The etiquette and protocols when greeting someone with a social kiss

Do you kiss people on their cheeks when you greet them?

Demographer Bernard Salt, from KPMG, has suggested more and more Australians are adopting this European ritual.

Mr Salt says Australia is the most successful migrant nation on earth, and with that, are adopting bits and pieces from other cultures and integrating them into the Australian way of life. For instance, Australians have shifted their palate from tea to coffee and are greeting people with a kiss on the cheek.

A 3AW Breakfast poll agrees.

This morning @RossAndJohn ask the question:
Do you greet people by kissing them on the cheeks?https://t.co/vCFM8XX26O

? 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) March 19, 2017

Speaking to Ross and John, British etiquette and protocol expert, William Hanson, said there are rules when it comes to social kissing.

‘We don’t want to do a social kiss to someone we’ve never met before’

‘You kiss someone for whom you have some sort of degree of affection, and you have formed a bond.’ 

‘Your lips are not involved; it’s just cheek to cheek’ 

So, if you plan on greeting someone with a social kiss, be sure to follow Williams’s advice to avoid what could be a very awkward situation.

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