Why a Kiss Kiss Ban wouldn't wash in Luxembourg

(CH) Last week, a self-appointed German Etiquette Society launched a ban against the 'bisou' or kiss from workplace because women see it as a “form of terror”

In many countries, a kiss on the cheek is a common form of greeting, even in offices. Belgium has one kiss, France two or four and Luxembourg has three kisses!

But, group chairman Hans-Michael Klein explains not all women are so willing and indeed some describe the act of giving the bise as a “form of terror”. While kissing is part of the culture in South America, France or Spain, it “isn't part of German culture”.

While this might sound slightly exaggerated to some, he affirms that the Etiquette Society has recently been flooded by “numerous cries for help from kiss-afflicted” women. He believes that the ladies don't want to be kissed by every man, “They think there is a hidden desire, a hidden erotic aspect”.

As neighbours to Germany, Wort.lu/en wanted to find out if people in Luxembourg also wanted to ban kissing from workplace.

This week we conducted a small straw-poll of office workers gathered outside Auchan in Kirchberg. 33 busy men and women from a wide range of work fields including finance, services, sales and manual labour spared a minute from their precious break to give us their opinion.

The poll was limited but the result was telling. While 24 people liked or at least did not mind being greeted with a kiss, only nine preferred to keep a certain social distance at work.

Of these nine people, which included seven women and two men, respondents said that they preferred to keep interactions at work professional, claiming that kissing colleagues was something too personal and should be reserved for friends only.

One Italian women believed that “it really depends who you are talking to. If the colleague is a friend, you might give them the bisou but it seems inappropriate at work.”

Furthermore, while three people thought a ban would be an justified initiative, six claimed that colleagues should have the choice and that banning kissing would be an excessive measure.

Surprisingly, of the 24 quizzed who approved of the bisou 17 were women. One of which explained: “I'm French, it's perfectly normal for me to give the bis. It's less common to do it in our office to colleagues but I don't think we should ban it”.

Ironically, it was a German man who took the issue to heart pleading that “we are not machines but human beings. A little more humanity, especially in the banking-sector these days, does not hurt anyone”.

Our little study broke the clichés: People from 'keen-kissing' Mediterranean countries such as Portugal, Italy or Spain as well as Germany, UK, Ireland or Poland and the Netherlands believed that greeting your colleagues with a kiss is welcoming and friendly, conveying a sense of familiarity and good atmosphere.