Kiss Without a Kiss: Countries and Cultures Where the Gesture Is Unacceptable For a European or American, a kiss seems like something self-evident. We kiss upon meeting, as a greeting, as a sign of love, as a farewell. It's hard for us to imagine that in some places this gesture may not just be unacceptable, but cause bewilderment, disgust, or even anger. However, a study covering 168 cultures worldwide has shown that romantic kisses are practiced in only 46% of them. In the rest of the world, people do without this — either due to cultural traditions, strict religious norms, or simply because they don't know what it is. A kiss is not a universal language of love. It is a cultural construct, and in many parts of the world it either does not exist or is strictly taboo. Strictly Islamic Countries: Kisses Forbidden by Law The strictest restrictions are in place in the Middle East and South Asia, where Islamic norms regulate not only personal but also public life. In the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and Afghanistan, public kisses between a man and a woman are not just a breach of etiquette, but a criminal offense. In the UAE, a kiss in a public place can result in a prison sentence of up to ten days. In Iran and the UAE, a public kiss can lead to months of imprisonment. In conservative countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, public kisses are unimaginable. Meanwhile, in Arab countries, farewell kisses between men are quite common. But kisses with the opposite sex are an absolute taboo. Even on a wedding, the groom kisses the bride on the forehead, not on the lips. In Turkey, which is considered a more secular country, farewell kisses between men and women are not accepted, and kissing on the lips in public is forbidden everywhere and at any time. Asia: From Public Taboo to the Absence of Kisses In Asia, the attitude towards kisses varies from strict prohibition to complete ignorance. In Japan and China, public kisses, even on the cheek, are c ... Read more