Kissing, hugging, shaking hands and even smiling have become less common forms of greeting amidst the pandemic.
MOSCOW, December 09, 2020. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the greeting behavior of Russians.
In early spring, March 11th 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak. VCIOM repeated a 2019 survey concerning the effects of the pandemic on the greeting forms popular with Russians.
In 2020, the share of Russians who greeted friends and family with a kiss has decreased 1.5-fold (from 40% in 2019 to 27%).
Last year, almost every Russian practiced social kissing to greet friends and family. In 2020, this share has decreased by 36%. However, the number of those who never kiss friends and family members when greeting them has doubled; those are mainly men (22% vs 11% of women).
Handshaking and hugging have also become less popular (from 50% to 38% in 2020; from 55% to 42% in 2020, respectively).
Russians have become more reluctant to smile (a decrease from 41% to 34% in 2020) and to nod (from 23% to 17% in 2020), despite the fact that those are Covid-safe forms of greeting. Verbal greeting was not affected by the pandemic (56% and 57% in 2020).
Business partners are less likely to be greeted with a handshake (54% vs 39% in 2020) or a smile now (46% vs 27% in 2020). The pandemic has not influenced nodding and verbal greeting in the business community. As to hugging and social kissing, they were not popular with Russians as forms of business greeting even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Women tend to greet friends and colleagues verbally (63% when greeting friends; 72% when greeting colleagues) or with a smile (46% and 39, respectively). Men are more likely to shake hands (72% when greeting a friend; 71% when greeting a colleague or a business partner).
Russian nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on November 28, 2020. Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. Stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers was used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
How do you usually greet your friends and family? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | ||||
| 2019 | 2020 | Men | Women |
Handshake | 50 | 38 | 72 | 11 |
Nod | 23 | 17 | 19 | 16 |
Hug | 55 | 42 | 32 | 50 |
Kiss | 40 | 27 | 21 | 31 |
Smile | 41 | 34 | 19 | 46 |
Verbally | 56 | 57 | 49 | 63 |
Other (specify) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Don’t know | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
How do you usually greet your colleagues, business partners? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | ||||
| 2019 | 2020 | Men | Women |
Handshake | 54 | 39 | 71 | 12 |
Nod | 24 | 24 | 22 | 26 |
Hug | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
Kiss | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Smile | 31 | 27 | 11 | 39 |
Verbally | 58 | 60 | 46 | 72 |
Other (specify) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
Don’t know | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
As far as social kissing is concerned, how often do you kiss friends/family to greet, to say hello or to express emotions? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||
| 2019 | 2020 | Men | Women |
Very often | 9 | 7 | 5 | 8 |
Often | 40 | 29 | 21 | 35 |
Rarely | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 |
Very rarely | 11 | 14 | 17 | 12 |
Never | 7 | 16 | 22 | 11 |
Don’t know | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory.