• Islamic Wedding Traditions

• The Persian Wedding Ceremony, Iranian

• Pakistani Wedding Customs

• Malaysian Wedding Traditions

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) wedding traditions

• Wedding Traditions Of Egypt

• Ethiopian weddings 

• Moroccan Wedding Customs

• Wedding Traditions in Indonesia and an interracial wedding.

• Algerian Wedding Customs

• Wedding ceremonies a colorful part of Nigerian life

• Wedding Traditions In Turkey

• A Palestinian Wedding 

• Somali Marriage in Colonian Culture

• A Muslim Chinese Wedding 

• To marry in Lebanon 

• The Traditional Iraqi Engagement & Wedding

• A Monday Night Wedding in Qeshm Island

  
  

The Persian Wedding Ceremony,

For Iranians marriage is considered to be an event, which must be celebrated not quietly but with glory and distinction. It is the most conspicuous of all the rituals and must be celebrated in the presence of an assembly, which can bear witness to the event.

In the ancient times, the musicians playing at marriage gatherings used drums to announce the marriage to the people of the town or village. The group that gathered for the marriage was called the assembly "Anjoman" for the queenly bride.

Traditionally, both the bride and the bridegroom would dress in white with wreaths of flower on their necks, something similar to the Hawaiian Lei. These wreaths of flower are still worn in modern wedding ceremonies in Pakistan (which used to be part of the great Persian Empire), but it is eliminated from the Iranian wedding ceremony. The color white is a symbol of purity, innocence and faithfulness. Today most modern Iranian couples follow the western dress code and style.

There are two stages to a Persian marriage. Most often both take place on the same day, but occasionally there could be some time between the two. The first is called "Aghd", the legal process of getting married, when both the bride and bridegroom and their guardians sign a marriage contract. The second stage is "Jashn-e Aroosi", the actual feasts and the celebrations, which traditionally lasted from 3 to 7 days.

The ceremony takes place in a specially decorated room with flowers and a beautiful and elaborately decorated spread on the floor called "Sofreh-ye Aghd". Traditionally Sofreh-ye Aghd is set on the floor facing east, the direction of sunrise (light). Consequently when bride and bridegroom are seated at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd they will be facing "The Light".

By custom Aghd would normally take place at bride's parents/guardians home. The arrival of the guests, who are to be witnesses to the marriage of the couple, initiates the wedding ceremony. Traditionally the couples' guardians and other elder close family members are present in the room to greet the guests and guide them to their seats. After all the guests are seated the bridegroom is the first to take his seat in the room at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd. The bride comes afterwards and joins the bridegroom at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd. The bridegroom always sits on the right hand side of the bride. In Zoroastrian culture the right side designates a place of respect.

The spread that is used on the floor as the backdrop for Sofreh-ye Aghd was traditionally passed from mother to daughter (or occasionally son). The spread is made of a luxurious fabric such as "Termeh" (Cashmere: A rich gold embroidered fabric originally made in Cashmere from the soft wool found beneath the hair of the goats of Cashmere, Tibet, and the Himalayas), "Atlas" (Gold embroidered satin) or "Abrisham" (Silk).

On Sofreh-ye Aghd, the following items are placed:

• Mirror (of fate) "Aayeneh-ye Bakht" and two Candelabras (representing the bride and groom and brightness in their future) one on either side of the mirror. The mirror and two candelabras are symbols of light and fire, two very important elements in the Zoroastrian culture. When the bride enters the room she has her veil covering her face. Once the bride sits beside the bridegroom she removes her veil and the first thing that the bridegroom sees in the mirror should be the reflection of his wife-to-be.
  
