I think the safest is to ask your bf about it, it can vary. Some like that you slightly touch their hand with your lips, others will cringe. In our family, I do it when I haven´t seen them in a long time (also the first time) and the muslim holidays. If the family is muslim, don´t kiss the hand of the father... but then again being Turkish, they may go lightly with it. Again it´s a thing your bf can advise you on.

Good luck

Hey, I´m not a conservative muslim and my in-laws LOVE me. My husband and I have been married for twelve years, and the first visit was horrible. I got sick off some chicken and went for my first visit to the Gumushane hospital. (okay, every time we go to Turkey I get sick. Who knew?) I won´t horrify you with the details. Be yourself. I know it sounds like the same old repeat advice, but the more I act like me, which is very non-gelin, the more they like me. In fact, my father-in-law calls me his favorite gelin. And we go to the village, with lots of covered women, old aunties, farm work, etc.     

I think the hand kissing and then putting it to the forehead is a village thing. I watched a couple of Turkish movies and there was a big deal in it about that, anyway. I kiss my inlaws when give everyone a great big hug. What can I say, I´m a hugger. Plus, they laugh at me if I try to uncross my legs, asking me if I have been told to sit like that. And, I have snuck around with my brothers-in-law and had a smoke from time to time. I wouldn´t smoke in front of my father in law because he had lung cancer. Just be nice! Don´t give yourself a coronary.     

Oh, I have one more hand kissing post. When I first met my father in law, I tried to kiss his hand, but, since he didn´t expect it from me, he kept moving it around and I kept trying to grab it....it was pretty funny. My husbands standing there trying to help me, people are all around...didn´t work out well with the hand kissing. Now we make our daughter do it. I bribe her with chocolate.    

OMg that mustve been soo awkward!!!! I can imagine, my face wouldve been a tomato!!!!!

I never kiss anybodys hand

But my dad always does it to my grandma, and then he puts her hand on his forehead, and he used to do it to my grandpa too, but he died.

He said people used to do it long ago always but not anymore, but he does it for respect.

No, definetly not. Kissing hand is a tradition and our culture showing the respect to our elders. It could be in a village or in a city. It does not change. Hugging is also acceptable, however some elders may not want it but it is also a good thing.

Why? What is wrong with that? Where did you hear that? Kissing father´s hand is more important. If the couple is already married, the bride can kiss his hand. Because she became that family´s daughter. However, she might not kiss his hand before marriage. But some fathers allow to kiss their hands and some doesn´t.

I am NOT turkish but muslim . All muslims have more or less same culture and traditions : all based on RESPECT

Clarissa, you are muslim so do not worry about anything. Just be yourself infront of your in-laws: be nice, smile, give help...

we do not kiss hands in Tunisia but we do hug and kiss on the cheeks.  For more respect we sometimes kiss on the forehead.

Good luck to you...

I can only nod agreeingly to this.

If it´s the different bacterias making you sick, get some pills to keep it down before it gets too bad. Otherwise it just gets worse and worse.

 Just you said, some allow it and some don´t. Some muslims don´t want physical contact between non-mahrams.

I was touched by this fine gesture of respect, done to my husband in Istanbul.

Actually i must object on this, maybe yes its true muslims do it but its not in Ýslam to do it

Ýts kind of tradition, culture thing.

Ý remember when i was younger i was against it, i thought no one should kiss hands of other human, because ALLAH the one who give not the human.

But by time, and watching how younger people lack the respect which they should offer to the older ones.

Ý appreciate this tradition much now, and wish it spread in here as it used to be.