Kissing the Italian Cheek

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Italian Culture - Kissing the Italian Cheek Who would have thought an innocent gesture of goodwill could cause so much confusion among friends, family and associates? When to kiss, how many kisses, left cheek, right cheek, both cheeks, lips or not? Visi- tors to Italy often have cheek kissing anxiety. Have you ever greeted an Italian by going for a cheek kiss only to have them extend an arm for a hearty handshake and a cheery, “Buongiorno” or “Piacere?” Regions and cul- tures often dictate kissing rules, but the bottom line to the kissing dilemma is this: When in doubt, don’t! Some things to consider before offering a cheek include how well you know the person, whether it is a business or social occasion, and your own motive behind the gesture. Keep in mind that much of this depends on the personality of the kisser. Most Italians are warm and demonstrative. They particularly enjoy bestowing their kisses on close friends and family, but for new acquaintances (potential future friends), in business settings, and with strangers, a handshake is the greeting of choice. Don’t kiss someone you have never met before. Be a consistent kisser. If you greet someone with a kiss, don’t forget to do the same to say, “Arrivederci.” Offering your hand for a handshake after a hello kiss sends a confusing message. If you have a sufficiently close cheek-to-cheek relationship, then start on the right and graze the cheek of the other -per son with your own, refrain from making the “Moi, Moi” or any other sound into the other person’s ear. Then switch to the left cheek and repeat. Not to make this difficult, but you may find that in some parts of Italy they start left cheek first and then right. When in doubt, pause and follow the lead of your Italian friend. Stop at a kiss to each check. Unlike in France or Russia, a third pass is extremely rare in Italy. Don’t actually kiss the cheek unless it is a very, very close friend or family member. If your kiss includes a hug, make it brief, a few short taps on the back are appropriate, avoid pound- ing the back of the other person. Usually the cheek kissing routine is between women and women and men and women, but there are regions in Italy, mostly in the south, where men greet one another with kisses on either cheek. Some suggest that Italian women who wanted their men to sympathize with their suffering when brushing up against scruffy, unshaven beards started this. The safest route for a man visiting Italy is to offer a handshake to greet other men. After that follow the lead of those Italian metrosexual friends. As a general rule, women have the universal power to dictate proximity. The woman has to take charge to avoid any awkwardness. Ironically, the number one situation most fraught with danger is when a foreigner meets a fellow expat. If the person is a friend, or a friend of a friend, do you stay with the custom of Italy or fall back on the etiquette of the homeland? It’s probably safest to stay with the handshake until your relationship rises to the level of closeness that calls for kisses. Allora: When in doubt, stick with your own cultural norm. There is no need to become Italian in all ways when visiting the country. 16 l marzo 2015 l.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

The Meanings of the Term Mudra and a Historical Outline of "Hand
The Meanings of the term Mudra T h e M and a Historical Outline of ae n ni "Hand gestures" g s o f ht e Dale Todaro t re m M u d 梗概 ar a この拙論は2部に分かれる。 n d 第1部は"mudra"という語の最も一般的な定義を扱う。仏教・ヒンドゥー教 a H を研究している学者や東洋の図像学の専門家は、大抵、"皿udra"のさまざまな意 i torical Outline味を知っている。しかし、特にタントラにおいて使用された"mudr翫"のすべての定義が、どんな参考文献にも見つかるわけではない。従って、第1部はこれら種々の、一般的な"mudra"の語法を集めるよう試みた。又、インドの舞踏や劇について書いた人が、"hasta"という語を使用すべきであるのに、専門的に言えば誤って"mudra"を用いている。それについても説明を試みた。 fo " 第1部よりも長い第2部では、"印契(手印)"という意味で使用された"mu- H a dra"の歴史のあらましを、系統的に述べた。印契の歴史上異なった使用と意味 n d g は、次の4において顕著にみられる。即ち、1)ヴェーダの儀礼、2)規格化された se ut インドの舞踏、3)インドの彫刻(仏教、ヒンドゥー教、ジャイナ教)、4)タント r s"e ラの成就法、である。これら4の分野はすべて、共通して、インドで使用された印契の伝統から由来している。そしで、いくつかの事例において、インドから日本密教の伝統までにわたって、特定の"mudra"が驚くほど継続して使用されていることが、証明できる。 Introduction The goal of this short essay is twofold.
