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

No. You are not at all strange - Because of the EU, suddenly lots of people decided to behave like Europeans who do these silly things. I’ve seen it done 5/times in France! I prefer a hug with friends and a handshake with others or nothing.

The worst sort of hugging is that dreaded church ceremony when the minister tells everyone to do it. The next worst is when a relative who you know is not much interested in you gives you a big hug at the door when they arrive. One does not know what it means, if anything.

I feel just the same.Even my own mum who I love dearly has made me squirm over the years with her sloppy kisses and compulsory hugs.Now she is very old and frail I never leave without giving her a little hug and kissing the top of her head and telling her I love her.I know it means the world to her.But I have never liked anyone suddenly lunging for physical contact,and worse still making me feel I'm weird for not liking it.

I always hate being put in a situation where I end up hugging or kissing strangers. Now we know how unhealthy it is I will certainly not do it.

CanadianGran

So let's all stop!

4 pages on this thread with only a very few in favour of hugs/kisses!

Let's make a pact once Covid is over or lessened to stick out our hands and shake.

Yes, I agree. When all this is over, whenever that may be, ?‍♀️, I am determined to do the 3 s’s, Smile, Shake, Stand Back!

Boris is keen on snappy, three word catchphrases. Should I suggest this to him for future use?

So glad I'm not the only one. I like the idea of the Namaste greeting. My husband is from an Indian family and they do this. So much nicer. I don't mind hand shaking either. Maybe after the crisis is over we may go back to hand shaking.

Prior to lockdown a new member joined our coffee/ lunch group. She suddenly gave a beaming smile and said that the thing she liked most was not having to go through the hugging/kissing ritual and then wondering if you’ve hurt someone’s feelings by missing them out!!

I think it started in the 70s/80s. My MIL hated it and would go rigid. The middle DIL is part Italian and very huggy and kissy. Not a good combination!

I've never really liked hugging and kissing, I'm just not a very tactile person. I have quite a large personal space. It doesn't make me a colder, less passionate person; l express my feelings in other ways.

Not much social hugging and kissing between grown-ups in our family. It simply doesn’t come naturally. When I was a little girl my father was quite given to cuddling me, but it stopped as soon as I hit puberty. I don’t remember my mother ever doing it. Yet I always felt loved, and totally secure. It just wasn’t expressed in that way.

Perhaps it won’t return when Covid is over. We can always hope.

git.

I never mastered hugging and kissing. Couldnt work out when, where or with whom it was appropriate. Invariably I was clumsy and awkward, then embarrassed. Pre-Covid I would give my daughter and her partner a spontaneous and genuine hug. My son is on the autistic spectrum, so I give him a hug and he stands stiff as a board with his hands at his sides! He tolerates it only because he knows I like it. Thats about as far as it goes with me. Not keen for hugging and kissing to be reinstated more widely.

So let's all stop!

4 pages on this thread with only a very few in favour of hugs/kisses!

Let's make a pact once Covid is over or lessened to stick out our hands and shake.

I would add that I think kissing is the quick way to pick up the flue etc . I am relieved that it is no longer part of my social life ,one of my friends decided also to adopt the continental 2 cheek kiss I was so surprised our glasses entangled. So I prefer hugs for my lovely family but a friendly smile and attitude means everything to me .

Hate it, except for young DGC. Drives me mad when (if )I watch chat shows and each person comes on and hugs everyone. They've all seen each other just two minutes beforehand!

I only hug my immediate family members. One DiL deplores PDAs anyway. Perhaps Covid will break the hugging and kissing habit that's crept in.

I've missed hugs and kisses with my family and friends. I dislike elbow bumps or a bow over prayer hands, they don't feel natural at all

Always been a bit iffy about people waiting to kiss and hug me. Certainly not something in my family growing up. When my grandsons came along, I was very uncomfortable if they attempted to lip kiss - definitely not right for small children to be encouraged to do this. Anyway, they are now 17 and 19 no more kissing but a lovely hug now and then much appreciated.

Mollygo

I’ve never really bothered in the UK, though I do follow social customs with friends and relatives abroad. Pam Ayers has this to say about kissing, it sums up how I really feel.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=63u62hXOx0E

Just watched this, Pam Ayers has it spot on, as always.

Have always (Pre Covid) disliked New Year’s Eve parties for that very reason. Just because the clock strikes a certain time on a certain day everyone starts hugging and kissing - ugh!

I grew up with zero hugs or kisses. It wasn't that I wasn't loved, but my parents were very restrained. I find it so hard to let strangers or acquaintances touch me. Family only for me!

I feel uncomfortable kissing and hugging anyone, including my own family.

I put it down to a lack of affection and love during my childhood. So it doesn’t come naturally to me.

I have been retired for 15 years but in my working days it used to really annoy me when a male colleague would greet me with a hug when a male would have been greeted with a handshake. That would have been my preferred greeting. Lockdown has been a great release from unwanted hugs - except with my family, I share lots of hugs with them.

When I was a child my mother did not agree with us giving kisses to relatives when they were going home as her sister had diphtheria as a child . However when someone is very ill or distressed a hug can say so much more than words.

I don’t know anybody that does this. I’m obviously too working class

...and, Nanasam...never too late to practice feminism.

100% hate it! Where did it all come from? And look at the results...illness. I too had normal loving , cuddly upringing but it’s now got ridiculous... expected to hug people you’ve only just met. I hope we’ve all learnt our lessons.