She was clear that the Dutch use three kisses, which should not be confused with the French style, which requires two kisses. The Dutch are proud of their three kisses! You can also use the three kisses to say goodbye, but this is less common.
I asked Claudia about this tradition, but she said she wasn't sure where this tradition came from. She believes it may have something to do with the two French kisses and that perhaps this tradition traveled up north and developed into three kisses for the Dutch. How do you think a tradition like this begins?
The Dutch are known for being open and tolerant of all different kinds of people and identities. You know a Dutch person more than tolerates you when they have finally accepted you and have started greeting you with three kisses. My roommate Manon and I had to get used to living in the same space, but we soon became more than roommates. We are now friends! Because of our newly developed friendship, we eventually moved away from just waving or awkwardly hugging when we would see each other outside of our house. Now, if the situation calls for it (like we had been away from each other for over a week), we may greet each other with the three kisses.
