A kiss is one of the most intimate human expressions. Kissing can express a whole range of human emotions. With a kiss you can say hello, convey hello, reassure, express joy and, above all, demonstrate your love. We bring to your attention a selection of photographs depicting a wide variety of kisses - kisses upon meeting and parting, playful kisses, respectful kisses, friendly kisses, kisses of joy, public displays of passion, and also, of course, kisses that are simply an expression of tender feelings.
(Total 37 photos)
Post sponsor: Plastic surgeons reviews: Everything you wanted to know, but didn’t know where to ask!
1. A tourist poses for a "classic" photograph with the Sphinx in the Giza Pyramid Valley in Cairo, October 19, 2011. (Reuters/Jamal Saidi)
2. A couple in love kisses while standing under a tree in Central Park on a warm spring day in New York, March 22, 2012. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)
3. Actress Claire Danes was lucky to be kissed by Hasty Pudding Association President James Fitzpatrick (left) and Hasty Pudding Vice President of Casting Ryan Halprin, both dressed in women's clothing. Danes was named "Woman of the Year" by the Hasty Pudding Association. The photo was taken at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 26, 2012. (Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi)
4. Couples take part in a kissing competition in Hefei, Anhui province, China, 18 February 2012. A total of 63 couples took part in the competition. According to the competition, men had to lift their partners so that their feet did not touch the ground during the kiss, and hold the women in their arms without stopping the kiss for as long as possible. The winner received a prize - a one-carat diamond ring, local media reported. (Reuters/Stringer)
6. Asghar Farhadi, director of the Iranian film "Separation", kisses the Oscar statuette he received for Best Foreign Language Film during the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 26, 2012. . (Reuters/Mike Blake)
7. Sergeant Steve Lewis kisses his girlfriend Joan White-Goldsmith. Lewis and other servicemen returned to Plymouth, England, on December 9, 2011, aboard the Royal Navy liner Ocean. Ocean left Plymouth in April 2011 to take part in an exercise that was expected to last seven weeks, but resulted in the ship being deployed to Libya to support the UN air mission in that country. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
8. Veterinarian Livia Pereira kisses the paralyzed lion she is caring for, Ariel. The lion is at her home in Sao Paulo, Brazil, photographed July 13, 2011. Over the past year, Facebook has been running a campaign in Brazil to raise funds needed to treat a lion that remains paralyzed. The campaign was launched by Raquel Borges, owner of a three-year-old lion named Ariel, who at the time weighed 310 pounds (140 kilograms). The lion lost its paws due to a genetic disease that affected the animal's brain. Unfortunately, Ariel was unable to recover and passed away a few weeks after this photo was taken. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
9. Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo (seated) is visited by former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a medical examination at a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, January 27, 2012. Both presidents, Fernando Lugo and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, are undergoing treatment for cancer. (Reuters/Ricardo Stuckert-Instituto Lula)
10. A couple kisses during a marathon called the “Kissing Marathon for Education.” Its participants took to the streets to demand changes to Chile's public education system. The marathon, called the "Kissing Marathon for Education," took place during a protest against government action in Santiago, Chile, on September 1, 2011. (Reuters/Ivan Alvarado)
11. A Syrian woman kisses a photo of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a rally in front of the Russian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, March 4, 2012. The rally participants advocated maintaining the current regime in the country, which is currently fighting the rebels. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)
12. Charles Woolf kisses the name of his wife Catherine Woolf, a British resident who died during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11. Photo taken at the Memorial in New York, March 15, 2012. Charles Wolf accompanied British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha during their visit to the memorial. (John Moore/Getty Images)
13. A baby named Chin gets his first kiss from his mother Miran shortly after being born at Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville, Colorado, near Denver at 2:41 a.m. local time on October 31, 2011. (Reuters/Rick Wilking)
14. Pearl Harbor survivor James Cook smiles after being kissed by one of the members of the band The Victory Belles at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. , Louisiana, December 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
15. The wax figure of the famous British actor Robert Pattinson at Madame Tussauds in London is kissed by Hayley Wales. The girls, dressed in wedding attire, posed next to the luscious figure of the actor, who starred in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, in which Pattinson's character, Edward, marries Kristen Stewart's character, Bella. Photo taken November 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Jonathan Short)
16. A couple in love enjoys each other's company on the first day of Carnival in Salvador, Brazil, February 16, 2012. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
17. Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic kisses a dolphin in Dolphin Bay in Atlantis, near the artificial island of Palma, on February 26, 2012, on the eve of the opening of the tennis championship in Dubai. (Reuters)
Singer Fergie blows a kiss to photographers during the premiere of the film "New Year" at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California on December 5, 2011. (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)
19. Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta, left, a member of the crew of the USS Oak Hill amphibious assault ship, kisses her partner Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlanik Snell after the ship returned to its home port after a three-month stay with mission in the Caribbean. The photo was taken in Virginia Beach, Virginia on December 21, 2011. (Reuters/U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Mann)
20. A young couple kisses in a fountain during celebrations of International Women's Day, at Revolution Square in Mexico City, March 8, 2012. (Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images)
21. From left, members of Kiss, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer and Paul Stanley. Photo taken March 20, 2012. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
22. A Thai couple kisses during the World's Longest Continuous Kiss competition in Pattaya on February 12, 2012. Seven couples took part in the kissing marathon in hopes of breaking the previous Guinness World Records record and winning prizes totaling more than 200,000 Thai baht ($6,666) and a diamond ring. (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP/Getty Images)
23. A woman kisses a fish she caught during an ice fishing competition at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival on January 7, 2012 in Hwacheon, South Korea. The annual Ice Festival called "Hwacheon Sancheoneo" (which translates to "mountain trout") attracts millions of participants each year who gather to try their luck at ice fishing using traditional lures or simply catching fish with their bare hands. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, right, kisses actress Salma Hayek, left, during a promotional campaign for the animated film "Puss in Boots" in Madrid, Spain, November 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
25. Vladimir Stojanovic kisses a wooden cross that he managed to catch after being thrown into the waters of the Nisava River by a priest during Epiphany celebrations in the city of Nis, southeastern Serbia, January 19, 2012. (Reuters/Stoyan Nenov)
26. Six-year-old Jigmi Tamang kisses his mother while he awaits treatment at a hospital in Gangtok, India, September 20, 2011. Thousands of survivors of the Himalayan earthquake, which killed scores of people and caused widespread destruction in several areas, were forced to seek shelter in the homes of relatives or remain in the open for fear of aftershocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Same-sex couple Lori Campbell (L) and Maya Roble kiss after exchanging rings and taking marriage vows at the East Los Angeles City Hall office in Los Angeles, California on February 14, 2012. (Reuters/David McNew)
28. A soldier from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division kisses his wife after returning home to Fort Hood, Texas, December 21, 2011. The 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division was the last American military unit to leave Iraq. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)
Tuck Young Ryu, a native of South Korea, kisses the trophy she received after defeating compatriot Ki Kyung Seon during the US Women's Open golf championship at Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Justin Blackmon, No. 81, of the Oklahoma State Cowboys kisses his girlfriend and cheerleader Marielle Dunlap after his team's 41-38 overtime win over the Stanford Cardinal during the Tostitos Fiesta Cup game. at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 2, 2012. (Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
31. A young Afghan man kisses the headstone of his brother at a cemetery in Kabul, Afghanistan, December 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)
32. Jane Kozar hugs her guide dog named Cabbe in Lima, Peru, October 6, 2011. Cozar is a lawyer and former congressional candidate who fights for the rights of blind people who use guide dogs in Peru. This country prohibits blind people from entering stores, banks, buses and other public places with their guide dogs. (Reuters/Mariana Bazo)
33. A woman kisses a girl as she looks at a makeshift memorial outside a primary school in Lommel, Belgium, March 16, 2012. A terrible accident occurred near the city of Sierra in southern Switzerland on March 13. Twenty-eight people died in the accident, including 22 child students from two schools in Lommel and Heverlee who were returning to Belgium after a ski holiday. (Yorick Jansens/AFP/Getty Images)
34. A believer kisses one of the columns of the Church of the Nativity, which is considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The photo was taken on the eve of Orthodox Christmas in the West Bank in the city of Bethlehem, January 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Lanyey High's Raheem Newton kisses assistant coach Shiloh Robinson on the forehead after Lanyy High's team defeated Manchester High 67-53 during the state basketball championship in Macon, Ga., on March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
36. Participants of the twentieth annual dance music parade kiss on the streets of Zurich, August 13, 2011. (Reuters/Valentin Flauraud)
French Kiss
The most famous and beloved kiss. Such a kiss is typical for relationships when the intensity of passion is maximum and the partners simply cannot enjoy each other. It is this type of lip contact that most often leads to intimacy.
