Puckery reception for kissing contest
by Hang Nguyen
Would you be willing to take part in a "kissathon" for 200 people? Do you enough have confidence to express your love by locking lips in public?
Well, I must say that I liked the idea promoted by a communication company in Hai Phong for Valentine's Day because I thought it was harmless fun for couples, especially the young. Up to 200 people were expected to join in the fun if the Hai Phong City's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department had not disapproved of the idea. They figured that this kind of party was not in harmony with the traditional habits and customs of Viet Nam. Indeed, they even said the event would be repugnant to the public.
I was surpassed when I heard that more than half of young people asked also said they would be unwilling to take part in the event. They said they didn't mind watching, but did not want to register.
The cancellation of the kissathon caused arguments among revellers, lovers, young people and parents, particularly on internet forums and social networks. In 2008, only 10 of 56 couples who registered for an earlier kissathon had enough confidence to lock lips in public in Da Lat City in the Central Highlands.
Nguyen Bao Linh, 19, of Thanh Xuan District in Ha Noi City said she had eagerly awaited the Hai Phong event, saying that it was a popular event overseas. "I wanted to see the kissathon, but I was not confident enough to take part in it," Linh said.
Doan Thanh Son, 28, of Hai Ba Trung District was also against the event being held. "Will Vietnamese cultures develop more if kissathons are held? I think the question is no," he said.
It seems that traditional Vietnamese habits and customs are not easy to change regardless of the impact of Western culture on Viet Nam. Most parents and elderly people strongly disapprove of public kissing.
Tran Thuy Trang, 45, an accountant said he didn't know how young people could approve of kissathons. "It is a ridiculous and nonsensical idea," she said. "I would not allow my son to participate."
Do Hong Giang, 56, from Hoan Kiem District said that in the past, couples simply held hands to express their love – or sang love duets. "How can this compare with young people joining a mass kissathon – and even winning prizes for it," he said.
Dr. Nguyen Xuan Kinh, 59, director of the Culture Research Institute under Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences said he disapproved of the new approach. "It is not harmonious with the lifestyle of Vietnamese people and is not suitable with our traditional culture." he said. "I may change my mind in the future if the traditional culture of our country changes, but not now," he said.
In traditional Viet Nam, a kiss is known as something private belonging to individuals. The only time kisses are made in public is sometimes during greetings, at weddings – or in the movies.
In the West, there is a famous photo of a kiss between an American soldier and a nurse at Times Square at the end of World War ll in 1945. It is still viewed as a symbol of peace. The interesting thing is that the soldier and the nurse did not know each other. It is also easy to see couples exchange kisses in streets or squares from Britain to Greece, Germany to Italy.
Doctor Bui Quang Thang, a cultural researcher, said that as a rule, cultural values developed out of a mix of old and new tradition. "So accepting and letting new cultural values develop is a way to honour traditional cultural values," he said.
Traditional customs and the generation gap seem to be the main reasons preventing something as bold and new as a public kissathon happening in Viet Nam. But things are not as sombre as in some other Asian countries where kissing is even forbidden on television or at the movies - and kissing in public can lead to public censure, even a whipping! — VNS