  
• A tray of seven multi-colored herbs and spices "Sini-ye Aatel-O-Baatel" to guard the couple and their lives together against the evil eye, witchcraft and to drive away evil spirits. This tray consists of seven elements in seven colors:
  
  
  1. Poppy Seeds "Khash-Khaash" (to break spells and witchcraft)
  2. Wild Rice "Berenj"
  3. Angelica "Sabzi Khoshk"
  4. Salt "Namak" (to blind the evil eye)
  5. Nigella Seeds "Raziyaneh"
  6. Black Tea "Chaay"
  7. Frankincense "Kondor" (to burn the evil spirits)
  
  
  
• A specially baked and decorated flatbread "Noon-e Sangak" with blessing "Mobaarak-Baad" written in calligraphy on it. The writing is usually with either saffron "Zaffaron", cinnamon, Nigella seeds, or glitters. This symbolizes prosperity for the feasts and for the couple's life thereafter. A separate platter of this flat bread, feta cheese and fresh herbs are also present to be shared with the guests after the ceremony, to bring the new couple happiness and prosperity.
  
  
• A basket of decorated eggs and a basket of decorated almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts in the shell to symbolize fertility.
  
  
• A basket of pomegranates and/or apples for a joyous future. Pomegranates are considered heavenly fruits and apples symbolize the divine creation of mankind.
  
  
• A cup of rose water extracted from special Persian roses "Gol-e Mohammadi" to perfume the air.
  
  
• A bowl made out of crystallized sugar "Kaas-e Nabaat/Shaakh-e Nabaat" to sweeten life for the newly wed.
  
  
• A brazier "Manghal" holding burning coals sprinkled with wild rue "Espand" a popular incense. Wild rue is used in many Zoroastrian ceremonies, rituals and purification rites. It is believed to keep the evil eye away and bring on plenty of health.
  
  
• A bowl of gold coins representing wealth and prosperity.
  
  
• A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric to be held over the bride and bridegroom's head throughout the ceremony by various happily married female relatives (mostly bride's close family members).
  
  
• Two sugar cones "Kalleh Ghand" made out of hardened sugar to be used during the ceremony. These sugar cones are grinded together above the bride and bridegroom's head (over the scarf held above their heads) throughout the ceremony to shower them in sugar (symbolizing sweetness and happiness).
  
  
• A cup of honey to sweeten life. Immediately after the couple is married they each should dip one pinky finger in the cup of honey and feed it to the other one.
  
  
• A needle and seven strands of colored thread to figuratively sew up the mother-in-law's lips from speaking unpleasant words to the bride! The shawl that is held above the couple's head throughout the ceremony is sewed in one corner by the needle and threads.
  
  
• A copy of Koran "Ghoraan-e Majid" (the Moslem's holy book) opened in the middle and placed on the spread. This symbolizes God's blessing for the couple. Traditionally "Avesta" the ancient Zoroastrian holy book was present during the ceremony and readings were made from it. Eventually Koran replaced Avesta after Iran became a Moslem nation.
  
  
• A prayer carpet/kit "Jaa-Namaaz" spread open in the center of Sofreh-ye Aghd to remind the couple of importance of prayer both at blissful times and times of hardship. This prayer kit includes a small rug "Sajjaadeh" to be spread on the floor at the time of prayer, a small cube of molded clay with prayers written on it "Mohr" and a strand of prayer beads "Tasbih".
  
  
• An assortment of sweets and pastries to be shared with the guests after the ceremony. The assortment usually includes: Sugar coated almond strips "Noghl", Baklava (a sweet flaky Persian pastry "Baaghlavaa"), Mulberry-almond paste made in the shape of mulberries "Tout", Rice-flour cookies "Noon-Berenji", Chickpea-flour cookies "Noon-Nokhodchi", Almond-flour cookies "Noon-Baadoomi", and Honey roasted almonds "Sohaan A'sali".

When the bride and bridegroom are both seated the marriage ceremony begins. Usually the Moslem "Mullah" or other males with recognized authority such as a notary public will be the master of ceremony and perform the legal part of the ceremony. The bride and the bridegroom have each a marriage witness. Usually older and married males are chosen amongst close relations to stand as witnesses. The ceremony consists of preliminary blessings, questions to the witnesses, guardians and the marrying couple. Finally the ceremony is solemnized by giving some prayers for the newly wed couple and signing of a legal marriage contract.

