Crush Zone
Relationships, love, hate, lust, boys, girls, friends. These are all words that make the world go round. Or at least, the world according to teenagers of today! Reveal your innermost thoughts about all the ideals of having a crush!
This week we're talking about kisses, there was a slight lack of submissions for this theme so again I turn to the wonders of the internet to help me out!
I just want your kiss boy...
My boyfriend is the BEST kisser! His emotions totally come through in his kisses. He usually starts of with soft little pecks on my lips and gradually makes his way to harder, more passionate kisses. I love how he kisses because he shows respect with starting out slowly, yet he really shows me that he loves me when he gets passionate. Ahhhh, makes me want one now!
First kiss...
Yaaaay! I just got my first kiss today from the sweetest guy 
It was really nice. There was one time he accidentally kissed my nose instead, because he's much taller than me. Ha ha!
It was really nice. There was one time he accidentally kissed my nose instead, because he's much taller than me. Ha ha! Roisin's comment: That's sweet!
Kissing!
'A kiss is the touching of one person's lips to another place, which is used as an expression of affection or to show respect, and as a greeting or a farewell; kissing can be used to express romantic affection or sexual desire. The word comes from Old English cyssan "to kiss", in turn from coss "a kiss". It is generally considered one of the strongest ways to show affection.'
We all use kisses to show our friends and family affection, every time I go home to Birmingham I always kiss my mother and father hello and when I return to Hull there is always a kiss goodbye, for me it's a way of telling them I love them without actually saying it. Also a common use of kissing is a way to say thank you.
In mainland Europe a kiss on both cheeks is considered polite, this has also been adopted by people in the fashion world usually accompanied by the word 'Darling'. In Middle Eastern countries until recent times, kissing was only considered proper when between two men, two women, or parents kissing their children. Kissing was not looked upon as a sexual expression in the Middle East. In Eastern European countries until recent times, kissing between two men on the lips as a greeting or a farewell was as normal as the modern Western handshake. This custom has nearly died out due to Western influence. In the past, kissing wasn't considered sexual in Slavic and Muslim countries.
Scientists are unsure as to whether kissing is a learned behaviour or an instinctive one. 'Kissing allows prospective mates to smell and taste each other's pheromones for biological compatibility. Women are subconsciously more attracted to men whose major histocompatibility complex portion of their genome is different from their own, leading to offspring with resistance to a greater number of diseases due to heterosis, and thus having a better chance of survival', so when you hear people talking about 'chemistry' this is the scientific reason.
'Kissing is a complex behavior that requires significant muscular coordination; in fact, a total of thirty-four to thirty-six muscles working cooperatively. The most important muscle involved is the orbicularis oris muscle, which is used to pucker the lips and informally known as the kissing muscle. The tongue can also be an extremely important part of the kiss. Lips have many nerve endings so they are sensitive to touch and bite', think of all those calories you can burn just by kissing!
Although we love kisses don't forget there is always the chance of catching mono, herpes and glandular fever if your partner is infected, these usually only occur if you full on make out with someone though, not from a peck on the cheek kiss!
Interestingly kisses are used as part of religion, Muslims will kiss the black stone during Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), the pope always kisses the ground when entering a new country and visitors traditionally kiss his ring as a sign of respect, Jews will kiss the Western wall of the temple in Jerusalem, and other religious articles during prayer such as the Torah, usually by touching their "Siddur" (prayerbook) or their Tallit to the Torah and then kissing it. Eastern Orthodox Christians often kiss the icons around the church as entering, they will also kiss the cross and / or the priests hand in certain other customs in the Church, such as confession or receiving a blessing. Catholics will kiss rosary beads as a part of prayer, or kiss their hand after making the sign of the cross. Hindus and Sikhs sometimes kiss the ground of a temple.
Bit of a lighter note the world record for the longest kiss took place in New York City on December 5, 2001, between Louisa Almedovar and Rich Langley. It lasted 30 hours, 59 minutes and 27 seconds. Wow I bet they were thirsty by the end of that!
Personally I love kissing it's a fun way to show affection for people you like/love and as much as parents think kissing leads to other things it doesn't necessarily and you should never feel pressured to go further than you want to!
We all use kisses to show our friends and family affection, every time I go home to Birmingham I always kiss my mother and father hello and when I return to Hull there is always a kiss goodbye, for me it's a way of telling them I love them without actually saying it. Also a common use of kissing is a way to say thank you.
Around the world
In mainland Europe a kiss on both cheeks is considered polite, this has also been adopted by people in the fashion world usually accompanied by the word 'Darling'. In Middle Eastern countries until recent times, kissing was only considered proper when between two men, two women, or parents kissing their children. Kissing was not looked upon as a sexual expression in the Middle East. In Eastern European countries until recent times, kissing between two men on the lips as a greeting or a farewell was as normal as the modern Western handshake. This custom has nearly died out due to Western influence. In the past, kissing wasn't considered sexual in Slavic and Muslim countries.
Scientifically speaking
Scientists are unsure as to whether kissing is a learned behaviour or an instinctive one. 'Kissing allows prospective mates to smell and taste each other's pheromones for biological compatibility. Women are subconsciously more attracted to men whose major histocompatibility complex portion of their genome is different from their own, leading to offspring with resistance to a greater number of diseases due to heterosis, and thus having a better chance of survival', so when you hear people talking about 'chemistry' this is the scientific reason.
Biology of it all
'Kissing is a complex behavior that requires significant muscular coordination; in fact, a total of thirty-four to thirty-six muscles working cooperatively. The most important muscle involved is the orbicularis oris muscle, which is used to pucker the lips and informally known as the kissing muscle. The tongue can also be an extremely important part of the kiss. Lips have many nerve endings so they are sensitive to touch and bite', think of all those calories you can burn just by kissing!
Although we love kisses don't forget there is always the chance of catching mono, herpes and glandular fever if your partner is infected, these usually only occur if you full on make out with someone though, not from a peck on the cheek kiss!
Kissing and religions, surely don't go?
Interestingly kisses are used as part of religion, Muslims will kiss the black stone during Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), the pope always kisses the ground when entering a new country and visitors traditionally kiss his ring as a sign of respect, Jews will kiss the Western wall of the temple in Jerusalem, and other religious articles during prayer such as the Torah, usually by touching their "Siddur" (prayerbook) or their Tallit to the Torah and then kissing it. Eastern Orthodox Christians often kiss the icons around the church as entering, they will also kiss the cross and / or the priests hand in certain other customs in the Church, such as confession or receiving a blessing. Catholics will kiss rosary beads as a part of prayer, or kiss their hand after making the sign of the cross. Hindus and Sikhs sometimes kiss the ground of a temple.
Bit of a lighter note the world record for the longest kiss took place in New York City on December 5, 2001, between Louisa Almedovar and Rich Langley. It lasted 30 hours, 59 minutes and 27 seconds. Wow I bet they were thirsty by the end of that!
Personally I love kissing it's a fun way to show affection for people you like/love and as much as parents think kissing leads to other things it doesn't necessarily and you should never feel pressured to go further than you want to!
NEXT TIME ON CRUSH ZONE...
Seeing as I regularly get submissions telling me about your crushes... I want you to tell me about your crushes!
Roisin's comment: The two R's: Respect and romance lol