Eskimo kissing

Eskimo kissing
The Eskimo kissing (puvipsuk) of Inupiat in the Nalukataq, Alaska

The act known as eskimo kissing in modern western culture is loosely based on a traditional Inuit greeting called a kunik.[1]

A kunik is a form of expressing affection, usually between family members and loved ones, that involves pressing the nose and upper lip against the skin (commonly the cheeks or forehead) and breathing in, causing the loved one's skin or hair to be suctioned against the nose and upper lip.[2] A common misconception is that the practice arose so that Inuit could kiss without their mouths freezing together. In fact, it is a non-erotic form of greeting that serves as an intimate way of greeting one another for people who, when they meet, often have little except their nose and eyes exposed.

When early explorers of the Arctic first witnessed this behavior they dubbed it Eskimo kissing. In its western form it consists of two people rubbing noses together. One of the earliest representations of the Eskimo kiss comes from Robert Flaherty's 1922 film Nanook of the North, considered by many to be the first real documentary or ethnographic film. It is possibly from this source that the non-Inuit/Eskimo public became aware of this convention.

Similar traits are shown in greetings of other people, notably the hongi and honi greeting used by the Māori of New Zealand and Hawaiians respectively, and by Mongolian nomads of the Gobi desert, as well as certain Southeast Asian cultures such as Cambodians, Laotians, Thai, and Ibans.[citation needed]

Scenes involving Eskimo kissing are included in countless media, including episodes of The Simpsons, and in a Chappelle's Show sketch in which Eskimo kissing is portrayed as a stereotypically white gesture.

See also

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Eskimo — The map of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Eskimo peoples : * Yupik peoples (Yupik, Siberian Yupik) * Inuit (Inupiat, Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, Kalaallit) …   Wikipedia

  • Cheek kissing — L Amour et Psyche, enfants Amor cheek kissing Psyche. Oil on canvas by William Adolphe Bouguereau. 1890 …   Wikipedia

  • List of gestures — Further information: Gesture People often use gestures during heated or tense arguments, such as at this political demonstration. Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication in which visible bodily actio …   Wikipedia

  • Kiss — A romantic kiss This article is about the physically affectionate act. For other uses, see Kiss (disambiguation). For the municipality in Germany, see K …   Wikipedia

  • Hongi — A U.S. airman and a Māori warrior exchange a hongi during a pōwhiri ceremony A hongi is a traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand. It is done by pressing one s nose and forehead (at the same time) to another person at an encounter. It is used… …   Wikipedia

  • Air kiss — Blowing a kiss. The air kiss is a ritual or social gesture whose meaning is basically the same as that of many forms of kissing. The air kiss is a pretence of kissing: the lips are pursed as if kissing, but without actually touching the other… …   Wikipedia

  • Kate Mosse — Infobox Writer name = Kate Mosse caption = pseudonym = birthdate = 20 October 1961 birthplace = deathdate = deathplace = occupation = Author nationality = English period = genre = Fantasy subject = movement = debut works = Eskimo Kissing spouse …   Wikipedia

  • Kate Mosse — in Polen (2008) Kate Mosse (* 20. Oktober 1961 bei Chichester,[1] West Sussex) ist eine britische Schriftstellerin und Fernsehmoderatorin …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kate Mosse —  Ne doit pas être confondu avec Kate Moss. Kate Mosse Kate …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Handshake — For the telecommunications concept, see Handshaking. Two men shaking hands A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other s like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”