International Kissing Day, and whether you kiss the ones you love or kiss token for good luck, here are 11 facts you might not know about that peck from your lips.
Here are some fun kissing facts for when you want to pucker up next.
IT’S GOOD FOR YOU
Aside from releasing tones of good hormones and natural chemicals, it can reduce some skin problems, burn a few calories, and reduce stress.
IT SPREADS GERMS
One kiss can have up to 80 million new bacteria. Ew.
KISSING BIOMES
When you kiss another person, yes you can share nasties, but you can also exchange microbs. Over time, you can change your microbiome in your mouth
OVER A LIFETIME
On average, people spend about 336 hours kissing, this is two weeks of your life!
LONGEST MOVIE KISS
Kids in America is a comedy movie with the longest movie kiss (six minutes).
OLD KISSING LAWS
Some outdated and forgotten laws skill include men with mustaches beign banned from kissing or men kissing their wives on a Sunday.
DIRTIEST STONE
Around 400,000 people kiss the Irish Blarney Stone in County Cork every year. It’s the dirtiest rock in the world!
UNIQUE LIPS
Lips are like snowflakes – no two are the same. Maybe we should print them for security as well.
X NAME
The act of writing an X instead of your name came from “kissing” with serious or sincere intent.
LONGEST MOVIE KISS
Kids in America is a comedy movie with the longest movie kiss (six minutes).
FRENCH KISSES
French kiss comes from the old idea that the French (and therefore their mouths) were more passionate.
SCI-FI FTW!
Star Trek broke a lot of social boundaries – including the first interractial kiss between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura.
PRIMAL FEEDING
Some scientists think that kissing evolved from primates chewing their food and feeing it to their young. Eventually it was part of soothing and affection.
ETIMOLOGY
The word kiss is from “Cyssan” (Old English) which is from “kussijanan or kuss” (in proto-Germanic).
STUDYING IT
The science of kissing is called philematology.
INSLUTING KISSES
The insulting slang “kiss my ass” dates back at least to 1705.
SENSITIVITY
Your lips are even more sensitive than your finger tips or genitals. They might not be able to make (most people) orgasm (sort of, some women can), but that’s still some intense pleasure!
HEAD TILT
Around 2/3s of people tilt their head to the right when they kiss.
DIFFERENT MUSCLES
French kissing involves 34 facial muscles. A pucker kiss involves only two.
KAMA SUTRA
This book of passion lists over 30 different kinds of kissing.
LEPERS NEED LOVE TOO
Kissing someone with leprosy became a sign of humility in the medieval ages, especially amoung the rich and religious nobles.
WEDDING PECKS
A kiss at the end of your wedding ceremony comes from Roman tradtions.
The first on-screen kiss was shot in 1896 by the Edison Company. Titled The May Irwin-John C. Rice Kiss, the film was 30 seconds long and consisted entirely of a man and a woman kissing close up.[4]
AMERICAN FILM RESTRICTIONS
Between 1930 and 1968, people kissing in American films could no longer be horizontal; at least one had to be sitting or standing, not lying down. In addition, all on-screen married couples slept in twin beds, and if kissing on one of the beds occurred, at least one of the spouses had to have a foot on the floor.
EYELASH KISSES
In 1929, it was observed that the people of the Trobriand Island would finish a kiss with biting off the eyelashes. So, short eyelashes were a status symbol.
KING HENGRY VI
On July 16, 1439, King Henry VI banned kissing in England to prevent the spread of the plague.
TESTOSERONE
When kissing a guy can pass on this male sex hormone.
LONGEST KISS
The world’s longest kiss lasted for 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds. Thai couple Ekkachai Tiranarat and Laksana Tiranarat set the world record.
Anymore kissing facts you want to add? Share in the comments!
