When it comes to kissing, different types can have different meanings for different people.
A mother can kiss her child freely to show her love, while a couple can share a romantic kiss and have it mean something else entirely.
There are many forms of kisses depending on where you live. Depending on your culture, a kiss with your best friend can be the beginning of a wonderful relationship or simply a way to say hello.
It is normal to kiss your best friend in some cultures, such as in France, where kissing is not seen as romantic.
If you’ve just shared a first, intimate kiss with your best friend, it could mean big changes are afoot in your relationship.
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Why do we kiss?
Kissing has long been seen as a way to express romantic interest. When people kiss, it can have a variety of different meanings.
From the first kiss being a memorable experience for new couples to it being a simple gesture of love between a parent and child, there are a lot of different reasons why we kiss.
The first historical reference we have in regard to the practice of kissing is in the Vedic Sanskrit from India around 1500 B.C.
This is the earliest known text that refers to kissing in a manner that is much more than platonic. From this text, we know that kissing has been seen as a way to:
- Create a pleasurable experience
- Create more sensuality
- Show intimacy between sexual or romantic partners
The act of kissing spread like wildfire in India, eventually to the Roman Empire when Alexander the Great came through the country conquering it and spreading its traditions.
Kissing has developed since then, and in the United States, is now associated with romantic interest ever since the inception of big Hollywood films.
Think about it. If you want to sweep someone off their feet, there’s no better way to do it than with a kiss.
Whether it’s on a date or with your best friend, a kiss is the best way to seal the deal and show your romantic interest, right? Well…not exactly.
Is all kissing romantic?
Studies have shown that a whopping 54% of countries around the world don’t engage in regular kissing to show intimacy.
Only 46% of countries actually use kissing as a form of intimacy. In other cultures, kissing can actually be seen as rude or vulgar!
It can even be offensive to kiss someone…which is also true in the United States if consent wasn’t given.
In fact, in the United States and the rest of North America, only 55% of cultures studied kissed romantically!
Other parts of the world that did not engage in regular romantic kissing included Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and New Guinea.
For these cultures, there might be other ways to show intimacy.
The “Eskimo kiss,” for instance, is actually a real way native tribes in Alaska and Canada show intimacy by rubbing their noses against each other and sharing warmth.
In which cultures is it common to kiss as friends?
Just like there are cultures that don’t share kisses with each other at all, there are other cultures that kiss on a regular basis in order to show friendliness or even as a regular greeting!
If you’re confused about whether or not it’s normal for best friends to kiss, knowing the culture of your best friend will tell you if it is normal or not.
For instance, if your friend is French, they might be practicing a French form of kissing known as la bise.
La bise is the name for a kiss used to greet each other. It is usually done by kissing one or both cheeks of the person you are greeting.
This is normal in France and other cultures! These cultures include:
- Spain
- Italy
- Greece
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Bosnia
- Romania
- Hungary
- Belgium
- Macedonia
- Egypt
- Russia
All of these countries (and some more cultures) practice kissing as friends, so you shouldn’t be alarmed if your friend is from this part of the world and kisses you.
To satisfy your curiosity, it’s best to ask your friend if their culture often practices this type of kissing.
If they do, you can’t rest assured that kisses with your friend are platonic in nature (and normal).
Was our kiss romantic?
On the flip side of that scenario, it is very possible that the kiss with your best friend was a sign of something more. The easiest way to find out what the kiss meant? Ask!
No one has time for games, so be straightforward.
The best way to find out whether your kiss with your friend was romantic is to ask them (especially if there was no consent or context for the kiss beforehand).
However, there are several tell-tale signs that your kiss with your best friend was something more romantic.
For instance, the average romantic kiss lasts 10 seconds! That’s a lifetime compared to the quick pecks on the cheek shared between friends normally.
If your kiss lasted 10 seconds or more, or if it developed into a full-blown make-out session, this is a good sign that the kiss with your friend meant much more than a platonic smooch.
In addition to the length of time, if you and your best friend were in an intimate conversation beforehand or even confessed some romantic feelings, then the kiss might just have been a way to seal the deal between you two!
Finally, if your best friend asked for permission to kiss you, this is perhaps the easiest way to know that the kiss meant much more than a regular smooch.
As we mentioned earlier, the best way to put an end to the mystery is to ask!
Should I pursue this kiss and explore a relationship further?
Did you know that 68% of friendships actually lead to relationships?
Although this isn’t necessarily a common occurrence, it is possible to take a romantic kiss with your best friend and let that blossom into something more.
However, it’s important to remember that starting a relationship with your best friend brings its own set of challenges.
Becoming intimate partners with your best friend can be one of the best decisions you make and one that can slowly lead to the disintegration of the original friendship.
It’s best to speak with your friend about how to “recover” from this kiss and decide whether it’s best to pursue a relationship or remain friends.
If your best friend wants to take things to the next level, consider methods in which this can be possible. Do you want to take things slow?
Are you sure that you love them and are willing to start putting a new label on the relationship?
As you can see, a kiss between best friends can lead to confusing situations.
It’s best to avoid the confusion altogether by defining the reason for your kiss beforehand.
Can we still be best friends and kiss romantically?
If you want to be “friends with benefits” and romantically kiss your best friend (and even have sex), this is also possible. Friends with benefits are more common than you’d think.
Around 60% of college students have these types of arrangements, which can be a great way to get some stress relief and have sex with someone you trust.
However, not communicating with your best friend about any underlying feelings or emotions can make it difficult to maintain this type of relationship.
Final thoughts
A kiss can mean so many different things. When it comes to your best friend, a kiss can signal the start of a full-on relationship or a simple greeting!
It’s normal, in any case, to kiss your best friend, so long as you two know what the kiss means.
