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Survey finds big regional differences in how Belgians greet others

10:44 16/04/2019

Should you kiss or shake hands when greeting someone in Belgium? According to a new study, there is a great discrepancy between the north and the south of the country.

In Wallonia, the overwhelming majority believe the proper greeting for a friend is a kiss on the cheek, with 90% of people agreeing.

In Brussels, the figure was 75%, with 22% preferring a handshake.

And in Flanders only 55% of people think kissing is how to greet people you know well. The others were split between a handshake and a wave.

As far as the work environment goes, there is an even further divide between the greetings of Walloon and Flemish people. 63% of people in Wallonia kiss their colleagues, compared to just 13% in Flanders.

In Brussels workplaces, the results are fairly split. 44% say they kiss to greet their colleagues, with 40% preferring to shake hands and 21% just giving a spoken greeting.

Photo: Eric Lalmand/Belga

Written by Sophia Moll

Comments

paradox

kissing is the best way i know to pass communicable diseases, it is a primitive custom that really should be halted

Apr 16, 2019 11:17
Jonathan

@Paradox, actually you're wrong. Evidence shows shaking hands is the most common way of passing on bacteria and infections. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1575436/Cheeky-kiss-is-healthier...

Apr 16, 2019 11:51
rsgharris@gmail.com

Of course Paradox is wrong. Everything he posts is negative, nasty and nonsense.

Apr 16, 2019 14:23
CM

I doubt anybody would want to kiss him!

Apr 16, 2019 15:33
indiecindy

I prefer to kiss my colleagues after being informed by my male office mate how many of our male colleagues don’t wash their hands when they leave the toilet.

Apr 17, 2019 01:53
Carline558

An excellent suggestion! 9apps.red

Jun 11, 2019 06:55