There are many different traditions and customs that have come from ancient times. For example, a man kisses a lady's hand. This seemingly ordinary gesture has its own meaning.
What is the meaning of this gesture
In most countries of the world, it is customary among intellectuals to kiss a woman's hand. As a rule, men kiss the hand of older women and married ladies. This custom is most widespread in the West. In Germany and Austria, it is customary to do this only on the most solemn occasions. Poles have this generally accepted rule: a man greets and says goodbye to all women in this way. You can kiss the hand only in a closed room; you cannot do this during a lunch meal. At a dinner party, it is permissible to kiss only the hand of the hostess, which she must give low so that the man himself bends over to her. Previously, kissing a woman's hand was considered a simple greeting. Now this action speaks more about the man's upbringing in relation to the woman. In the days of our great-grandmothers, kissing the hand of a young girl was unacceptable. They never kissed the hand unless the woman took off her glove. In the old days, when intelligence and good breeding reigned in society, this action was so widespread that they did not think about its implementation.
Europeans still kiss the hand of both women and young girls, despite the restrictions. This happens both indoors and outdoors, all greetings of this type are permissible in European society.
Modern attitudes of women towards kissing hands
At the present time, the attitude to this action is not that it has changed, but it has acquired a different attitude of specific people. Some consider this to be the norm for themselves, for others it is unpleasant, for others it is generally humiliating. Kissing the hand is not humiliation, but it prohibits giving a sign of respect to a person to whom negative feelings are experienced. And that's okay. Most likely, no modern woman will like it if all the men take turns kissing her hands. The same is true for men. It is unlikely that today a guy or a young man will decide on such an act at all, and it's not even a matter of upbringing.
What was once accepted in society is now becoming old-fashioned and even vulgar.
Many consider it normal to kiss the hand of only the mother, father, passionately shower the hands of a beloved girl with kisses. But kissing the hands of strangers, even as a sign of decency and upbringing, is a personal matter for every man. We can say that it looks strange in the modern world and does not fit into the style of modern society fundamentally. Of course, even now there are receptions, various ceremonies, celebrations, but they are most often of a business nature. Think for yourself: well, isn't it funny and ridiculous to kiss the hand of a business partner? This is an unnecessary detail left in the distant past.
