Expats get new greeting which is ‘half-handshake, half-hug, and an air kiss on top’

Dubbed the Hugshake Kiss, it has been described as “a half-handshake and half-hug with an air kiss on top.”

Officials say it is the same awkward, clumsy greeting that expats have been doing for decades, but now it will be codified.

Saskia Schott, who was recently named as Prefect of Customs and Facilitator of Interactions, says that expats should not view the greeting as an insult.

“Expats themselves cannot be blamed, especially those who come from faraway countries where greetings might consist of a bow, whats-up-bro-style nod, or an elaborate dance in which all participants must wear sequinned headdresses,” she said.

“Still, we all agree that it’s painful watching foreigners stumble, bumble, and mumble their way through the first moment of a social encounter like a toddler trying to clear the table and wash the dishes,” she continued.

Schott says that her office has documented hundreds of cases when sloppy and poorly timed physical greetings have ended in social discomfort, injury, or worse.

One case involved a newly arrived male who believed he was supposed to give a cheek kiss to a female colleague he was meeting for the first time. When he leaned in but she didn’t offer her cheek, he erroneously believed she wanted a hug.

“Upon realizing his mistake, he tried to recover by pretending that he had tripped and fallen forward, which caused him to really trip and fall forward,” Schott said. “The man broke his arm, and to this day, his tennis swing isn’t what it used to be.”

In another case, a woman who had lived in Luxembourg for a full year arrived at a party with people she already knew quite well, yet she went around shaking everyone’s hands as if she were introducing herself at a business meeting.

“The worst part is that she did the same thing when she said goodbye, even though it was 2 a.m. and everyone was drunk, half-clothed, and falling down by that point,” Schott said.

How to perform the Hugshake Kiss

Step 1: Approach the person and extend your right hand.

Step 2: If the other person responds by giving their hand, grab only the tips of their fingers.

Step 3: Lean forward and put your left hand on their left shoulder.

Step 4: To avoid making the other person believe you are going to give them a hug, pivot so that you are now standing side-by-side. Continue holding their fingers.

Step 5: Slide your left hand to their right shoulder so that your arm is now wrapped around them as if you are posing for a photo.

Step 6: While remaining in this position, gently squeeze their fingers, purse your lips, and make a smooching sound as if you are blowing a kiss into the air. Ideally, the other person will do the same.

Step 7: Let go of the person and try to forget about what has just occurred.

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