Quick kiss
It usually occurs in crowded places or during a meeting. The lips are closed at this moment. If such a kiss occurs frequently among a couple, then we can say that the peak of passion has already passed and the partners have been together for a long time. There is tenderness and trust in their pairing.
Kiss on the cheek
In some countries and among friends, this kiss is replaced by a greeting. If the kiss on the cheek is more protracted, then it can soon develop into a more passionate type of kissing. Most often, when a partner kisses another on the cheek, it is as a reminder of themselves and their feelings.
Air kiss
It's a kind of flirting. A person, mostly women, plays in this way and attracts the one he likes. It can also show affection from a distance.
Kiss of an angel
A kiss on the forehead, eyelid, or cheek while your loved one is resting indicates your partner’s care and love. He also talks about the strong trust between lovers and the absence of any walls between them.
Kiss "lock"
This is a type of kiss when the bodies do not touch, but the lips cannot separate. For example, when you are in a hurry, you are already leaving, but still kissing. A sort of disagreement arises between the lips and the body. Such a kiss indicates a strong connection and affection between partners, as well as love between them.
Kiss on the forehead
A kiss on the forehead is usually called a maternal kiss. He usually talks about caring. According to observations, men who are much older than their beloved girls often kiss them on the forehead.
Kiss on the earlobe
Kissing or licking the earlobe contains exclusively erotic overtones, and it is also a known erogenous zone. This is one of the most romantic and intimate kisses between partners, and is often just a prelude to more passionate actions.
Kiss your hand
A very beautiful and gallant kiss that drives women crazy. He talks about admiration and respect for his partner. Only reliable and family-oriented men can afford such a kiss. So women should appreciate such a partner.
Kiss on the neck
Also one of the types of foreplay, since the front and side of the neck are an erogenous zone. Your partner desires intimacy.
One lip kiss
This is a passionate kiss of happy and truly in love people, and during such a kiss you can feel the breath of your partner.
Biting the lower lip
Such a kiss speaks of the playfulness and perkiness of your partner’s character. He is very passionate and can't get enough of you.
passionate kiss
This is a very strong and sucking kiss, which creates a so-called vacuum. It’s as if he pulls the whole soul out of his partner and leaves behind a pleasant tiredness. Such a kiss also speaks of crazy passion between partners, and most often happens at the beginning of a relationship, when lovers cannot get enough of each other.
Plexus of bodies
This is a very balanced type of kiss. Perhaps it is found often, because it is moderately strong, moderately passionate, suitable for meeting and saying goodbye. Bodies touch, arms clasped in an embrace, lips locked in a kiss. Couples who have been together for a very long time and understand each other well kiss in this way.
Hickey
People who prefer to leave redness or small bruises on their necks or décolleté with their lips are real owners. They seem to show everyone that this is his soul mate. A kind of seal. The same can be applied to women who like to leave lipstick on a man’s clothes or face.
This year, a curious event occurred: at the congress of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a new scientific discipline was officially recognized - philematology (from the Greek words “philema” - kiss and “logos” - knowledge). More precisely, we are talking about a stable area of interdisciplinary research, the focus of which is on the fundamental physiological, psychological and other features of a person’s kiss and its impact on health. In fairness, we note, however, that even without official recognition, romantic kisses have long been the object of close study by anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists and doctors of various specialties - sexologists, dentists, endocrinologists.
In general, there are three main questions that concern kissing researchers: when did people start kissing, why do they do it, and is there any real benefit from this activity?
When?
Anthropologist Vaughn M. Bryant, Jr. of Texas A&M University states that the first written mention of a kiss occurs in Sanskrit texts in 1500 BC, where it is written about lovers, “ pressing mouth to mouth." When exactly lovers began to press their mouths together is a moot point.
Some researchers consider kissing to be an innate human property. Eg, Sigmund Freud(Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939) was convinced that kissing is a human instinct, originating from the newborn’s craving for the mother’s breast.
In 1960, British zoologist and ethologist Desmond Morris suggested that kissing arose from the habit of female primates to chew food for babies and then put it in their mouths with their lips pressed together. When there was no food, mothers still did this to calm the child. According to Morris, maternal kisses evolved over time into romantic kisses.
Most animals don't kiss, but that doesn't stop them from reproducing. Moreover, not even all people kiss. According to the Austrian ethologist, Professor Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 10% of the population of our planet goes without romantic kisses - not so little!
For what?
