6 Ιουλιου

Today has been declared a day for kissing, so grab your loved ones and pucker your lips, it's time to celebrate with a show of affection.

While Scholars aren't quite sure when kissing became a worldwide custom, some believe it stems from India and it was thanks to Alexander the Great that the world over now enjoys the practice. Kissing is not just a sign of love and affection, but can also be a show of respect, admiration, friendship and religion.

There's plenty of variation too. Hand kissing, cheek kissing, French kissing. The popular Eskimo kiss began with the Inuit, a group of indigenous people living in the Arctic regions of Alaska, Greenland and northern Canada. First discovered when European explorers arrived in the Arctic regions where the Inuit greeted one another with a rub of their noses, the explorers then dubbed the greeting an Eskimo kiss.

Kissing has even been wrapped up in legends. Ireland's Blarney Stone attracts tourists from all over to kiss the "magical" stone, in the hope that by doing so they will be gifted with eloquence.

And, in an age of social distancing, who would have thought kissing comes with a wealth of health benefits - research shows kissing stimulates a good mood, can fight depression, has stress-reducing effects and can lower cholesterol.

Lips are not just good for kissing, they're great on a glass rim. So, pucker up, grab a glass and celebrate today with a cognac-based French Kiss cocktail.