After the preliminary blessings and a few words about the importance of the institution of marriage, the master of ceremony confirms with both the parents or guardians that they indeed wish to proceed with the ceremony and there are no objections. Then the master of ceremony asks the mutual consent of the couple. First the bridegroom is asked if he wishes to enter into the marriage contract, then the bride is asked the same question. Once the bride is asked if she agrees to the marriage, she pauses. The question is repeated three times and it is only at the third time that she will say yes. To make the bridegroom wait for the bride's answer is to signify that it is the husband who seeks the wife and is eager to have her and not the other way around!

During the reading of the marriage contract, all the unmarried ladies are asked to leave the room. There exists the belief that a girl should only hear the marriage ceremony's readings for her own marriage or her chances for marriage might be ill-fated! Nowadays the single ladies do not seem to be too worried about finding a husband and getting married, because most of them stay in the room to witness the ceremony.

During the service married female relatives of the couple (mainly the bride) hold over the couple's head the fine scarf. Two different actions take place at the same time. Two pieces of crystallized sugar shaped like cones are rubbed together, a symbolic act to sweeten the couple's life. In the second act two parts of the same fabric are sewn together with needle and thread to symbolize sewing mother-in-law's lips together. The ceremony is reminiscent of the ancient traditions.

Once the bride has said yes to the proposal, the master of the ceremony pronounces the couple husband and wife and asks for God's blessing to be with the couple in their lives together. The bride and bridegroom place the wedding bands on each other's hands and feed each other honey. Afterwards the couple, their guardians, witnesses and master of ceremony sign the documents.

Traditionally after the ceremony while the bride and groom are still seated the bride is showered with gifts, usually expensive jewelry, and all she receives is hers. The bridegroom does not receive many gifts. He only receives one gift from the bride's parents/guardians. When all the gifts are presented to the bride the wedding ceremony is officially concluded. Generally after the ceremony the bride and bridegroom and the guests move to the location of the wedding celebration party "Aroosi" and celebrate the occasion by playing laud cheerful music, dancing and consuming some lavishly prepared food.

The celebration includes a lavish meal, sometimes with a whole roast lamb as the centerpiece. Jeweled rice "Morrasah Polo" or sweet rice "Shirin Polo" is always served along with many other dishes and an elaborate wedding cake. The celebration, with so much feasting, singing, and dancing, is a day for all to remember. After the guests have gone home, it is customary to give the remaining pastries to those who were unable to come and to those who helped make the day a success. The sugar cones are kept by the bride for good luck.

Before they enter their home, the bride kicks over a bowl of water placed in the doorway. The water spilled on the threshold represents enlightenment, happiness, and purification for their new house. A friendly competition starts with the bride and groom as the bride tries to enter her house while stepping on her husband's feet. This act makes the bride the boss in the household.

In recent years, the Persian communities abroad have changed and adopted the life-styles of their host countries. The Persian marriage ceremony, however, is so old and can be such a beautiful ceremony that it would be a shame not to enact it.

Pakistani Wedding Customs

A Pakistani wedding, like others is a ceremony to celebrate the wedlock of a bride and a groom. It brings closer the families of a bride and a groom. A wedding ceremony has great importance in different cultures of the world. Different cultures have different ways of wedding celebrations and have different wedding traditions.

Pakistan, an Islamic country located in South Asia and the Greater Middle East, has a great culture with rich customs. A Pakistani wedding is a great feast of fun, merriments, and celebrations. It is celebrated with great fervor. A Pakistani wedding is followed by several pre-wedding customs and rituals.

It is important to note that some of the customs followed in Pakistani weddings have no foundation in Islam. However, the Pakistani culture has adopted those ceremonies and traditions from the Hindu culture. 

