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Culture - How to Greet People

By Dave Clark
Visual Link Spanish

If you aren't prepared, greetings can be some of the most awkward situations in a different culture. Some cultures wave, some shake hands, others kiss once, some cultures kiss multiple times, and others even give "high fives". With Spanish speakers, the way people greet each other can vary region to region. Understanding and being prepared for a few general situations will help make you more comfortable.

1. Friends and Relatives - Generally, when you greet friends and relatives in the Latin culture, here's what you do. When a male greets a female or when a female greets a female, they will gently touch both arms while moving their bodies to about 6 inches apart, then they cock their heads, put their cheeks together, and make a light kissing sound. Their lips don't actually make contact with anything. All this will take about 1 or maybe 2 seconds. For men greeting men, in most areas, it is completely customary to give each other a hug. This may seem unnatural for many people outside of the Latin culture, so you may have to practice hugging a few times before you gain any close friends or relatives that live in Latin areas.
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3. Casual Parties - For small groups at someone's home, you will generally follow the guideline for "Friends and Relatives". Basically, in this situation, let the host take the lead. You can follow their body language and be prepared for a light hug and kiss on the cheek as explained above. In some countries and regions people may kiss twice -- once on one cheek and once on the other cheek. If you are prepared to follow the lead of the Latin person, you'll do just fine! By way of information, before some of you get too excited about all the kissing, these are the kind of hugs and kisses that are so commonplace in the Latin culture that they have absolutely no romantic meaning.
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5. Business - When you are in a business situation, you generally shake hands when greeting someone unless they are a long-time acquaintance. In this case, follow the "Friends and Relatives" guideline, but again, be sure to follow their lead.

Knowing what to expect and how to react when meeting and greeting will help you be more comfortable making new friends in a different culture.

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