Dos Besos

A lovely European greeting, dos besos are given as a salutation when you encounter your friends on the street, or in their house, or generally at first face.  It’s surprisingly various across the continent, and I would like to question what the differences imply.  For instance, the Spaniards kiss twice.  Once on the right cheek-to-cheek, then on the left.  The Italians have the same number, but start with the left check.  Recklessly confusing when you are on the Camino by the way.  The French and the Swedish seem to relish the bisous so much that they go for three.  The English upper-crust have adopted it as an airkiss, and this has been closely followed up by any and every fashionable gay man in the world. 

What do we Americans do?  Why, we give a hearty handshake, of course.  This is the first will of power and it is most important to us how we shake hands.  But, to be fair, that is not the end of the story.  Cousins, friends, males on the street in Mediterranean countries are very quick to give loud cheerful kisses on each other’s cheeks, but try giving them an American bearhug and you will be surprised at their shock.  Though we don’t have a polite bon apetite or buen provecho at mealtimes, and though we don’t kiss kiss upon meeting a stranger, we are definitely more comfortable with showing our affection through full body contact.  I would trade that for all the kisses in Europe.