Humans have been kissing for a long time, according to an article published in the journal Science on Thursday.
No one knows when humans started kissing each other. But the first written references to kissing appear in Mesopotamia 4,500 years ago. At that time, kisses had the same functions as today: as part of sex, as a show of affection or respect and even as a religious or superstitious gesture.
The oldest records showing kissing as an element of romance date back 4,500 years, a full millennia earlier than previously believed, researchers said Friday. The new study, published this week in the magazine Science, found that it was probably widespread even in the ancient world.
Scientists have highlighted evidence that suggests kissing was practised in some of the earliest Mesopotamian societies and documented in ancient texts from 2500BC that have been largely overlooked.
Those cultures that do not kiss lip on lip find other ways to be intimate, says author Sheril Kirshenbaum. "There's the Malay kiss that Darwin described, where women would squat down on the ground and men would kind of hang over them and take a quick sniff of each other – take a sample of their partner's scent."
It dates back about 4,500 years, at least a millennium older than once thought. “This definitely opens the question of how far back we should place this act,” Arbøll said. The earliest reference to romantic-sexual kissing is typically traced back to a Bronze Age manuscript from India that dates to about 1500 B.C.
Guinness said the record for the world's longest hug is currently held by Ron O'Neil and Theresa Kerr of Canada. Their embrace was achieved on June 13, 2010 and lasted 24 hours and 33 minutes.
FRENCH KISS
One of the most passionate ways to kiss, a French kiss tops the list of kisses!
Nature versus nurture
A kiss might seem like a natural thing to do for most of us, but the scientific jury is still out on whether it is a learned or instinctual behaviour. Approximately 90 per cent of cultures kiss, making a strong case for the act being a basic human instinct.
Kissing the hand or cheek was called an osculum. Kissing on the lips with mouth closed was called a basium, which was used between relatives. A kiss of passion was called a suavium.
Today, an average kiss lasts more than 12 seconds. In the 1980s, couples came up for air sooner than that: back then an average kiss lasted a mere 5.5 seconds.
Psychologists Recommend Daily Passionate Kisses for a Healthier Relationship. Phycologists say that to maintain a healthy relationship, you should kiss your partner at least once a day, though ideally three times or more.
According to a new study, the average woman will kiss 22 people before they find “the one” . . . and the average man will kiss 25. Here are some more results from the study . . . 1. The average age when you meet the person you'll settle down with is 27.
Butterfly kisses are when you gently flutter your eyelids against another person's check or arm. It tickles, and feels a bit like butterfly wings on your skin.
(a.k.a. Hubert Wolfstern, Hubert B. Wolfe + 666 Sr., Hubert Blaine Wolfe+585 Sr., and Hubert Blaine Wolfe+590 Sr., among others) is the abbreviated name of a German-born American typesetter who has held the record for the longest personal name ever used. Hubert's name is made up from 27 names.
The longest burp is 1 minute 13 seconds 57 milliseconds and was achieved by Michele Forgione (Italy), also known as Rutt Mysterio, at the 13th annual Hard Rock Beer festival 'Ruttosound' competition, in Reggiolo, Italy, on 16 June 2009.
In a record-breaking attempt, Beth Neale from South Africa and Miles Cloutier from Canada locked lips for over 4 minutes and 6 seconds in an infinity pool at the LUX South Ari Atoll resort in Maldives. According to the Guinness World Records, the couple began their attempt at 7:30 am on February 4.
References to open-mouth kissing appear in a number of ancient texts, with the earliest mention appearing in Sanskrit works around 1500 B.C.E. [source: Kirshenbaum, The Daily Beast].
Was there any kissing going on? In the Victorian era, abstaining from any physical show of affection when in public was regarded as the only way to be, really. Kissing in front of others was deemed vulgar and unacceptable, even for those with lower standing in the community.
Chivalrous gesture
A hand-kiss was considered a respectful way for a gentleman to greet a lady. The practice originated in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Spanish courts of the 17th and 18th centuries.
What is an Australian kiss? An Australian kiss. is when you start off with a French kiss. and then you end up Down Under.