International Kiss Day: how long did the longest kiss in history last

This Wednesday, April 13, the International Day of the Kiss is commemorated. This celebration is held as a tribute to the longest kiss that has ever been recorded, and which took place in Thailand, to commemorate Valentine's Day.

The longest kiss in the world was the result of a contest held in Thailand, where in 2011 a couple of that nationality set a world record with the longest kiss, which lasted 46 hours, 24 minutes and 9 seconds.

Later, in 2013, the same couple broke their same record by kissing each other, without taking off for a second, for a time of 58 hours 35 minutes and 58 seconds.

In addition, this commemoration seeks to be a reminder of the importance of kissing in human relations.

There are several theories related to the origin of the kiss. It is estimated that it all began as a result of breastfeeding, or perhaps much further back, when hominids walked the world and had to feed their young through their mouths.

However, the oldest vestiges of the kiss come from the east, specifically from the region of India, where figures of beings carved in stone were found inside some temples, performing this practice. Likewise, in the famous book of Kamasutra, written around the 3rd century after Christ, you can find references alluding to the kiss.

Kissing can not only be seen as a simple erotic act, because this ancient practice can be seen as an excellent exercise that helps burn calories and strengthen the immune system, as well as create bonds and emotional bonds between people.

Its power is so high that, according to certain studies carried out by specialists in the field, kissing can be compared to a natural drug, because it causes in individuals an increase in oxytocin, the hormone responsible for generating physical and neurological changes such as pleasure, falling in love and everything related to affection.

For people who usually kiss, this can mean having a longer and happier life, as it has therapeutic and psychological power. In other words, the kiss can represent a defining act of success or failure among lovers.

On a cultural level, the kiss from India spread rapidly throughout the European continent, during the time of Alexander the Great.

According to Homer's account of The Odyssey, the kiss was told in his passages, but the story does not stop there, because in the Bible the kiss is referred to as a symbolic event, when Judas kisses Jesus and seals his destiny with him.

In ancient Persia, it was a very common thing to see men kissing, whereas for the Celts, this act was, to some extent, medicinal. In medieval times, kissing a maiden was considered impure.

It was since the Industrial Revolution that custom was seen as a normal act that occurred between people who related affectively, but that could only be carried out in absolute intimacy, otherwise it was censored by society.

From Romanticism, there was a paradigm shift with respect to kissing. People enjoyed greater freedom to express their feelings, generating a real sexual revolution that, to date, has become normal, thanks to modernization.

Today it is a fairly common and universal practice that is used to demonstrate affective bonds, such as passion, friendship, affection and love between human beings.

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