Are you guys kidding me, this is the best part of the Egyptian culture..

killer kisses = the warmth, the bond, the kinship..(the germs, lol), unlike here in the U.S. where everything is so icy cold when it comes to relationships between people. Yes Americans hug and so forth, but it's superficial, there is no real and sincere intimate feelings.

I remember hearing this once...I believe it was sayedna Abou Bakr and Sayeda Othman (radeya Allahu 3anhoma) who met each other for Fajr prayer at the masgid, and I think one of them hugged the other one really hard...so the other person wondered what's going on especially when they had just seen each other earlier in the day...so the other one replied something along the lines of can't a brother miss his brother between Isha and Fajr :):)

But to be fair...I was told that it is actually Sunna to start by shaking the hands...which would be sound that the prophet (peace be upon him) always speaks the truth...because I read an article recently about the way disease/germs are trasferred through kissing...If anyone can confirm that, please let us know...

And yes, I know many people who kiss an odd number of times to keep it witr :) Since two is basic in our culture (unlike one with Americans), then a third kiss fulfills the witr :)

This discussion brought this article to mind.. (the second section in particular).
www.maniacmuslim.com

What about kissing here in the US?

lol.. you know in Egypt when two friends didn't meet each other for some time (which equals one or two days in Egypt) thye hug and kiss each other when they meet.. (3adi e7'wat ya gama3ah :))..

but this would be embarassing here in the US!

two months ago, while I am in the library, I met one of my Egyptian friends (who just arrived 2 months ago).. and he suddetly huged me and went for the kill (left-right-left) lol.. hehehe.. I looked around and realized that no one noticed..rabena satar.. kanet ba2et fede7a begalagel... :)

Pyramid: your comment reminds me with one of my egyptian friends here who went with his american officemate to a movie.. the american guy insisted that they leave an empty chair between them because he was a fraid about his reputation :)

so interlocking arms!.. sure I understand where r u coming from :)

I've been told that as well morsy, that if you do it you gotta do an odd number, with that I'd honestly rather just one kiss
it definetly gets confusing. I've learned not to lean in anymore and let them kiss however many times they want, it works better ;).

masreyah82. tell me about it ... i understand we are emotional bass dah kedaa haraam especially for someone like me who has 7 uncles. what egypt need is not chicken flu but kissing flu instade...

LOL morsy are you serious about the 'wetr' thing, because that will be really hillarious. if people believe in wetr then it's better if they keep it one kiss.

shohob basha i have this spirit ma3aa el nas el helwa bass elle zayokom ;P

it's right -> left (I think).. but i'm not sure about the count, in my city, they kiss 3 (i'm guess because of the it's wetr). in cairo it's usually 2.. Again this is just my experience ppl; i'm not saying that cairoeans are stingy with their kisses..

morsy. for me... ti goes like left then right... left and right... then a hug. and a line is waiting for you.

sometime other people get confuse and goes right with right and left with left which end up hitting each other forehead.

shohob mentioned standards.. let's get something straight..

for men:
===================
how many?
left or right cheek first?

hzma, i bet you were late to class .. aren't u ?

i am not sure shohob but for me the standard was like 4. next time i visit i will tell them i have a diseas in my skin.

yah they should make a law in Egypt to stop kissing abues
ok i do understand if i am away from Egypt for several years and then return back ofcurse i will have to be kissed... but i saw people just seen each other for like half hour ago and kissed each other again.

the best part when the person who just kissed u just ate gebna adeema ... this is the best part lol . this is time when u want to kill him...

haha yes!! there is a lady we know in Egypt and every time I see her she has to come over and kiss me a bunch, but the worst of it all is that she is always so SWEATY!!! I hate it, yuck! lol