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Saturday 19 January 2013

"How to Kiss" - Reading Romances giveaway blog hop!


Win a $20.00 Amazon card - or one of eleven other prizes!
Details at the end of this post.

NOW CLOSED - THE WINNER IS: LACEY!

Click for a link to the other
participating blogs.
Today I'm excited to take part in the Reading Romances blog hop.
The theme of the hop is "happy endings" and what better way to seal a happy ending than with a kiss! With that in mind enjoy this post about  the history of kissing!
Don't forget to enter the giveaway draw at the end of this post.
 
 
How to Kiss - A History.

“A lover should not hold his bride by the ears in kissing her...”  
Henry Theophilus Finck. 1887

Kissing is not, as you might suppose, something that has happened since the evolution of man. Instead the historian St Pierius Wensemius claims it was ‘invented’ by a Friesian Princess. According to Wensemius kissing was;

“Unpracticed and unknown in England until the fair Princess Rowena, daughter of King Hengist of Friesland, pressed the beaker with her lips and saluted the amorous Vortigen with a little kiss.”

However it seems that kissing soon caught on in a big way since the scholar and monk Erasmus writes in 1499;

“If you go any place in Britain you are received with a kiss; if you depart …your are dismissed with a kiss; you return and kisses are exchanged…whenever you move, nothing but kisses.”

Apparently it was a practice Erasmus was fully in favour of;

“On my honour you would not want to reside here for ten years, but for life.”

 
However, the kissing was not always done well as the American writer; Henry Theophilus Finck writes in his book ‘Romantic Love and Personal Beauty.’ 1887.

“Kissing comes by instinct and yet it is an art which few understand properly.”

He goes on to write,

“A lover should not hold his bride by the ears, as appears to have been customary in Scotch weddings of the last century (1700’s)”

He offers some helpful advice;

“A more graceful way, and as effective at preventing the bride from getting away, is to put your right arm round her neck, your fingers under her chin, raise the chin and gently but firmly press you lips to hers.”

Then the ever thoughtful Theophilus offers some words of reassurance.

“After a few repetitions she will find out it doesn’t hurt and will become as gentle as a lamb.”

If Theophilus ever got married, am I alone in feeling sorry for his wife - perhaps not such a happy ending for her?

 GIVEAWAY.
**NOW CLOSED**
THE WINNER IS LACEY - CONGRATULATIONS TO LACEY.
 
For a chance to win the Amazon $20.00 gift voucher just sign up for my e-newsletter (issued every 3 months) via the link below:
http://eepurl.com/r4R3v
The winner will be chosen at random on Saturday 26th January, and the winning name posted here.

For a chance to win a myriad of wonderful books and vouchers, follow the link here:
http://reading-romances.com/happy-endings-giveaway-hop/
and leave a comment.

GOOD LUCK!
Grace x
 

43 comments:

  1. I signed up at debby236 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I signed up!

    susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am already signed up! Lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't worry, I will still enter your name in the draw.
      G x

      Delete
  4. Signed up. Thank you for the giveaway.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the chance to enter the giveaway! I signed up at both of the above (and that is such a cute kitty cat down here on the side of the screen though I know it won't be right next to this box once I hit publish, but aww such a big cute kitty cat!) Thanks!

    Shelly Hammond
    booski24@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. me too, signed up

    kp_kazamei(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. All signed up! Loved this post-The kissing booth kitty looks an awful lot like my Jack :)Thanks for participating in the hop

    ReplyDelete
  8. Haha I love the part on how to not let her get away :)
    I signed up
    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
    cassandrahicks1989@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Aw the kitties are so cute :). signed up for newsletter addy same as below.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I signed up! Thanks for the giveaway :)
    laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I signed up and thanx for the giveaway.
    bones_mcp(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I signed up.
    kassandralopez32@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for the great giveaway! This is the address I used:

    thompsonem3 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I signed up :) jennirv4967 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com (subscribed)
    GFC: BookAttict

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for being part of the hop and love your happy and sad kitty plus the kissing history.

    j.m.platt83@gmail.com I signed up

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello! I have nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Check it out here, for details on how to respond: http://catherinegreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-very-inspiring-blogger-award.html

    (Sorry for commenting here, I couldn't find your contact details)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I signed up for your newsletter. Please enter me in your giveaway.
    Thank you.
    bhometchko@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I signed up!! Thanks!

    mestith@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you!
    I signed up for your newsletter :)
    kitcat76(at)hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I signed up for your newsletter! So glad I came across your blog!

    uilani25(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  22. All signed up, thank you!!

    jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  23. signed up
    Thanks for the contest!!
    forettarose@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. signed up for the newsletter. thanks for the giveaway!
    pepperpenn42 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I subscribe to your newsletter.
    magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I signed up!
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    farrahsayyedATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  27. I loved your post but think the pictures of happy cat are my favorite part! I had already signed up for your newsletter at charmedpoms@yahoo.com. And, I still know some guys who don't know how to kiss. Too bad me can't send them back in time to take some lessons from the "experts" LOL

    Best wishes,
    Marlena
    charmedpoms(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love happy endings. They always make me feel good and can lift my spirits up when I'm down :)
    I subscribed to your newsletter.
    simplyreading(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thanks for the great giveaway!
    Signed up with mzsnow87(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks for the chance!
    email: botezatu_paula@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I signed up for the newsletter
    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Signed up and confirmed for your newsletter. Thank you for being a part of this fun and awesome blog hop!!
    livvie_v@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. Subscribed to newsletter. Thanks so much for the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I subscribed
    laracilia at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Subscribed! Thank you for the giveaway!
    verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  36. love the pictures thanks for the hop signed up
    kaholgate at ymail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I signed up. Thanks for the giveaway.
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Already a subscriber

    reviewsbyabby at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks signed up under goodblinknpark(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
    -Amber

    ReplyDelete
  40. I signed up. Thanks for the giveaway and the cute kitties!

    tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

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