Kiss goodbye to French greeting?

French people living on Leeside are divided as to whether their distinctive double cheek kiss known as ‘la bise’ can survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

The traditional greeting, which can sometimes include three to four kisses, was banned in France in March in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

However, according to French woman Mélanie, who has been living and working in Cork for several years, the greeting is still being used by people in France, as well as here in Cork.

She said: “I think la bise didn't disappear. I was in France in July and I met a lot of friends and most of them are still doing la bise. And to be honest, I was the first one doing it. It's very weird for us because it's an automatic thing.”

Mélanie, who is originally from Sologne in north-central France, believes that the “new standard” going forward should be to ask people if they are comfortable with la bise first before doing it.

Lille native Émeline has been living in Cork for more than five years and believes that la bise is simply on hold for the time being, and that the custom could never be replaced.

“Keeping this habit is important to keep spreading love, affection and the demonstration of friendship.

“For me, it is more important now than ever to keep doing la bise,” said Émeline.

She added: “It’s a big part of the French culture and it cannot be replaced. It is like asking if pubs in Ireland could be replaced with something else.”

However, Rachel, who comes from Saint-Joseph on French island Réunion and has been living in Cork for more than six years, says that she doesn’t see la bise returning to normal any time soon.

“I would be reluctant to do it, even after the pandemic. I always thought, even before it, that viruses could be easily spread with la bise. I know this is within French culture for ages, but I believe a culture should be changed if there is a risk of endangering people's health,” said Rachel.

In France, a number of alternative greetings were suggested including elbow bumping, footshaking, and even the customary Hindu greeting namaste.

Rachel continued: “A simple ‘bonjour’ would be enough as a greeting. For people who want to feel closer to each other, I think a quick hug would be great. At least there is no contact too close to the person's mouth or nose.”

However, Mélanie feels that alternative greeting methods look “ridiculous” and that she would rather not do anything, than replace la bise.

“If we decide to replace la bise forever, it'll be a victory of the pandemic. This thing has already taken too much from us,” she concluded.