Guess what month July is semi-officially. If you said July is National Ice Cream Month, you’re correct…but that’s not the sweet treat we’re aiming at. July is also—are you ready for this—National Kissing Month. As that wonderful humorist Dave Barry would say, “We are not making this up.”
July 6th is variously known as National Kissing Day, World Kiss Day, and International Kissing Day. July 4th, Independence Day in the U.S., is known for its fireworks, but kissing sets off internal fireworks of another, most pleasant, if somewhat less spectacular type.
No one really knows when National Kissing Day was created, but it is believed that it was created in the United Kingdom sometime during the 19th century. It has spread all over the world and is celebrated in many different countries.
Now, to be completely factual, National Kissing Day, or Kissing Month, is not only about romantic kissing. You are encouraged to kiss those you love, which includes your mom and dad, your children, your siblings—and the list may go on from there. But surely the most pleasure, the most enjoyment, is in kissing the one you love romantically, whether that’s your spouse, your domestic partner, your sweetheart, or even your secret love.
We here at AbyD can help you celebrate the day and the month with two books about love. And in true Kissing Month style, both have an international flavor.
The Dance of the Antelopes is an African version of the Cinderella story. There’s no glass slipper, but there is a happy ending. How does the African version differ from the American version, or, for that matter, the French original? Get the book and find out.
The other book we have that’s particularly suitable for Kissing Month is Abuelita’s Tree. It’s a story about love…any kind of love and every kind of love: even taking loving care of a tree. The moral of the story—and, yes, it does have a moral—is, “When you give love, you get back love.” That’s what Abuelita’s own abuelita (“abuelita” is Spanish for “grandma”) taught her many years ago, and that’s what Abuelita teaches the neighborhood children. We think it’s the perfect tale for Kissing Month—or any time. After all, love is always in season.