Happy Sneak a Kiss Day!
So, I heard on NPR over the weekend that today was going to be Sneak A Kiss Day, and it’s been on my mind ever since because I’m like that. A chronic over-muser. Honestly, I’m a little torn about the holiday. On the one hand, I wholly endorse kissing. A good kiss is better than good chocolate (and that’s saying something). And on the scale of good kisses, I suppose a kiss you sneak, what with its element of surprise and its potential to completely change the nature of the moment you’re in, may be the most exciting kind of kiss at all.
Or not. And that’s the danger. What if you sneak a kiss, and the target of your affection was just fine with the moment as it was? What if, in fact, he is quite unhappy with the new moment you’ve created? What if you sneak a kiss and your prince turns into a toad? I mean, it’s better to know,I guess, but seriously. How awkward would that be?
So, given the somewhat dicey nature of National Sneak A Kiss Day, I went searching for advice and information. I couldn’t find anything about the origins of the holiday (post a link if you find something I missed), but i did find this very helpful article on eHow.com offering advice for how to celebrate the day safely.
To eHow’s advice let me add this. If, heading into your stolen kiss, you change your mind for whatever reason (it is the nature of stolen kisses that they are shiny but uncertain things), you can rescue the moment easily. Simply shift yourself into the reliable, time-tested, two-armed, front-to-front, no-sex, six-second hug. It is, in most situations, safer than a kiss and scientifically proven to release mood enhancing chemicals for all involved.
That said, here’s my last word on the subject. Having weighed the pros and cons (and after conducting an exhaustive array of j-science experiments on the subject – all of which ended very happily ever after), I will definitely be sneaking some kisses today. I kind of think if you’re going to be brave about something, be brave about kissing.
You can quote me on that.
Note: a friend sent me the zebra pic at the top of this post saying it reminded her of me. (My blog, I’m thinking, but you never know.) Too small for Caption This, too adorable not to get posted!
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And now for something sort of different… If you can’t get into the whole kissing thing, you can celebrate National Man Day instead. Two brothers from Indiana declared today “National Man Day.” They say that on Man Day, participants should play football, go hunting, or watch Rocky movies, and a quarter of a million people have pledged to “stand up and do manly things.” I’m of the opinion that these two activities – being manly and stealing kisses – need not be mutually exclusive but the brothers in charge say “Real men don’t sneak kisses.” … What do you think?
Wild
It’s amazing how many holidays people can think of and make up :)
I for one especially like self created holidays (not only holidays, but also traditions and customs) we can celebrate and enjoy with our Sweetheart, family, friends, etc. like: must go for a walk at least once a week, every Sunday family dinner, leave a note on the fridge to wish a nice day to those who get up when you’re already at work, and other cute things like this :)
Yay :D I’m the 1st one to post a comment on this post (and also 2nd) :P
I forgot to say: your note at the end made me laugh with tears ;) thank you, I needed that!
And I’m sure your friend was reminded of you by the zebras because of your blog and short story.
Judy,
I will pass on the sneak a kiss…men fall in love with me WAY too easily….but I WILL celebrate Man day. I’ll do two manly things just for you.
I won’t shower…and I’ll try hard to grow a beard.
Picture me with my eyes squinted shut REAL tight and concentrating ….
how do you think it would go, if real men did steal a kiss from each other, say during a boxng match? Tyson has been known to nibble a little on an ear or two…
Seriously though, many real men in countries other than ours kiss one another as part of a greeting. I think I could move from the hearty man-hug, without pause, if it were common here.
I do agree with you though, an unexpected kiss, or one that’s more than a peck, especialy when there’s just the kiss… well it can be heady!
cmw
I am thinking this “Holiday” won’t catch on. But . . . . ya never know? It could. Because most “Holidays” that encourage drinking do catch on and I think that a lot of people would be more likely to sneak kisses after a few drinks, so you never know. MUAH! (there, was that sneaky enough for you?)
Surprise kissing can be dangerous, but even more dangerous is a kiss grazer. I walk up to Terre while we are distracted by our surroundings (shopping, festival, people watching) and I’ll graze a kiss from her neck. There has been one or two near misses with same height blonds.
Kiss grazing is not for amateurs!
Estrella, I’m always so happy to find you here – especially twice! Yay!
Karen, I’m doing both. Sneaking kisses and being manly. I’m that good! (How’s the beard coming?)
Terre, Muah! I was trying to think of how to spell that for the title of this post, but nothing I did looked right. I should have asked you!
John, Once, I grabbed this man’s hand in an S.F. museum. I thought it was Chad standing next to me reading about the artist. The funny thing is that the guy didn’t let go or freak out. I did, of course – how embarrassing, but he was totally cool. I wonder how long he would have stood there if I hadn’t turned. Can you imagine what he was thinking? “Hmmmm, how to extricate myself…”
Judy, I was going to ask how much you are paying John because he is NEVER as funny at home as he is on your blog! So I figure you must be paying him for his best material.
I have almost hugged or grabbed people’s hands thinking it was John. I bet that guy wasn’t wanting to extricate himself. He was probably thinking, “Yeah, babayh! How do I sneak a kiss?”
Well,
The beard didn’t materialize, but telling my friend wyatt about it made him make this lovely really abandoned laughing and it is hours later and I can still hear it echoing about in my head…so the attempt was worth it.
Judy, that once happened to me on the observatory deck of the John Hancock Tower! I was looking down at Chicago lit up at night and an unknown woman grabbed my hand. I froze and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even turn toward her. I said nothing and, in what seemed like an eternity later but probably was just 20-30 seconds, she realized her mistake, let out a gasp, dropped my hand and quickly walked away. I don’t know what the guy whose hand you grabbed was thinking, but I know I was just wondering how long it would be before she realized her mistake — and also if she was hot. (Hey, I was a single twentysomething then, and it’s National Man Day today, OK? :) )
Terre “How do I sneak a kiss” cracked me up.
Karen, I love people who laugh with abandon. That’s better than having a song stuck in your head!
Craig, Just think if it had happened to you in S.F. we’d be trying to pin point the date to see if I was the culprit. I gasped too. And walked away. But not before attempting an apology that, with my tongue all tied up, came out sounding incoherent and vaguely unhinged. Hot I’m sure didn’t come to mind for him.
And yes! It’s national Man Day! I did a number of manly things deserving of a post of their own, which I won’t write. You’re welcome!