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

The hand-kiss is used quite prominently in The Godfather series, as a way to indicate the person who is the Don. It also features in period films, such as Dangerous Liaisons. A hand-kiss was considered a respectful way for a gentleman to greet a lady. The practice originated in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Spanish courts of the 17th and 18th centuries. The gesture is still at times observed in Central Europe, namely in Poland, Austria and Hungary, among others.

January 22, 2023 | 1:07 am