Today is International Kissing Day!

    That's right! International Kissing Day today! This day has gradually been declared in most countries.


    Now I'm sure that anyone expected this topic on Hiawatha House. Why I didn't think this topic would ever be on Hiawatha House. However, I heard a piece on CBC radio's The Current about National Kissing Day and it was interesting. 


     So there are pecks on the cheek, pecks on the forehead, kisses on the lips and probably many more that I'm not aware of. There are good kissers and bad kissers. There are favorite kisses. There are kisses that have big influences. Russian men give the big bear hug and kisses on both cheeks when they meet a man.Where did kissing come from? The experts aren't quite sure . Alexander the Great found kissing in India and brought it back. The Europeans are responsible for spreading kissing around the world. 


    Some cultures didn't have kissing but "smelling." We have small musk glands underneath the eye. That scent can be picked up, subconsiously I guess, and in so doing the person is recognized in some way. 


    My Grandma was like most other Grannies. She adored her grandchildren and would shower them with kisses. When my brother and I were little guys we didn't like Grandma's kisses. She would come on the train to visit us. We would be dancing up and down until the train stopped. Then we would run behind the station and hide so Grandma couldn't kiss us. However , sooner or later we had to face Grandma. 


    My most surprising kiss? I was in the staff room one day enjoying a coffee and going over some upcoming lessons. The office staff happened to be in the staff room and they were rather excited. One of them was applying a thick coating of lipstick. So she said she was going to kiss me. I treated it as a bluff. But it wasn't a bluff and too late for me I got the red lipstick kiss. Of course , all the office staff were in on it so that was the reason for their lively behavior and they found the incident hilarious.


    I come from a family of four boys. Once in a while our wives swap stories about their husband's kissing. Then they embarrass us by discussing our kissing habits. So their story is that we are all shy and some initiative has to be taken on their part. They all say we are getting better so that's a good thing.


    My friend's Dad died last year. They were together as a family and talking about what they would miss most about their Dad and husband. When it came mom's turn she said "the kisses." It was something none of them expected but something that spoke volumes about the couple's relationship.


    So to all people out there, "Happy kissing day" or whatever you're supposed to say on such a day. 


     Some bloggers quite often end posts or a comment "Hugs to all " and some "hugs and kisses to all."