To discuss kissing facts, it is only fair we begin with a question that has crossed our minds at some point – who invented kissing? The question is one that had generated several deduced answers which only goes to show that it is not certain when humans started kissing each other and, that kissing is as old as humanity.
While anthropologists have done a lot of searching and researching to trace the origin of kissing, they can’t authoritatively state when kissing became a thing and why it started. Nonetheless, they have been able to offer some interesting opinions. One of such suggests that kissing is inborn for humans and was made manifest by factors like babies’ suckling of breast and mothers’ passing of regurgitated food into the mouth of their infants.
Origin Of Kissing
Even though it is a challenge to attempt to trace the true origin of kissing, historians have discovered references in ancient India. These were found in the Vedic texts and the Kama Sutra.
Based on the Vedic texts from 1500BC, the early form of kissing was through rubbing and pressing noses together. Subsequently, the practice shifted to the lips when it was discovered to be sensitive and more pleasurable.
5 Centuries later, around the 5th AD, the Kama Sutra gave descriptions of kissing techniques.
Therefore, kissing is said to have spread to other parts of the World from India around 326 B.C through the armies of Alexander the Great of Macedonia. Following his death, his army was divided and so were his generals, each going it’s way.
After kissing was spread by the armies of Alexander the Great, the Romans popularized it and spread it to Europe and North Africa. In addition, kissing was deeply rooted in Roman culture and it was made legal.
Lesser-known And Interesting Locking Lips Facts
1. It Can Make You Live Longer
Apparently, kissing increases life expectancy. So, you just have to kiss more if you want to live more. You can add as many as 5 years to your life. This is according to Clorox which stated that men who kiss their wives in the morning live 5 years longer than those who don’t observe the morning kissing ritual.
That wasn’t the only interesting health benefit of kissing that Clorox listed. It was also claimed that kissing prevents tooth decay. How? Well, the sentiment here is that locking lips would increase the saliva in your mouth which in turn cleans the mouth, thereby minimizing the chances of an avid kisser suffering tooth decay.
More to that, Clorox outlined that one minute of passionate kissing is tantamount to burning 6.4 calories.
2. You Exchange Millions Of Bacteria
It was also stipulated that a kiss carries as many as over 270 different kinds of bacteria. The good thing though is that almost all (95%) of the bacteria are not harmful. Some scientists in Netherland confirmed this in a report which specified that humans can share up to 80 million bacteria in a passionate kiss that lasted for 10 seconds.
3. You Spend 2 Weeks Of Your Lifetime Kissing
Trying to authenticate this or find a study that inspired this assertion is most likely to be unsuccessful for you. Nonetheless, it is widely believed that humans on average spend as much as 2 weeks of their lifetime on kissing. If you have any credible source that substantiated or debunked this claim, be nice and share the info with us.
4. Everyone Kisses Except Those Who Believe Their Life Can Be Stolen Through A Kiss
You already know that humans do kiss each other for several reasons that range from expressing love and affection to showing respect and greeting. About 90% of humans do kiss, there are those who have rejected locking lips because of their conviction about the mouth is a gateway to the soul and the unfounded belief in stealing someone’s life through a kiss. It is said that this ideology is common among Sudanese and people from other regions of Africa.
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5. Animals Do kiss But It’s Rare
While it is thought that non-human primates do exhibit behaviors that are like kissing, it has also been proclaimed that kissing is extremely rare in the animal kingdom. It is totally possible to find the animals touching their faces, licking, and nuzzling, but they never get to exchange saliva as humans do.
6. Chimps Do Kiss But It Isn’t Romantic
While other animals don’t lock lips as humans do, the case is different for chimpanzees. This is not surprising as the creatures are known to be the closest relatives of humans. They kiss like humans but it is not regarded as romantic behavior. This is so because the behavior is common among male chimps and often happens after conflict. Thus, kissing among chimps is believed to be a form of reconciliation. Two chimps involved in a fight at times hug each other and have a mouth-to-mouth kiss after which they behave friendly towards each other. This has been observed on several occasions.
Chimps may not have any sexual reasons for kissings but their cousins, the bonobos, do. For this creature, kissing is an expression of sentiments like passion, sexual attraction, and arousal. They use their tongues while kissing and do kiss more often than chimps.
7. Kissing Is A Form Of Facial Care
In the process of locking lips about 34 facial muscles are put to use. When this happens, the facial muscles become relieved and tight, thus preventing the cheeks from being saggy. In addition, the more the kiss, the more tension on the facial muscles leading to smoothing of the facial skin and increased blood circulation.
Kissing remains one of the oldest traditions of humans. While a majority of people around the World see it as a form of sexual and romantic activity, a few see it from a spiritual angle. Moreover, kissing comes with some health benefits that include, losing calories, preventing tooth decay, and keeping facial muscles flexible. Conversely, it can lead to soul possession based on a belief from Sudan.
