Greetings in public

Pacion

Pacion

New Member
All this talk of greeting someone in the salsa/dance scene when they have a "date" with them has got me thinking.

What is the normal mode of greeting someone in your part of the world? does it differ between:

- men and women?
- men and men?
- women and women?
- the "status" of the person, ie. whether they are married/in a relationship or single?

I have seen and read that arabic men greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and of course seen in the movies with a mafia theme, that the men do the same.
 
The norm in Egypt is that women greet women and men greet men by two kisses on the cheeks. It's not really a kiss, but more of a cheek to cheek touch and a kiss in the air. It also usually with people you already know.
Men greet woman by a hand-shake and some very religious people don't shake hands. So for example if I'm working with some men (who seem religious), I would just nod and make eye-contact (to avoid any embaressment).
Now if you're in the country-side, some women can greet you (a woman of course) with countless kisses, so you really have to make them stop, otherwise they never will.
Of course among some groups of people men greet women with a cheek-to-cheek touch/hug, but that's for people who have been exposed to Western cultures, but it's not the norm.
 
Italian people usually greet by handshaking and giving two kisses on the cheeks.

Swiss and French people do the same, but they give you three kisses instead of two.

Spanish people give hugs and then they kiss the cheeks.

In all these countries it's the same for women/women, men/men, women/men greeting.
 
Tanguera said:
Italian people usually greet by handshaking and giving two kisses on the cheeks.

Swiss and French people do the same, but they give you three kisses instead of two.

Spanish people give hugs and then they kiss the cheeks.
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Greeks pretty much the same as Italians in this regard. My Slovak instructors are the same, as well.

While Americans are definitely all over the place, depending on their cultural background, I do not experience the overall American approach to be as touchy-touchy, kissy-kissy as Europeans.

And I think it's much more common for men & women to touch casually in Europe than in the US.
 
Here in the States, men generally greet other men by shaking hands and/or giving a "manly" pat on the back. I don't think men give each other hugs/kisses in general. I think the general culture here is a bit macho or homophobic when it comes to the manner in which men touch other men, but I imagine it also varies within the States depending on what part of the country you live in and your ethnic background, social circles, etc.

American women usually give each other a quick kiss on the cheek and/or a hug. American woman will also generally greet men this same way, and vice versa. If however I (American) am meeting up with a friend from Spain or South America, I will give them a hug and a kiss-kiss. :-)

A funny note on my first personal experience in the Arab world... When I visited the Middle East (United Arab Emirates) a number of years ago to visit an American friend, after my first little solo stroll near her apartment, I returned to her apartment and commented that I was very surprised at the number of gay men there. She said "what do you mean?" and I said "I saw all these guys walking around holding hands!". I had no idea that that is normal there.... that male friends will hold hands with each other! You would NEVER see that here in the States, and if you do, it is understood that the men are gay. What was also interesting was that, when I saw these men in the UAE holding hands, they were walking along the water at a very leisurely pace, so it was clear that they were just out for a friendly stroll together.
 
yippee1999 said:
She said "what do you mean?" and I said "I saw all these guys walking around holding hands!". I had no idea that that is normal there.... that male friends will hold hands with each other!
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:eyebrow: seeing men holding hands makes one a bit suspicious here in Egypt. Maybe it's different in the Emirates?

I found it quite different how in France when you get introduced to someone you never met, they would greet you with a kiss.
 
It's not uncommon to see men holding hands in India. There is no room for open homosexuality in Indian culture, so holding hands becomes a non-issue. It's understood that they are straight men who are close friends.
 
Shooshoo said:
:eyebrow: seeing men holding hands makes one a bit suspicious here in Egypt. Maybe it's different in the Emirates?
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I guess they're trying to spread the love. ;)
holding_hands_with_evil.jpeg
 
quixotedlm said:
It's not uncommon to see men holding hands in India. There is no room for open homosexuality in Indian culture, so holding hands becomes a non-issue. It's understood that they are straight men who are close friends.
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I was going to say the same thing, but based on what my Indian friend had told me. For his wedding, actually, his 2 brothers walked him down the aisle to altar. The 3 of them walked arm-in-arm, and they were holding hands on top of it. It was interesting.
 
On my mom's side of the family we tend to greet with a hug. Gender doesn't matter.

On my dad's side (Italian and Polish), we greet with the hug & kiss (or kiss-kiss) combo. Again, gender doesn't matter, although the men will generally greet with a handshake/one-armed hug/kiss combo. Nor does it matter if you've met the person before or not. If someone says that we're related...somehow...you greet with a hug and a kiss.

I generally greet friends, of either gender, with a hug.

In Argentina, it was interesting to note how people greeted me as an American. One person (another American, a woman) greeted me with a handshake, at first. One teacher had a moment of indecision and settled on a handshake, at first. Another teacher didn't seem to give anything a second thought and greeted me with the typical hug & kiss combo. By the time I left, hugs & kisses were freely exchanged.

In dancing...in the ballroom world, a hug is a possiblity, depending on how close I am with someone. I always let the other person initiate, but that's just me. In AT, there's a lot more of the hug & kiss greeting, but I've primarily noticed only between men & women. I've seen one notable exception--a couple who hugged and kissed everyone regardless of gender--but they were Argentine.
 
quixotedlm said:
It's not uncommon to see men holding hands in India. There is no room for open homosexuality in Indian culture, so holding hands becomes a non-issue. It's understood that they are straight men who are close friends.
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Yup. I've noticed that too.
 
rotfl! :lol:

Now, how do we know, in this day and age of "digital enhancement", that the above photo was not enhanced? ;)
 
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