Mangni is the engagement ceremony that marks the formal engagement of couple. The small ceremony takes place in the presence of a few important members of would-be bride & groom’s family. Prayer and blessings for the couple are recited and the wedding date is decided in Mangni.

Mayun is custom of the bride entering into the state of seclusion eight to fifteen days before the wedding. She’s made free of all the chores and errands around the house. The bride and groom are not allowed to see each other after the Mayun; bride is not allowed to leave her house. The beautification rituals begin during this time.

Uptan is a paste made from turmeric, sandalwood powder, herbs and aromatic oils, which groom's mother brings for bride. She blesses bride and applies “uptan’ to the bride's hands and face. Groom's sister also does the same, and a thick string called a “gana” is tied to the bride’s arm. “Uptan” is applied to the bride's skin each day leading up to the wedding. Similar ceremony is held for the groom, where bride's mother, sisters, cousins and friends bring “uptan” for groom and rub it on his skin.

Dolki is a popular ceremony of singing traditional wedding & popular songs accompanied by two or three percussion instruments Dolki being the main. The girl is officially treated as bride (dulhan). She wears traditional Pakistani yellow outfit. Her brothers, sisters, and cousins bring her (bride) in the dholki party.

Rasm E Mehndi (Henna Party) takes place a day before the wedding. It’s a ceremony mainly of women. They apply Mehndi (Henna) to the bride's hands and feet, sing, dance, and bless the bride. Sadka (warding off evil) is performed on the bride i.e. donating money circling three times on the bride’s head. Traditionally mehndi was brought by groom's parents. Mehndi (Henna) is applied in beautiful floral designs and sometimes groom's name is written in designs. After the ceremony dinner is organized for the guests. Traditionally, the bride is not allowed to take part in the celebrations and keeps her face hidden in veil. Rasm E Mehndi is organized for grooms also in some parts of Pakistan.

Baraat is procession of family, relatives, and friends of groom that accompany the groom to bride’s home for official wedding ceremony. Groom makes his way to the bride's home on a richly decked horse or in a car and “baraat” follows in different vehicles. Groom is given warm welcome by the bride’s family with flower garlands and rose petals. Family and relatives of the groom and the bride exchange glasses of juice or sherbet along with money. Guests are welcomed by the bride’s sisters by playfully hitting them with a stick wrapped and decorated with flowers.

Nikah is purely Islamic official wedding ceremony that usually takes place at the bride’s home. Nikah is attended by close family members, relatives, and friends of groom and bride. Usually, the men and women are made to sit separately, in different rooms, or have a purdah, or curtain, separating them.

Nikah-naama (document of marriage contract) is registered in Nikah. The Nikahnaama contains several terms and conditions that are to be respected by both parties (bride & groom). It includes bride’s right to divorce her husband. Nikahnaama specifies “Meher,” the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. Meher includes two amounts; one that is due before the marriage is consummated and the other that is a deferred amount given to the bride at a time to be determined. The Meher guarantees the bride's freedom within the marriage, and acts as the bride's safety net.

The fathers of groom and bride (Walis) act as witnesses to the wedding. If father is not available, the senior male, brother or uncle performs the ceremony. Islamic Imam (called maulana or maulvi in Urdu) reads selected verses from the Quran and waits for the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance) of wedding. Usually, the groom's side makes proposal and the bride's side conveys her assent. Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) take the Nikahnaama to the bride and read it aloud to her. She accepts the Nikahnaama saying 'qabool kiya,' meaning 'I accept and signs it. The Nikahnaama is then taken to the groom and read aloud to him. He accepts saying 'qabool kiya and signs the document. The Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) also do sign the Nikahnaama contract and the wedding becomes legal. The Maulvi recites the Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran, and various durud, or blessings to mark the closing of Nikah ceremony.

