family so am so pleased not to have to kiss people now.

I love hugging my dgs though.

Makes you wonder if all this hugging and kissing all and sundry in recent times has greatly contributed to coughs, colds, sore throats, flu etc.?

I'm glad to see lots of people here who feel as I do. Like many English people, I wasn't brought up to hug or kiss people who are not close (and even then rarely) and feel uncomfortable.

Regarding France, as it has been mentioned once or twice, a French friend told us - maybe about 25 years ago - that kissing wasn't so widespread in France when she was a youngster in the 'fifties.
It certainly wasn't the norm in her day for all the students in secondary education to hug and kiss (perhaps just a handshake between boys) each other every day, as seemed to be the case by the time her own children were at that age. She wasn't very keen on that development!

I hate it too and am glad that it won`t be happening again. The only ones I like to hug are family and good friends. Social and strangers, absolutely not. I like my personal space

I dread that moment when you're just meeting or just leaving friends and you can see that they're gearing up to lean in for a hug and a kiss. Family and very dear, close friends are different, but friends of friends, or people you don't know too well,.....it's just...... awkward.

Oh yes, I am definitely of the opinion that if any good is to come from this virus it will be the ending of the need to kiss and hug every Tom, Dick and Harriet.
I think we have imported this from the continent and it is the best way to spread germs and discomfort.
I love a hug and kiss from my family members but that’ll do me.
A friendly smile and a ‘nice to see you’ is fine for everyone else.

I'm not the huggy-kissy person, it works only with the closest ones, so I'm also relieved we can't and won't do it.

I'm pleased to read all your comments as I thought it was just me who hated kissing people. I don't want to hug them either so distancing suits me well.