Why can't we HUG and KISS ON THE CHEEK like westerners did?

I have wondered about this too. I think a hug is appropriate for greeting - especially for greatting a friend. I can't say I've ever kissed anyone in greeting except my kids though... but a hug is very warm and welcoming in my opinion!

Not all people in the west do that. They only hug if they are close friends and family. Business associates shake hands. I will admit that shaking the hand of a relative or a close friend is a little awkward-looking. If you just met them, it is acceptable. There is one element missing here. People need to respect other people's boundaries. If the person does not want to be hugged, the other people should not force it or treat it as awkward. Also, some people hug when they barely know each other and to me sometimes it is offputting, even being a westerner. It does depend on the environment. If it is a family gathering, the one person who is not your family who is there might do it, but if you met them in an office, they would not. French people give a kiss on each cheek. We don't do that in the United States. I find that a little "different" but if it is someone's custom, I just think of it as that.

i am exempted there. i am from asia, but i adapt to the friends' cultures. so i am used to different ways of greeting. but our neighbors dont understand that so every time they see my friends and i greeting like in a day i meet one friend and the next day the other they tend to think i am exchanging boyfriends and started rumor that i am a playgirl. hahaha. so funny for them.

Well i guess it just depends on the culture.I notice that in asian culture that hugging and what not isnt really smiled upon.Maybe Im wrong but thats just wat i noticed from observing.I dont understand why this is done..maybe they just dont like being touched?

Greetings are part of a culture and the East and the West are literally different in that respect. The Easterns are usually conservative and see themselves as a group in opposition to the Westersn who are more democratic, liberal and cater more to individualism. The Easterns also have issues when it comes to personal contact or occupying the personal space of a person. They are more likely to greet without having body contact becuase their culture has little or no notion of intimacy. Intimacy is usually not practiced. Westerners, on the other hand, liked to be intimate while also exercising respect with other people , whether they are familiars or not. It's okay for them to hug and kiss as a greeting becuase they have been practicing it for a long period of time. Easterners have a difficulty catching up (the spread of this practice is due to globalization) becuase they need to rework their mindsets to these intimate gestures.

because different country or area people have different culture,their is no rule that we should follow the western culture as we are following their education system. you will personally know this why asians do not huge an friend, when you are married and if your wife huge her boy friend in front of you. their will a great fire in you that how dare she is to touch an other man in front of me. this is just an example this is not to hurt you. this is our culture thats it there will be no reasons why like this,it will take years to get habit to that culture.

may be because of their culture and tradition that are hard to change

well as some have said, asians are more conservative due to our upbringing and all. i know what you mean. i have some local friends and they're not even westerners, just some chinese friends. when we meet after a long time, we hug each other. no kissing of course hehe but people from my country would be talking behind our backs more or less. it's also the cultural differences i feel. since we have been brought up this way, i think it'll take us a long time to slowly start being more open. we can be open but it will take time. it's just a matter of feeling uncomfortable and all.

i do this with people i know from the office but chosen people only. it's really different here in my country too. some would take it with malice. i don't like that. i prefer cheek to cheek or hug most of the time actually when i encounter a friend somewhere but i guess i'm not used to it since then 'cause i grew up in a conservative society.

I don't think people in the west do hugs and kisses to greet their friends as a norm. A hand shake is still the best form of greeting that is being used everywhere. Yes, we are on the 21st century but I still won't make it a point to greet friends, especially the not so close ones with hugs and kisses. That kind kind of greeting is still reserved for those that you're already comfortable with.

I'm from the east, and people here hug and kiss when meeting or departing, but of course that act depends on your relationship with the person you're about to hug or kiss. It is common for close friends and relatives to hug or kiss (we call it beso or beso-beso which means to lightly bang your cheeks together).

Asians are a bit conservative than those Westerners who are liberated people. They were brought up that way by their ancestors. Our different cultures have our own way of greeting people. In the Philippines, they get the hand of the elders and had it touched by our forehead. In Japan, they bow at each other. And in Western countries, that's it, they kiss on the cheeks and hug. There are a already a lot of people here in the Philippines who have adapted the ways of the Westerners in greeting people and so that's already accepted. Though, it is our culture that the Filipinas are a bit demure. They do hold hands but only with their boyfriends , or mothers or siblings or fathers.

just because we are not westerners. keep the difference,while it is charming. anyway, if we do as westerners do, we cant call ourselves native people. respect others , good. and dont forget to respect ourselves.

It's just cultural difference I would say. You're right it's just a hug but some people do find it sort of offensive when someone tries to hug unless the person is a close one. But I personally believe the times are changing and people are getting comfortable with greetings of any sort and even the levels of PDA's are going up.

Certainly such greeting customs are different when you go to other countries. But I think even within a country, there will be different scenarios that determine what is appropriate. Not only that, but then there is the individual aspect. I sincerely doubt if Lucy (couple of comments up) would greet me with a hug. So the proper greeting is not set in stone. We must be considerate, observant and kind - then we will figure out the correct greeting.

Well hmm I personally don't really like the kiss on the cheek, but I think that hugs are always ok. Over here that is how we greet each other, but for people who we know not just random people that we meet you know. I never have gotten used to it, but it's just something that I have to do when ever I see my aunts, uncles, or any other relatives because if I don't do that I know for sure that I would be in big trouble by my mom and I really and I mean really do not want to upset my mom so I have to do it every time. Oh yeah forgot to mention that we also do not when we meet with close friends too. Anybody can do this greeting it doesn't really matter where one is from. I think that I will never be able to get used to that greeting though, but oh well we all have to be nice now for me I prefer handshakes much better though because I feel that those are a bit nicer because one can really tell a lot just from a handshake. For example if it's a nice strong sturdy handshake than you can tell that they are good people, but when it's a loose handshake you can always tell that they are rude and don't really like to greet people. That's why I like to do handshakes more or so because it's like mind reading well almost you can tell how their character is. Hey though that's just me many different people prefer different methods of greeting, but the one that I like the most is handshakes.

Hugs and kisses are expressions of affection and for most people I know are not shared randomly. I think this is so in many parts of the world. I heard somewhere that asians traditionally do not publicly display affection. I am not sure about that. I personally don't go around hugging casual acquaintances or strangers. I do on the other hand enjoy greeting those close to me with a hug.

i think it just depends on the place. every place has different culture to follow. and i guess that's it.