A Kiss to Remember: National Kissing Day

Celebrating Love, Connection & Wellness: National Kissing Day on June 22

What is National Kissing Day?

Under the casual title of National Kissing Day comes that precious day that is celebrated each year on June 22. It is officially the playful observation of love, affection, and the kiss itself. Millions across the world turn this day into reason enough to share a little bit of happiness through pecks on cheeks or forehead kisses or romantic smooches even if it is not considered an official holiday.

Origins & Cultural Roots

National Kissing Day doesn’t come with an official announcer of origin. Presumably, this is a mid-19th-century British phenomenon. Some of this observed the festivals of summer, particularly close to the summer solstice. It has actually progressed quite a long way through the years into what one might consider a modern celebration of emotional connection and intimacy.

Time Travel

• 1500 B.C.: Kissing of the lips was publicly mentioned amongst a category of referring customs called “adhikaar” in the very sacred ancient records of the Indian Vedas.
• 326 B.C.: The Greek king Alexander went to India, and during this time, the famous ‘kiss’ habit then spread among his soldiers to Europe.
• 1896: The world’s first kiss was filmed in The Kiss, a celluloid film starring May Irwin and John Rice, which marked a turning point in the cinematic history of kissing.

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Why Celebrate a Kiss?

Well-Being Booster: Not only romantic, a kiss is also healthy. Kissing lowers stress, increases immunity, alleviates pain, and even burns fat through stimulating facial muscles.
Universal Connectedness: Not all cultures kiss similarly, but many societies do use it in some ways to denote love, greeting, respect, or passion.
Plain Affection: A kiss is one of the most primitive yet poignant human gestures. It has the ability to convey emotions that often evade the expression through words-love, comfort, support, and gratitude.

Ways to Commemorate June 22

1. Share a Kiss- Whether with a partner, child or pet, but instead a gentle kiss at some point during the day.
2. Movie Viewing: Settle for a romantic film of a well-known kiss, and then get carried away.
3. Go through Kiss-Art- Pieces of art or even photographs based on kisses-Kiss by Gustav Klimt, the renowned WWII Times Square photo, etc.
4. Send Internet Kisses: Cannot be physically present? Text a sweet emoji or very heartfelt message to someone you care about.
5. Musing over Traditions: Travel into the fascinating history of how kissing has changed in different societies and eras.

Facts You Will Love

• Kissing for a minute burns around 26 calories.
• On average, kissing occupies two weeks in this otherwise by several boring minutes life time of each individual.
• About 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles are activated by kissing.
• The longest recorded kiss lasted over 58 hours by a couple in Thailand during a Valentine’s competition.

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Why It Is Critical

This is a time when people can reconnect with their partners, tap into that source of happiness for those who have come to accept and enforce romance, and enjoy the simple magic of being close at the end of their busy days. The act of kissing brings down the gigantic chasm created by a digital world increasingly speeding up in pace.
It can be a warm hug, a kiss goodnight from a parent, or even charming kisses on the cheek, yet kissing is more than a mere physical act. It binds deeper emotional connections, strengthens ties, and is supposed to do wonders for one’s mental well-being.
So embrace the spirit of the day this June 22, share a kiss, and spread love in the most timeless way known to humankind.

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