Spain, like many Mediterranean cultures, has got a very up close and personal way of greeting each other, even people they meet for the first time. Since childhood, they are told to kiss someone on both sides of the face, to say: “Hello, nice to meet you.” This greeting tradition has existed for thousands of years. It is passed on from one generation to another and is a natural part of life as they have known it until COVID-19 came along.
The Coronavirus has had a dramatic impact on this thousand-year-old tradition. Greeting the traditional way can now kill you! Overnight, the Spanish had to adapt to social distancing, as have all cultures on a global scale, but for the Spanish, it meant dropping a timeless tradition, which is such a systematic part of their lives that it has become a reflex. When you meet someone, anyone, you give each other two kisses, one of each cheek. It’s not something you even think about.
Suddenly the Spanish have had to make a conscious effort not to kiss each other. It makes for a very awkward scenario. As the temptation is there to lean forward to kiss and suddenly you pull back, as the conscious kicks in and says: “no! Don’t kiss! Don’t touch! Stay away from each other!” No one knows for how long this tradition will have to be banned. It may be that the Spanish never go back to the kissing salutation. It may be that the Coronavirus forever makes a thousand-year-old tradition disappear overnight just like that. It may be a part of the “New Normal” to salute without touching each other and who knows, this may become the norm from now on and they may never go back to what they grew up with.
It is silly to think and perhaps not so obvious for other cultures to relate to, who do not kiss to greet someone, but for the Spanish as well as many other cultures it is awkward not to kiss and it will take some time to get used to. Kissing is a reflex. It means making a conscious effort not to do it. What’s more, it is a demonstration of affection, care, compassion and friendliness which is challenging to replace by simply saying: “hello”.
To a Spaniard, a “hello” without physical contact is cold and almost disturbing. It feels like you cannot demonstrate any positive emotion, because of course, in Spain if you shy away from kissing someone whilst greeting them, it usually entails a negative sensation. “Keep your distance from me. I’m not too sure about you or I don’t like you.” So not only is it a physical habit that needs to be changed but also the mental, psychological meaning behind the action that needs to change. The emotion must now be expressed, observing facial expressions and the eyes.