1,041 University at Albany students took part in three anonymous surveys. The researchers set out to test three hypotheses. First: a romantic kiss serves as a “device” for assessing a potential partner - using information that is transmitted through breath and saliva. Second: kissing, which increases the level of the hormone oxytocin, is responsible for the formation of interpersonal connections. Third: kissing increases sexual desire.
All three hypotheses were confirmed during the survey. In addition, the researchers found a significant difference between men's and women's approaches to kissing. Thus, women pay more attention to the taste and smell of the person they kiss. About 85% of women admitted that they could refuse to have sex without kissing first, while more than half of men were ready for intimacy without kissing. Finally, men prefer kisses accompanied by a lot of saliva. Perhaps this is their way of subconsciously determining whether a woman is fertile.
Psychology professor Gordon Gallup explains that "a kiss causes a very complex exchange of information that penetrates into the person's subconscious, where a decision is made about the genetic compatibility of the kissers." According to Gallup, by kissing a man, a woman can even subconsciously determine whether he is ready to start a family and raise children. And this is a central factor for long-term and strong relationships and for procreation. If the first kiss is unsuccessful, it can lead to a break in the relationship.
Thus, scientists tend to consider a romantic kiss as one of the biological means that facilitates the choice of a partner. Sarah Woodley from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh agrees with this statement. She Sees a Kiss as a Test of Opportunity immune system partner. A person's immunity to certain diseases is determined by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This is a group of genes and the cell surface antigens they encode, which play a critical role in the recognition of foreign substances and the development of the immune response. A person determines their set when kissing a partner. The more different the MHC genes of a man and a woman are, the more likely it is that she will choose him as a sexual partner. And the more different their immune systems are, the less susceptible their children will be to disease, the longer the life expectancy of their offspring.
Is there any benefit?
As it turned out from experiments, romantic kisses have a tangible effect on a person’s hormonal levels. They prevent the formation of glucocorticoids - stress hormones, a high concentration of which negatively affects a person: it provokes high blood pressure, increased levels of cholesterol causing muscle weakness, insulin imbalance, and insomnia. At the same time, when kissing, the release of adrenaline increases, which brings the body into a state of joyful activity, releasing many neuropeptides, which, in turn, attack the harmful hormone cortisol.
In a study presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, psychologist Wendy Hill and her student Carey A. Wilson of Lafayette College compared the levels of two important hormones. for fifteen couples in love after a kiss and after they just talked while holding hands. These hormones are oxytocin, which is involved in the formation and development of social connections, and cortisol, which plays a key role in reactions to stress. Researchers believed that kissing would increase oxytocin levels and lower cortisol levels.
But the result was unexpected - oxytocin levels increased only in men. Scientists have suggested that for girls to develop emotional attachments or sexual arousal, kissing alone is not enough; for this, it is necessary to create a more romantic atmosphere for the fair sex - flowers, candles, pleasant music. However, testing this hypothesis is a matter for the future.
But the second hypothesis was fully confirmed this time: the level of the hormone cortisol in kissing men and women decreased equally.
A scientist at the Austrian Academy of Medicine, Dr. Ulf Beming, claims that a kiss is a kind of vaccination. Human saliva contains various bacteria. 80% of them are the same for all people, and 20% are individual. When kissing, these bacteria are transmitted from person to person, giving a boost to the immune system and triggering the formation of antibodies. It turns out something like “immunotherapy”.
Scientists are also pleased with other good news for kissing lovers. So, when kissing, more than thirty facial muscles tense, due to which the skin is better supplied with blood, smoothes out, and becomes more elastic. A kiss is a kind of massage for blood vessels. It helps slow down atherosclerotic processes. Avid “kissers” are less susceptible to vegetative-vascular dystonia and less likely to suffer from circulatory disorders.
By accelerating the heartbeat (in men - on average up to 110-120 beats per minute, in women - up to 180), kissing stimulates the circulatory system and increases the vitality of the body.
It must be said that recently, scientists have been increasingly studying issues related to people’s sexual lives with greater zeal. The other day, for example, British doctors once again recalled that sex in the evening guarantees a good night's sleep, and strongly recommended that they engage in it. In this kind of recommendations, you can see the underlying reason: research in recent years proves that men and women are rapidly lose interest to each other, due to which not only the general state of health deteriorates, but also the social structure of society is deformed. So scientists have to, using scientific methods, prove to humanity that kissing and making love is not only pleasant, but also extremely beneficial for health. The main thing is that at this moment the thirst for scientific knowledge does not take over.
Partner news
