Le Bisous

"The kiss"

This is something I lived my year in constant fear dread of.

I've had people ask me if it's true that people kiss on the cheek to greet each other. And yes, yes it is. Everyone. Old. Young. Friends. Strangers. Everyone.

This isn't something I had an issue with my first time around in Montpellier, mostly because I was jet setting every weekend and didn't really make any French friends.

However, this year definitely made up for the lack of bisous before.

Where I live thankfully it's custom to only give two bisous: one for each cheek. There are regions where you give 3, even 4. Imagine meeting a group of 6 people for example; having to bisous each person 4 times, you'd spend a solid 5 minutes just greeting everyone. And you don't bisous only the people you know. Like I said, you bisous everyone. 

This map below shows how many kisses you give upon greeting someone in the different regions of France:

credit: http://www.thepiripirilexicon.com/2013/05/bisous-1-2-3-4-french-greetings-how.html

Okay, maybe not complete strangers on the street. But if you're an acquaintance, or even just happen to be with someone who is an acquaintance of someone that walks up, you are going to bisous them like it or not.  

To the French, bisous-ing is totally normal and much less intimate than our hug. Which I do and don't agree with. I can see how they think pressing your bodies into each other as a greeting could be construed as an invasion of personal space. But how is putting your lips that close to someone else's not just as cosy? Especially when, like I said, you bisous everyone. However, hugging in the US is usually reserved for close friends.

credit: http://www.bubblews.com/news/588440-how-to-cheek-kiss

I never know which side to start on. I generally go in for the right side which I think seems to be the general rule of thumb. Although not everyone seems to follow that and I have had some close calls where I've practically brushed lips with the person I'm bisous-ing. Doesn't hurt if you are bisous-ing a beau Frenchman. Just kidding!.... 

To make it even more complicated, if you are meeting someone for the first time, you have to throw your name in there somewhere. Typically you go in for the first kiss, one person says their name, you switch sides and then the second person says theirs. And even though you are just "air kissing" and brushing cheek-to-cheek, I find I still pucker my lips and make a slight kissy noise.

Although every now and then you get the occasional bisous-er who plants a full wet one straight on your cheek. 

Yum.

 credit: http://www.wholelifepetsblog.com/2012/10/18/dog-kisses-spread-bacteria/