Cheek kissing among relatives, including males. In parts of Central, South, and East Asia with predominantly Buddhist or Hindu cultures, or in cultures heavily influenced by these two religions, cheek kissing is largely uncommon and may be considered offensive, although its instances are now growing. Cheek kissing in Israel is widely common. It is typical for individuals to cheek kiss twice (one time on each cheek) when greeting and when saying goodbye, regardless of gender. It consists of cheek to cheek contact and the sound of a kiss to the air. Cheek kissing in the Arab world is relatively common, between friends
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