[Show full text]
Can Population-Level Laterality Stem from Social Pressures? Evidence from Cheek Kissing in Humans
RESEARCH ARTICLE Can Population-Level Laterality Stem from Social Pressures? Evidence from Cheek Kissing in Humans Amandine Chapelain1*, Pauline Pimbert1, Lydiane Aube1, Océane Perrocheau1, Gilles Debunne3, Alain Bellido2, Catherine Blois-Heulin1 1 UMR 6552 Université de Rennes 1—CNRS, Station biologique, 35380, Paimpont, France, 2 UMR 6553 Université de Rennes 1—CNRS, Station biologique, 35380, Paimpont, France, 3 QDC, département R&D, 31000, Toulouse, France * [email protected] Abstract Despite extensive research, the origins and functions of behavioural laterality remain largely unclear. One of the most striking unresolved issues is the fact that laterality generally occurs at the population-level. Why would the majority of the individuals of a population exhibit the same laterality, while individual-level laterality would yet provide the advantages in terms of OPEN ACCESS improving behavioural efficiency? Are social pressures the key factor? Can social pressures Citation: Chapelain A, Pimbert P, Aube L, induce alignment of laterality between the individuals of a population? Can the effect of Perrocheau O, Debunne G, Bellido A, et al. (2015) social pressures overpass the effect of other possible determining factors (e.g. genes)? We Can Population-Level Laterality Stem from Social tested this important new hypothesis in humans, for the first time. We asked whether popu- Pressures? Evidence from Cheek Kissing in Humans. lation-level laterality could stem from social pressures. Namely, we assessed social pres- PLoS ONE 10(8): e0124477. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0124477 sures on laterality in an interactive social behaviour: kissing on the cheek as a greeting. We performed observations in 10 cities of France.
[Show full text]
Reaching for Divinity the Role of Herakles in Relation to Dexiosis
Reaching for Divinity The role of Herakles in relation to dexiosis Florien Plasschaert Utrecht University RMA ANCIENT, MEDIEVAL, AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES thesis under the supervision of dr. R. Strootman | prof. L.V. Rutgers Cover Photo: Dexiosis relief of Antiochos I of Kommagene with Herakles at Arsameia on the Nymphaion. Photograph by Stefano Caneva, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license. 1 Reaching for Divinity The role of Herakles in relation to dexiosis Florien Plasschaert Utrecht 2017 2 Acknowledgements The completion of this master thesis would not have been possible were not it for the advice, input and support of several individuals. First of all, I owe a lot of gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Rolf Strootman, whose lectures not only inspired the subject for this thesis, but whose door was always open in case I needed advice or felt the need to discuss complex topics. With his incredible amount of knowledge on the Hellenistic Period provided me with valuable insights, yet always encouraged me to follow my own view on things. Over the course of this study, there were several people along the way who helped immensely by providing information, even if it was not yet published. Firstly, Prof. Dr. Miguel John Versluys, who was kind enough to send his forthcoming book on Nemrud Dagh, an important contribution to the information on Antiochos I of Kommagene. Secondly, Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Iossif who even managed to send several articles in the nick of time to help my thesis. Lastly, the National Numismatic Collection department of the Nederlandse Bank, to whom I own gratitude for sending several scans of Hellenistic coins.
