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10 Facts About Kissing

Abhijit Naik
Did you know that the science of kissing is called philematology? It isn't quite surprising if you don't, because it's a normal human tendency to concentrate of this 'act', rather than facts about it.
They say a kiss is the shortest distance between two people, and that couldn't be more true. The origin of the word 'kiss' is uncertain, but some say it comes from the old English word 'cyssan'. Although there is a lot of stigma attached to this word (and act), a kiss need not always have sexual undertones.
There are many kissing techniques, different positions, and a variety of kisses that you must have never heard of. In fact, a kiss on the cheek is a way of greeting in many countries. Rather than getting into the details of kissing tips or other 'well-known' attributes of this act, let us see some facts that are likely to take you by surprise.

10 Facts About Kissing You Probably Didn't Know
1. While a simple and harmless peck on the cheek or lips requires the efforts of only two muscles of the face, a passionate kiss puts all the thirty-four muscles of the face into action!
2. Only one out of three couples have a tendency of turning their head to the left when kissing.
3. If you thought that only fingerprints and tongue prints are unique to every individual, think again! Every individual's lip print is unique in nature, just like their tongue and fingerprints.
4. It is said that kissing gives people the same high and feel-good feeling as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running! This can be attributed to the fact that the neurotransmitters released while kissing are the same as those released when doing any physically stressful activity.
Thus, when kissing passionately, your heart tends to beat at a faster rate and your breathe becomes deep and irregular. Kissing is also said to improve the health of skin and give the face a glow.
5. The longest on-screen kiss was between Regis Tommey and Jane Wyman in the movie You're in the Army Now. This kiss lasted for a total of three minutes and five seconds! Similarly, the film with the maximum number of kisses is Don Juan (1926), wherein John Barrymore and Mary Astor shared a total of 127 kisses!
6. Many people end their letters with 'XXX', which implies kisses. The origin of this lies in the fact that in the Middle Ages, illiterate people used to write 'X' as their signature and then, to show their sincerity, kiss the marked 'X'. Eventually, the 'X' itself came to be known as a kiss, although back then you could say X really did mark the spot!
7. The term 'French kiss' is said to have become a part of the English language in the 1920s. It was initially a taunt on the French culture, where it was always assumed that the French culture was very concerned about sex.
However, in France, contrary to what people say, a French kiss isn't just called a kiss, but is called a tongue kiss or soul kiss because it is said that if done properly, a French kiss feels like two souls merging.
8. It is said that almost 95% men like to give what is known as an Eskimo kiss, which does not involve lips, but only playful rubbing of noses. Also, almost 50% of people kiss for the first time by the time they are fourteen. The average person spends around two weeks of his life simply kissing.
9. You can burn up to twenty-six calories in a one minute long and passionate kiss! So, if you want to rid yourself of all those unnecessary calories, then instead of weight training, you need to learn to French kiss!
10. The lips are said to be one of the most sensitive parts of the body. It is said that lips are two hundred times more sensitive than fingertips!
Who knew kissing was the answer to weight loss and good skin? So, think about these 10 facts the next time you lock lips with that special someone!