Today I'm gonna talk about how Brazilians greet when We meet publicly. We are worldwide "famous" for being a warm people, and We're proud of that. Other cultures may find weird how We hug and kiss strangers as friends even when We just met them for the first time, specially because in many cultures people Don't hug and kiss even friends.
In an informal context We greet and farewell people hugging and kissing although it's not consider proper in business situations, for example. We are plainly awared that our formal etiquette preaches hierarchic introdution as follows: The introducer presents the younger to the older, the employee to the boss, the friend to his own parents, the pupil to the teacher and so on. BUT, young people don't care about that anymore. By the way We Don't even care introducing people by their complete names, only the first name is enough. Other feature of this formal etiquette is always saying something about the two introduced ones, any brief information, mostly in parties when thus the newcomer can start interacting without depending on the host all the time.
*Men and women: some women may prefer start greeting shaking hands, or only shaking hands. Outside a business context it's considered suspect. Make seems they are too snob for hugging and kissing. Anyway the hands shake is a choice, followed by the kisses ceremony. Girl and guy kiss each other same time on the face, in a way We Don't really kiss faces but the air behind their heads hahahaha. Single girls receive three kisses cause it's said to bring a fortunate marriadge for them. Married ones receive only two kisses. The first cheek offered is always the right one, then the left (and then the right again for single girls) and being left-handed is not an excuse to offer the left cheek first, exactly because, when right and left cheeks are offered same time, obviously lips meet and it's not the objective at all. It's embarassing. After kissing, or while kissing, a short hug can happen, in which the girl's boobs barely touch the guy's chest, never press it. It's what We call an unpersonal hugging.
*Friends women and men: the hug can be longer and stronger, with chests pressure but no waist pressure at all. The two or three kisses are the same.
*Hands Shake: The offered hand is always the right one. The grab must be firm but not hurtful. A weak shake is interpreted as weak personality, or disgust by touching the greeted person. The hand palm must be dry and it's not offensive to clean it first, with a handkerchief or on our own skirt or pants.
*Women and women: same rules as above.
*Men and men: Men Don't kiss. Ever. They greet with a hug, unpersonal or longer depending on They be friends or not. They also use to slap each other's shoulder, loudly, the louder the better, with the left hand. 3 or 4 slaps are enough. Friends slap more times. Friends slap hurtfully for fun. Other type of manly greet is hanging the left arm on the other guy's left shoulder and slap his belly very softly, only once or twice.
*Women slaps: girls can also slap people's shoulders. The louder the better but never hurtfully.
*Business situations: no hugs. No kisses. Gentle shoulder slaps are allowed, hands shake is mandatory, no matter if boys or girls.
In an informal context We greet and farewell people hugging and kissing although it's not consider proper in business situations, for example. We are plainly awared that our formal etiquette preaches hierarchic introdution as follows: The introducer presents the younger to the older, the employee to the boss, the friend to his own parents, the pupil to the teacher and so on. BUT, young people don't care about that anymore. By the way We Don't even care introducing people by their complete names, only the first name is enough. Other feature of this formal etiquette is always saying something about the two introduced ones, any brief information, mostly in parties when thus the newcomer can start interacting without depending on the host all the time.
*Men and women: some women may prefer start greeting shaking hands, or only shaking hands. Outside a business context it's considered suspect. Make seems they are too snob for hugging and kissing. Anyway the hands shake is a choice, followed by the kisses ceremony. Girl and guy kiss each other same time on the face, in a way We Don't really kiss faces but the air behind their heads hahahaha. Single girls receive three kisses cause it's said to bring a fortunate marriadge for them. Married ones receive only two kisses. The first cheek offered is always the right one, then the left (and then the right again for single girls) and being left-handed is not an excuse to offer the left cheek first, exactly because, when right and left cheeks are offered same time, obviously lips meet and it's not the objective at all. It's embarassing. After kissing, or while kissing, a short hug can happen, in which the girl's boobs barely touch the guy's chest, never press it. It's what We call an unpersonal hugging.
*Friends women and men: the hug can be longer and stronger, with chests pressure but no waist pressure at all. The two or three kisses are the same.
*Hands Shake: The offered hand is always the right one. The grab must be firm but not hurtful. A weak shake is interpreted as weak personality, or disgust by touching the greeted person. The hand palm must be dry and it's not offensive to clean it first, with a handkerchief or on our own skirt or pants.
*Women and women: same rules as above.
*Men and men: Men Don't kiss. Ever. They greet with a hug, unpersonal or longer depending on They be friends or not. They also use to slap each other's shoulder, loudly, the louder the better, with the left hand. 3 or 4 slaps are enough. Friends slap more times. Friends slap hurtfully for fun. Other type of manly greet is hanging the left arm on the other guy's left shoulder and slap his belly very softly, only once or twice.
*Women slaps: girls can also slap people's shoulders. The louder the better but never hurtfully.
*Business situations: no hugs. No kisses. Gentle shoulder slaps are allowed, hands shake is mandatory, no matter if boys or girls.
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