[Show full text]
The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project
The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project PETER KOVACH Interviewed by: Charles Stuart Kennedy Initial Interview Date: April 18, 2012 Copyright 2015 ADST Q: Today is the 18th of April, 2012. Do you know ‘Twas the 18th of April in ‘75’? KOVACH: Hardly a man is now alive that remembers that famous day and year. I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. Q: We are talking about the ride of Paul Revere. KOVACH: I am a son of Massachusetts but the first born child of either side of my family born in the United States; and a son of Massachusetts. Q: Today again is 18 April, 2012. This is an interview with Peter Kovach. This is being done on behalf of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and I am Charles Stuart Kennedy. You go by Peter? KOVACH: Peter is fine. Q: Let s start at the beginning. When and where were you born? KOVACH: I was born in Worcester, Massachusetts three days after World War II ended, August the 18th, 1945. Q: Let s talk about on your father s side first. What do you know about the Kovaches? KOVACH: The Kovaches are a typically mixed Hapsburg family; some from Slovakia, some from Hungary, some from Austria, some from Northern Germany and probably some from what is now western Romania. Predominantly Jewish in background though not practice with some Catholic intermarriage and Muslim conversion. Q: Let s take grandfather on the Kovach side. Where did he come from? KOVACH: He was born I think in 1873 or so.
[Show full text]
This List of Gestures Represents Broad Categories of Emotion: Openness
This list of gestures represents broad categories of emotion: openness, defensiveness, expectancy, suspicion, readiness, cooperation, frustration, confidence, nervousness, boredom, and acceptance. By visualizing the movement of these gestures, you can raise your awareness of the many emotions the body expresses without words. Openness Aggressiveness Smiling Hand on hips Open hands Sitting on edge of chair Unbuttoning coats Moving in closer Defensiveness Cooperation Arms crossed on chest Sitting on edge of chair Locked ankles & clenched fists Hand on the face gestures Chair back as a shield Unbuttoned coat Crossing legs Head titled Expectancy Frustration Hand rubbing Short breaths Crossed fingers “Tsk!” Tightly clenched hands Evaluation Wringing hands Hand to cheek gestures Fist like gestures Head tilted Pointing index finger Stroking chins Palm to back of neck Gestures with glasses Kicking at ground or an imaginary object Pacing Confidence Suspicion & Secretiveness Steepling Sideways glance Hands joined at back Feet or body pointing towards the door Feet on desk Rubbing nose Elevating oneself Rubbing the eye “Cluck” sound Leaning back with hands supporting head Nervousness Clearing throat Boredom “Whew” sound Drumming on table Whistling Head in hand Fidget in chair Blank stare Tugging at ear Hands over mouth while speaking Acceptance Tugging at pants while sitting Hand to chest Jingling money in pocket Touching Moving in closer Dangerous Body Language Abroad by Matthew Link Posted Jul 26th 2010 01:00 PMUpdated Aug 10th 2010 01:17 PM at http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/07/26/dangerous-body-language-abroad/?ncid=AOLCOMMtravsharartl0001&sms_ss=digg You are in a foreign country, and don't speak the language.
[Show full text]
Scout Uniform, Scout Sign, Salute and Handshake
In this Topic: Participation Promise and Law Scout Uniform, Scout Salute and Scout Handshake Scouts and Flags Scouting History Discussion with the Scout Leader Introducing Tenderfoot Level The Journey Life in the Troop is a journey. As in any journey one embarks on, there needs to be proper preparation for the adventure ahead. This is important so as to steer clear of obstacles and perils, which, with good foresight, can often be avoided. As Scouts we follow our simple motto: Be Prepared! With this in mind you can start your preparations for the journey ahead… The Tenderfoot This level offers a starting point for a new member in the troop. For those Cubs whose time has come to move up from the pack, the Tenderfoot level is a stepping stone linking the pack with the troop. For those scouts who have joined from outside the group, this will be the beginning of their scouting life. How do I achieve this level? The five sections in this level can be done in any order. If you are a Cub Scout moving up from the pack, you will have already started the Cub Scout link badge. The Tenderfoot level is started at the same time. As you can see some of the requirements are the same for both awards. If you have just joined the scouting movement as part of the troop, this level will provide you with all the basic information to help you learn what scouting is all about. Look at the sheet on the next page so that you are able to keep track of your progress.
