Doesn't it come from communism (Or lands who have/have had a dictator)? (No offence intended) I mean, it's like something that Saddam, Hitler and Stalin does, you know... There's something patriotic or solidaric (If that's the word?) over it... Not because there's anything of that in it anymore, but it might have continued as a tradition in the countries that have been under dictatorship.

I noticed they do it alot in middle-eastern lands too, though now it's more a family- or good-friend-thing. Just wondering if that's what it comes off.

OR I might be teribbly wrong, and should pull into the shadows again

"The Birdie" is a Romanian/Moldovenian thing, not many other people use it.