Types of Kisses – How They Work and What They Mean

World Kiss Day is coming up again on 6th July – and whether it’s our partner, a friend or someone in the family, we kiss lots of people in a range of different ways, and we love doing it. It doesn’t always involve touching lips, although the name may imply that. After all, there are plenty of different types of kisses. And even, if we have to hold back with kissing a little bit lately and also at the moment, we wanted to look at the different kinds of kisses in a little more detail, so read on to find out more ♥

Different types of kisses and what they mean

The hello kiss

Let’s start with a type of kiss that’s known the whole world over. We’re talking about the hello kiss. This type of kiss isn’t done in all countries, though. There are also differences when it comes to the number of kisses on each cheek and how they are done. In some countries, the lips just brush the cheek lightly, while in others it’s a proper, big kiss. This type of kiss is probably most famous in France, where they give two kisses – one on the left followed by one on the right. Yet it can vary even within the same country. Parisians even do four kisses, for example. In France the lips usually just brush the cheeks. This type of kiss hasn’t been fully accepted in Germany yet. You only see it much in the south, as it’s more of a southern European tradition. In other parts of Germany, people greet each other with a hug or a classic handshake.

The kiss on the hand

The kiss on the hand is actually a kiss that we only really know from the past. Men would kiss the back of a woman’s hand to demonstrate their respect for her. A distinction was drawn between married women, widows and single women. With unmarried women, the kiss on the hand was merely hinted at, whereas the back of the hand was kissed properly in married or widowed women. Nowadays, kissing on the back of the hand is something that is almost never done.

The kiss on the cheek

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A single kiss on the cheek is something that can be shared between friends, family and even two people in a couple. It expresses warmth and affection. Sometimes it can also be a symbol of thanks.

The kiss on the forehead

Parents often kiss their children on the forehead. But men also bestow this kiss on the fairer sex. A kiss on the forehead is usually a sign of deep affection, but it also conveys the message ‘I’m protecting you’ and ‘You’re very important to me.’ It’s certainly a kiss with a profound meaning.

The blown kiss

This is another fairly uncommon kiss, but it’s something that loved-up couples tend to do – blowing a kiss. You don’t even need to touch each other, but it expresses a great deal of affection and love.

The French kiss

This is probably the most passionate of the kisses here. Despite its name, it seems the French kiss doesn’t come from France. Up until the mid-20th century, French kisses only ever happened behind closed doors.

The neck or throat kiss

Along with the French kiss, a kiss on the neck or throat is one of the most intimate types of kisses. This is because the neck and throat are among the most sensitive areas of the body. Two people need to be very close to each other physically, which shows a high level of intimacy and trust.

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Unusual types of kisses

From the kisses that we’re all familiar with to a few that some of us at least didn’t know about:

The butterfly kiss

When you do a butterfly kiss, it’s not just the lips that touch. In fact, it’s not about the lips at all but the eyelashes. When you’re sharing an intimate kiss and you’re so close that your eyelashes brush against your partner’s face, this is what’s known as a butterfly kiss.

The Spider-Man kiss

Everyone’s mind will probably go straight to the scene from Spider-Man where Tobey Maguire kisses Kirsten Dunst upside down. But the Spider-Man kiss doesn’t have to be that spectacular. It actually just involves two people lying in different directions while they’re kissing, but with their heads at the same level. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should definitely give it a try 😉

The Eskimo kiss

The Eskimo kiss is another one where it’s not the lips that touch – in this case it’s two people’s noses. The Eskimo kiss actually comes from the Maori, but these days it is usually associated with the native people of the Arctic. This kiss is a symbol of trust and love.

There are many different types of kisses, all of which demonstrate affection, love and intimacy. It doesn’t matter what type of kiss you choose to show your affection, the main thing is that you love each other ❤