[Show full text]
Hand Gestures
L2/16-308 More hand gestures To: UTC From: Peter Edberg, Emoji Subcommittee Date: 2016-10-31 Proposed characters Tier 1: Two often-requested signs (ILY, Shaka, ILY), and three to complete the finger-counting sets for 1-3 (North American and European system). None of these are known to have offensive connotations. HAND SIGN SHAKA ● Shaka sign ● ASL sign for letter ‘Y’ ● Can signify “Aloha spirit”, surfing, “hang loose” ● On Emojipedia top requests list, but requests have dropped off ● 90°-rotated version of CALL ME HAND, but EmojiXpress has received requests for SHAKA specifically, noting that CALL ME HAND does not fulfill need HAND SIGN ILY ● ASL sign for “I love you” (combines signs for I, L, Y), has moved into mainstream use ● On Emojipedia top requests list HAND WITH THUMB AND INDEX FINGER EXTENDED ● Finger-counting 2, European style ● ASL sign for letter ‘L’ ● Sign for “loser” ● In Montenegro, sign for the Liberal party ● In Philippines, sign used by supporters of Corazon Aquino ● See Wikipedia entry HAND WITH THUMB AND FIRST TWO FINGERS EXTENDED ● Finger-counting 3, European style ● UAE: Win, victory, love = work ethic, success, love of nation (see separate proposal L2/16-071, which is the source of the information below about this gesture, and also the source of the images at left) ● Representation for Ctrl-Alt-Del on Windows systems ● Serbian “три прста” (tri prsta), symbol of Serbian identity ● Germanic “Schwurhand”, sign for swearing an oath ● Indication in sports of successful 3-point shot (basketball), 3 successive goals (soccer), etc. HAND WITH FIRST THREE FINGERS EXTENDED ● Finger-counting 3, North American style ● ASL sign for letter ‘W’ ● Scout sign (Boy/Girl Scouts) is similar, has fingers together Tier 2: Complete the finger-counting sets for 4-5, plus some less-requested hand signs.
[Show full text]
DECEMBER 08 Doing Business Globally Requires More Than Compliance with Legal Mandates
ows When stepping into a foreign country, be sure to start on the right foot. DECEMBER 08 Doing business globally requires more than compliance with legal mandates. Knowledge of local customs is also critical, especially when making a first impression. A monthly best practices alert for multinationals confronting the As 2008 draws to a close (none too soon), and we all look forward to greeting the New challenges of the global workplace Year, we offer some tips on how to say hello in countries around the world. This Month’s With best wishes from the International Labor Group. Challenge When doing business abroad, Hugs and Business Gestures/ not knowing the local customs Country Handshake Eye Contact Other Kisses Cards Physical Space can lead to serious embarrassment. EUROPE UK A handshake Generally Customs Avoid Direct eye Pants actually Best Practice is the most no kissing similar to excessive hand contact is means appropriate or hugging. U.S. gestures and common and underwear, not Tip of the Month greeting. displays of acceptable, but trousers. emotion. don’t be too A little preparation can prevent intense. a lot of trouble. Get to know France A handshake In social Cards The U.S. sign Direct eye Always apologize the local customs before is the most settings, should be for ok means contact is if you do not embarking for an international appropriate friends do printed in zero in France. common and speak French business meeting. greeting and les bises English acceptable, and or if you need to farewell. (touching on one sometimes conduct business However, cheeks and side and intense.
