World Kiss Day, or International Kissing Day, is celebrated on July the 6th. This unofficial holiday started in the United Kingdom and spread through the world more recently (starting around the year 2000). Most people first think about kissing as something between boyfriends and girlfriends, or married couples, but there are lots of kinds of kissing!
Worldwide Kissing Day is a way to bring attention to kissing as more than a simple kiss, and to learn about all the ways that kissing affects the lives of both humans and animals.
Why do we Kiss?
Kissing means so many things to different people, that there is a scientific word to describe the study of kissing – Philematology! For most people, a kiss is a way to show affection, but think of all the other ways that we use kisses in culture.
One of the most common forms of kissing is for good luck, whether it’s under a sprig of Mistletoe, or leaning over to kiss the Blarney Stone, people have been trying to impact good luck in this way for ages.
Another very typical way people kiss is to say hello! In many cultures a quick kiss is appropriate even for people you have just met. This varies by country, but it may be on the hand, the lips, or the cheek (or in some places, even requiring several in a row). Of course, among relatives and friends it’s not at all uncommon to hug and kiss someone you haven’t seen in a while.
In some religions, it is used as part of a ceremony, whether to kiss the feet, a religious statue, or a place of religious significance. Among many cultures, kissing a baby is part of a form of religious blessing.
Throughout history we have seen a ‘kissing of the ring’ used to show respect to Kings, Queens, Emperors, and Popes around the world.
In some parts of the world (around 10% of it) no one ever kisses for any reason!
Animals Kiss Too!
Lots of animals kiss, but it’s usually to show affection or greeting. Here’s a quick video of cute animals kissing.
Did You Know…
- It takes at least 34 face muscles to kiss someone, and another 112 muscles in the rest of your body if you move to do it!
- The French have at least 20 different kinds of kisses, and the Germans have 30 ways to kiss.
- According to German legend, to protect yourself from lightening, you should kiss the ground 3 times.
- In France, it is said that you must kiss the deck of cards before playing if you want to have good luck.
- In Ancient Greece, they said that if you had a toothache you should kiss a donkey on the mouth!
- In Denmark, if you drop a piece of bread or a book you are supposed to kiss it when you pick it up.
- Investigators can even try to discover your identity using your unique lip prints (the study of quiloscopy).
How to Celebrate
Obviously the easiest way you can celebrate World Kissing Day is by giving someone a kiss! A family member, a friend, or even a pet. Of course, you want to make sure they’re OK with it first, and don’t forget about germs.
If you prefer a non-touching kiss try blowing a kiss at someone, or texting them with a bunch of kiss emojis!
Don’t like the traditional kissing? How about a kiss on the hand or the lesser used ‘Eskimo’ kiss (rubbing noses – Psst… it’s not really a real Eskimo thing but it’s cute anyway), or even a Butterfly kiss (you flutter your eyelashes together with each other).
But hey, how about yourself? Find yourself a mirror and give yourself a big smooch.
Fun Celebration Activities
Activity 1: Make Your Lip Prints
Start by taking a blank sheet of paper and folding it in half. Put some lip color on your lips – any color, doesn’t matter! Then put the folded edge of the paper between your lips and press them together to get a good impression. Open up the sheet, and write your name and date on the top. To make sure it doesn’t smudge, let it dry for a little while then either give it a quick spray with hairspray or brush it carefully with some clear nail polish.
Activity 2: Make Your Own Kiss Paper
This time you’re going to try to put several different kisses on one sheet of paper. It looks even neater if you can do it without bending the paper, just getting a good quick smooch straight on. Add something fun by changing lip colors (and it doesn’t have to be pink or red – lipstick comes in every color of the rainbow). Let it dry, seal it with hairspray or nail polish, then fold the paper in half and write a note inside that you can give to someone you love. See some lip print paper inspiration ideas.
Activity 3: Learn to Draw Lips
There are so many different artistic lip styles out there, here are a couple to try to learn.
Draw a Cartoon Lip
If you are using simple tools and good at following directions, this one is for you!
Draw a Realistic Lip
If you’re more experienced, you might want to try this one.