In the face of rising fear due to the spread of swine flu, it isn’t just old habits (like hanging out at crowded malls) that are dying but even old traditions. French authorities have been encouraging people to give up the country’s ritual of kissing on the cheek while greeting people as a precaution to staying safe.
La bise (the kiss) is the way the French usually greet each other but French authorities and school officials have begun advising people to give up the habit until the situation has been brought under control. With two schools in the country having already closed temporarily and with the starting of the new term, students are being cautioned by school officials to keep their distance from each other. According to the mayor of Guilvinec, Helene Tanguy, there was no use in telling students and others to observe sanitary habits while the old custom of kissing cheeks continued.
Although the French government hasn’t issued an official ban against kissing as a greeting, the Health Ministry has been recommending that people give up the custom along with all direct contact and keep a safe distance (about 3ft). The old French colony of Lebanon and Mexico has also been advising people to give up the custom temporarily. Meanwhile, students at Guilvinec have started passing heart shaped paper ‘ les bises’ instead. No doubt, they must be frantically texting each other as well!
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