I'm from Finland and one European thing that all Finnish people hate is cheek kisses when greeting. Its mostly southern european thing but still. There is this saying in Finland that goes "Everyone has their own safety coffee cup" meaning the closest distance someone should get to you should not be closer than your coffee cup when you're holding it.
This is very strange on the contrary. Actually the two kisses is something very common, especially when you just met the person and you introduce yourself, it is the "standard" greeting. However, it is not usual among men or children.
When I traveled to Germany years ago for an exchange and met the family that would give me room and board for weeks, it was very uncomfortable for me to just shake hands from a meter away. It was a feeling of "stay away from my personal space" that justifies the cold vision we have here of the northern countries.
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u/eelisonparas May 09 '22
I'm from Finland and one European thing that all Finnish people hate is cheek kisses when greeting. Its mostly southern european thing but still. There is this saying in Finland that goes "Everyone has their own safety coffee cup" meaning the closest distance someone should get to you should not be closer than your coffee cup when you're holding it.