After the wedding is legally announced, dishes of dates and misri (unrefined sugar) are served to the groom's family. Groom is then escorted to his bride where he’s allowed to site beside his wife. This is the time when sisters-in-law of groom play pranks and tease the groom.

Mooh Dikhai is the ceremony of first time “showing of the face” after the Nikah. The couple is made to see each other in the mirror and the bride unveils her face that she keeps hidden during the Nikah. The custom of Mooh Dikhai is also called “Aarsi Musshaf.” The bride and groom share a piece of sweet fruit, such as a date and family and friends congratulate the couple and offer gifts. Dinner is served to the guests. The sisters, friends, and female cousins of bride take this opportunity to steal the groom's shoes and demand a sum of money for shoes. This is very popular custom and groom usually carries a lot of cash, due to the popularity of this custom. He pays money to get back his shoes and girls divide the money among themselves.

Ruksati is the ceremony to bid farewell to the bride before her departure to the groom's house. She says goodbye to her parents, close friends and family. The Quran is held over her head as a blessing. It’s a pretty touching moment. Although this practice is un-Islamic but a lot of Pakistani families have come to adopt it.

Several traditional games are played at groom’s house. A tray full of a mixture of water and milk is placed before the couple and a ring is thrown into the mixture and husband and wife are asked to find the ring. The one who finds the ring is considered winner and dominant partner in the relationship. The couple is asked to untie the “ganas” (thick strings) that were tied on their writs before wedding. The one who unties it first is considered the dominant partner in the relationship. Bride eats kheer (sweet, pudding-type desert) out of the groom’s hand. This customs are designed to make the couple more intimate before the physical relationship. Groom washes the feet of the bride in a basin of water that is sprinkled into the four corners of the house. It’s believed that this brings wealth, prosperity and luck into the home.

Chauthi is the custom of bringing the bride back to her parents' home the next day, or on the fourth day after the wedding (depending on family tradition). Usually bride's brothers perform the Chauthi and goes to fetch their sister home.

Walima is ceremony to announce the wedding to community and friends. It’s a grand reception hosted by the groom's parents. Relatives, friends and community people are invited to the reception and wedding is celebrated with great fun and festivities.

Moroccan Wedding Customs

Morocco, one of the gems of the North Africa, is the country with very rich and active traditions. Like other cultures of the world, a Moroccan wedding is a great gala event. It’s celebrated with great fun and festivity.

A typically traditional Moroccan wedding process can take up to seven days. It begins with several pre-wedding ceremonies that take place before the actual wedding. According to the old Moroccan wedding traditions, parents would choose the bride for their son. The pre-wedding ceremonies include sending gifts and presents to bride. If the parents of groom are pretty affluent, they send opulent golden jewelry, clothing, and perfumes for the bride.

It is important to note that some of the customs followed in Moroccan weddings have no foundation in Islam. However, the Moroccan culture has adopted those ceremonies and traditions from various cultures including the French.

Furnishing Party is an important pre-wedding ceremony that takes place five days before the fixed wedding date. The “Furnishing Party” focuses on preparation of the bride’s new home. The party that is primarily a women's party delivers household belongings such as handmade blanket, mattress, bedding, carpet, frash, Moroccan couch etc., to the couple's new apartment. 

In another traditional pre-wedding ceremony, women and female friends of bride have a party where the bride performs a sort of a “milk bath” to "purify" her. Bride’s negaffa or negassa (female attendants) usually supervise the event. The female attendants, who are usually older married woman, female friends and relatives, help to beautify the bride. They help her dress in a richly decorated wedding kaftan (usually white), adorn her with heavy jewelry, and beautify and darken her eyes with kohl.

According to the Moroccan wedding tradition, Henna Party or Beberiska ceremony takes place a night before the wedding. Henna Party is typically for the women of the family, relatives and female friends. Henna artists paint the hands and feet of the bride and her party with Henna. Bride’s hands are painted with intricate designs, which are usually floral and geometrical designs that are meant to ward off evil spirits, bring good luck and increase fertility. The grooms name is often hidden in the henna designs. The party enjoys tea & cookies, dances on Moroccan music and make merry. Later in the party, the older, married women discuss the 'secrets' of marriage with the young virgin bride-to-be. In some ceremonies, the bride is placed behind a curtain to symbolize her change of lifestyle.

