Cheek kissing of kisses is found in Switzerland. In Francophone Belgium, the custom is usually one or three kisses, and is also common between men who are friends. In Northern European countries such as Sweden and Germany, hugs are preferred to kisses. It is customary in many regions to only have kisses between women and women, but not men and women, who only shake hands or hug (more familiar) instead. Although cheek kissing is not as widely practiced in the United Kingdom or Ireland as in other parts of Europe, it is still commonplace. Generally, a kiss on one cheek is commonplace,
Cheek kissing and relatives. Cheek kissing between males is very common. However, cheek kissing between a male and female is usually considered inappropriate, unless within the same family; e.g. brother and sister, or if they are a married couple. Some exceptions to this are liberal areas within cities in some of the more liberal Arab countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Tunisia, where cheek kissing is a common greeting between unrelated males and females in most communities. The Lebanese custom has become the norm for non-Lebanese in Lebanese-dominated communities of the Arab diaspora. Normally in Lebanon, the typical number of kisses