Kissing the hands that are contaminated with the blood of the country’s youth

In Romania the gesture is reserved for priests and women and it is common greeting when first introduced to a woman in parts of the country. The verbal expression towards women is “I kiss your hand” (Romanian: “sarut mana” and sometimes shortened to “saru-mana”) Towards priests it is sometimes changed into “i kiss your right” due to the belief that the right hand of the priest is holy and blessed regardless of the priest himself and any eventual shortcomings. In the past both parents used to get their hand kissed and seen as a type of blessing, however the expression is now almost exclusively towards women.

January 22, 2023 | 1:07 am