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Longest kiss

At the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on 15 September 1990, Alfred Wolfram from New Brighton, kissed 8001 people in 8 hours – over sixteen people a minute.

Bobbi Sherlock and Ray Blazina smooched for 130 hours and 2 minutes between 1-6 May 1978.

John C Rice kissed May Irwin in 1896, and became the first couple to be recorded kissing in the film called The Kiss.

The longest kiss in films history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. The kiss lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds, or 1/25th of the total running time. (Now, Kids In America, has broken that record with a kiss of over 6 minutes – but the kiss is during the end credits)

According to legend, any person who kisses the Blarney Stoney in the 15th century Blarney Castle in Cork, will be endowed with the gift of eloquence and persuasive flattery.

How did the custom of kissing start? 

Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today.

Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship, and in amore. There, figure dancing was the rage, and each dance was sealed with a kiss.

The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to ape the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip-locks couples into sweet matrimony.

The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to show respect, and to pay homage to another. For example, early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they deemed to be a dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person’s importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet.

In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked.- from uselessknowledge.com