40 per cent of Canadians admit to having kissed a stranger under the mistletoe

Nov 26 2008

It's no surprise that Canadians smile and kiss more during the holiday season.

In fact, a recent survey commissioned by Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite power toothbrush shows that 73 per cent of Canadians say that spending time with family and friends puts the brightest smile on their faces over the holidays. And, nearly 40 per cent admit to having kissed a stranger under the mistletoe, or at midnight on New Year's Eve.

When dreaming about the possibility of kissing a movie star under the mistletoe this holiday season, 42 per cent of female respondents said they would like to lock lips with George Clooney under the mistletoe and 29 percent of men chose Angelina Jolie.

Regardless of whom Canadians desire to kiss under the mistletoe, they must not have bad breath, said 49 per cent of respondents when asked about the most important mistletoe rule of etiquette. "No slobbering" is the most important rule of etiquette for 32 per cent of Canadians.

When Canadians are not busy kissing this holiday season, they will be smiling. Despite the stress and hard work involved, 77 per cent of Canadians estimate that they will smile more than 10 times when entertaining friends and family this holiday season. Keeping that holiday smile white and bright can be challenging during the holidays with all the excessive food, drink and cheer.

"When it comes to teeth-staining holiday indulgences like red wine, chocolate and coffee, 91 per cent of Canadians say they won't avoid them this year," said Court Elliott, Communications Manager, Philips Canada. "Using Philips Sonicare new HealthyWhite power toothbrush for just two minutes per day can help achieve whiter teeth in just two weeks and keep that holiday smile bright. It also makes a great holiday gift."

How much do Canadians like to kiss? Well, according to the survey, there are some busy lips in Canada - 14 per cent of Canadians revealed that their personal record for most kisses in a day is more than 50. Most of us (30 percent), however, report our top daily number of kisses to be between one and five, and 21 per cent say six to 10 is their personal record for most kisses in a day.

When asked about kissing style, the "single-cheek peck" is the most popular, with 37 per cent of Canadians choosing it as their personal holiday kissing style. Twenty-nine per cent of Canadians claimed the "double-cheek peck" as their own style, while 25 per cent chose "on the lips". Not surprisingly, 76 per cent of Quebec respondents chose the European "double-cheek peck" as their preferred kissing style for the holidays.