The walking arm-in-arm isn't limited to just close family. I have a couple of friends who worked with me and many occasions we walked arm-in-arm. These were Spanish men (I'm a man too). It's just a closeness of friends. But, when I was in California with one of these guys, the impression is different.

Latin countries have men who will embrace and give kissing the cheeks of to other men happens often. Usually it's from men within their close family.

From Scandinavia down to Spain you're going to find young girls walking arm-in-arm often.

Travelguru has to travel a bit more.

Blackduff

<<Walking arm in arm, it requires you to be in touch with the cadence of your partner in more ways than one.
>>

e normale, as the Italians would say.

Holding each other's arms prevents them from pickpocketing each other. Spain is rife with crime.

Distant_Travel_guru, l like your capacity to find so many different subjects that leads to passionate discussions!
There are interesting subjects and reactions.

>>>"Why don't people in America have sex in public parks as often as the people in Europe do?"

Maybe "travelguru1" will post that topic for us next?<<<

No, he won´t. He didn´t find a park.

Of course the sex in the parks is the result of all that street walking.

On the other hand, in Morocco, it's almost a constant sight to see men walking arm in arm, and the women doing the same.

So then you have options, if you wish, in your recent frantic search for answers about the world.

In cultures where it is taboo for persons of the opposite sex to touch in public (or generally at all unless they are related or married to one another) it is very typical for friends of the same sex to hold hands or link arms. Pretty much describes the arab world from what I've seen. There is no erotic content there.

A couple of years ago I heard a news story about American soldiers in Iraq who were having culture-clash issues. One said he felt part of his mission was to get men to stop walking arm and arm in public, as it was gross and disgusting. (This raises again the question of which is worse: killing or kissing?)

>"Why don't people in America have sex in public parks as often as the people in Europe do?"<

We have more cars.

Scarlett you and the Yank have sex in public parks???????
;-) Suze

It does kinda send a message to people walking towards them that they need to walk around and not between them.

I saw quite a few women walking, holding hands in Russia. They are talking to each other and people need to walk around them.

The question was not "why do people walk arm-in-arm?"

It was

"Why do younger couples walk arm-in-arm (not hand-in-hand) less?"