[Show full text]
EMS PRICE MFO1 /PC14 Plus Postage
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 250 950 FL 014 721 TITLE Cultural Orientation Resource Manual, Volume III, Supplement 1983. INSTITUTION Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C. SPONS AGENCY Department of State, Washington, DC. Bureau of Refugee Programs. PUB DATE 83 NOTE 335p.; For related documents, see FL 014 671-672 and ED 221 068-071. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use - Guides (For Teachers) (052) EMS PRICE MFO1 /PC14 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Class Activities; *Cultural Education; Curriculum Guides; *Daily Living Skills; English (Second Language); Instructional Materials; Intensive Language Courses; Lesson Plans; *Orientation Materials; *Refugees; Staff Development; Teaching Guides IDENTIFIERS *Refugee Camps ABSTRACT This volume of supplementary materials is intended for use in the Department of State's intensive English as aSecond Language, Cultural Orientation, and Pre-EmploymentTraining Program for United States-bound Southeast Asian refugees. It contains an introductory section on the program's history, descriptions of the program sites in Bataan(Philippines), Galang (Indonesia), and Phanat Nikhom (Thailand), notes on content standards, an activitiesguide, training guides, and resource materials for the culturalorientation component of the program. The section on contentstandards outlines the development of standards, a synopsis of contentby topic area, a topical list of content standards, additionalrecommended subtopics, and an alphabetical list of standards. The activitiesguide contains information concerning classroom orientation,
[Show full text]
Pointing Gesture in Young Children Hand Preference and Language Development
Pointing gesture in young children Hand preference and language development Hélène Cochet and Jacques Vauclair Aix-Marseille University This paper provides an overview of recent studies that have investigated the development of pointing behaviors in infants and toddlers. First, we focus on deictic gestures and their role in language development, taking into account the different hand shapes and the different functions of pointing, and examining the cognitive abilities that may or may not be associated with the production of pointing gestures. Second, we try to demonstrate that when a distinction is made between pointing gestures and manipulative activities, the study of children’s hand preference can help to highlight the development of speech-gesture links. Keywords: toddlers, gestural communication, pointing, handedness, speech- gesture system Emergence of communicative gestures: Focus on pointing gestures Pointing is a specialized gesture for indicating an object, event or location. Chil- dren start using pointing gestures at around 11 months of age (Butterworth & Morissette, 1996; Camaioni, Perucchini, Bellagamba, & Colonnesi, 2004), and this behavior opens the door to the development of intentional communication. One of the prerequisites for the production of pointing gestures is a shared experi- ence between the signaler and the recipient of the gesture, that is, a simultaneous engagement with the same external referent, usually referred to as joint attention (e.g., Carpenter, Nagell, & Tomasello, 1998). While pointing is sometimes regard- ed as a “private gesture” (Delgado, Gómez, & Sarriá, 2009), whose main role is to regulate the infant’s attention rather than to enable the latter to communicate with a recipient, a growing body of research suggests that the onset of pointing gestures reflects a newly acquired ability to actively direct the adult’s attention to outside entities in triadic interactions (e.g., Liszkowski, 2005; Tomasello, Carpenter, & Liszkowski, 2007).
[Show full text]
16 Gestures by 16 Months
16 Gestures by 16 Months Children Should Learn at Least 16 Gestures by 16 Months Good communication development starts in the first year of life and goes far beyond learning how to talk. Communication development has its roots in social interaction with parents and other caregivers during everyday activities. Your child’s growth in social communication is important because it helps your child connect with you, learn language and play concepts, and sets the stage for learning to read and future success in school. Good com- munication skills are the best tool to prevent behavior problems and make it easier to work through moments of frustration that all infants and toddlers face. Earlier is Better Catching communication and language difficulties By observing children’s early early can prevent potential problems later with gestures, you can obtain a critical behavior, learning, reading, and social interaction. snapshot of their communication Research on brain development reminds us that “earlier IS better” when teaching young children. development. Even small lags in The most critical period for learning is during the communication milestones can first three years of a child’s life. Pathways in the add up and impact a child’s rate brain develop as infants and young children learn of learning that is difficult to from exploring and interacting with people and objects in their environment. The brain’s architec- change later. Research with young ture is developing the most rapidly during this crit- children indicates that the development of gestures from 9 to 16 ical period and is the most sensitive to experiential months predicts language ability 2 years later, which is significant learning.
[Show full text]
University of Groningen a Cultural History of Gesture Bremmer, JN
University of Groningen A Cultural History Of Gesture Bremmer, J.N.; Roodenburg, H. IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 1991 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Bremmer, J. N., & Roodenburg, H. (1991). A Cultural History Of Gesture. s.n. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license. More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne- amendment. Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 02-10-2021 The 'hand of friendship': shaking hands and other gestures in the Dutch Republic HERMAN ROODENBURG 'I think I can see the precise and distinguishing marks of national characters more in those nonsensical minutiae than in the most important matters of state'.
[Show full text]