The French Kiss may have immortalized the popular romantic ritual but the French themselves didn’t have a word for it, until few years ago. “Galocher” meaning ‘to kiss with tongues’ made a belated entry into the French dictionary as a one word match for the French Kiss with the word being added to the Petit Robert 2014 Edition.
The evolution of the language may be slow, quite late, to be precise in France but the new word has been in expert practice for centuries with the French teaching the world the true art of amorous kissing.
The French admits that a lack of a word never stopped the nation from embracing the popular past-time and in fact, people never really needed the word on the tip of their tongues, preferring instead to let the action do the talking.
Is kissing a tabooed practice in Sri Lanka?
Trapped between old values and modern thinking, young people in Sri Lanka struggle to come to terms with realities of society. But experts warn suppression may actually do more damage than good as the gender respect and social etiquette take a beating. “Sri Lanka brings up an introverted society by law, by culture and thanks to a lot of emphasis being placed on ‘image’ or what others perceive. However, we possess an ‘island mentality’ which endows within us the urge to express ourselves freely without fear of ‘tomorrow’”, says Sri Lanka Update’s Dr. Dinesh Watawana. Trapped between societal expectations, the law and one’s own psychological mind-map, what we have is a frustrated society, especially young people, Dr. Watawana avers while adding that the right way is to strike a good balance without hurting the precepts of a largely Buddhist society.
No one admits it, few talks about it and marriage puts paid to it; no one quite knows why kissing is frowned upon in Sri Lanka and why young lovers need to court trouble, just to experience the ecstasy of love. Science says that kissing comes with a variety of health benefits where doctors even suggest that it should be done on a daily basis. The biggest revelation of all: couples who kiss everyday live 5 years longer!
Need reason to kiss; well we can give you a few healthy reasons why!
- Increase longevity while reducing stress. Kissing promotes well being by releasing happy hormones or endorphins to the blood.
- Great facial exercise- a good French kiss puts 29 facial muscles into a good work out, firming up facial muscles and giving your face a natural younger look.
- It promotes oral hygiene, reduces plaque build up and keeps the dentist away.
- It burns calories; so longer the better. Increases metabolism helping reduce weight.
Unlike for the French, public kissing can land you in hot water here. But the Enquirer can seal this with a kiss: French kissing is not only good for married couples, it will also keep the love and affection growing in heaps and bounds. Don’t know quite how to do it? Well, there’s a whole page on how to French kiss in wikihow.
While in public, we may be different to the public but that’s all about respect for others and one’s beliefs. So, while modern thinking may make you disagree, what’s important is to respect the law and customs of the land.
Please try it only at home!
To kiss or not: While kissing may be good for relationships, exercising discretion will keep you out of trouble