On the wedding day, sumptuous delicious food is prepared for the guests. The food is prepared in plenty to cater the unexpected guests. Wedding ceremony takes place in great gaieties and celebrations. In old times, at some point in the evening, the groom accompanied by his family members, relatives, and friends, would move towards the bridal party. They would go singing, beating drums, and dancing. The groom and the bride are then lead to the bridal chamber. According to another Moroccan wedding custom, the bride would circle her new home three times before becoming the keeper of her new hearth.

ETHIOPIAN WEDDING 

Muslim marriage ceremonies in Ethiopia are centered on a display of generosity. Usually after the declaration of engagement, the groom sends a milking cow to the bride's house. The mother collects the milk to make some butter that will be presented to the groom on the wedding night.

Yassin Ahmad Ibrahim, an Ethiopian Muslim, told us about the traditions briefly. After the declaration of the initial approval between the bride and the groom, the engagement is declared in the presence of the tribal leaders and the Sheikhs. The mother of the bride hands the groom buttermilk to drink. This is a sign of her approval and satisfaction with the future husband of her daughter. During the engagement period, the groom comes under the service of the bride's father. He helps him in any type of work that he made need or want to be assisted in.

The mother of the bride stores honey, wheat and many different items for her daughter during the engagement period. On the wedding day, the father of the bride presents cows, sheep, honey, wheat and many other treats, demonstrating to the crowd what he has prepared for his daughter. The notables and the tribal leaders reply to this by showing their acceptance.

Then the bride walks to her house, where food is served. However, the groom eats only from a special dish prepared by the mother of the bride, again as a sign of approval. She also offers buttermilk to him as well as to his closest friends. When she offers the buttermilk, the groom takes it, then hands her coffee seeds. He also gives an amount of money to the cousin and the aunt of the bride. Towards the end of the ceremony, guests line up in two lines, through which the bride walks toward her new home in an atmosphere of singing and chanting

Algerian Wedding Customs

In Algeria, as in all Arab countries, society revolves around religion and religious customs of Islam. Marriage in Algeria is taken very seriously and is considered by most as a sign of maturity. According to the Qur'an, marriage must be based upon love. Algeria's wedding customs amongst those following the Muslim religion are much the same as in other practicing Muslim communities.

Algerian men and women are free to marry whomever they wish as long as the marriage partner is approved by the family. Parents have a more realistic view and can give their children practical guidance in selecting the appropriate marriage mate. Typically a man will express his love for a woman to his mother who will in turn "investigate" the family of the woman as to suitability. If she is approved the family will approached the woman's family to propose the union. A date will be chosen to visit the mosque so as to begin the engagement.

Much preparation takes place from the time of engagement. The family will begin purchasing clothing, household goods, wool and gold. This is referred to as shoura. The couple will spend time together getting to know each other well, sharing opinions and preparing a home. In Islamic culture, husbands and wives are to make mutual decisions and have equal claims in the marriage, it is therefore vital that the couple know each other well and recognize the roles they will take on before marriage.

Algerians believe that the more money the spend on the wedding the more proud the family can be. Weeks before the actual wedding women begin gathering at the bride's house to prepare desserts such as makroud and baklava. The wedding meal will include couscous, meat and vegetables, the bigger the meal, the more generous the family is said to be.

Following the party, the bride is driven to the groom's home. Beautifully adorned in an intricate wedding gown, with make-up, excessive jewelery, and henna designs painted on her hands and feet, she is seated on a decorated chair in his house. All the guests dance and join in great reverie as they prepare to say farewell. The groom with then approach his bride and walk they shall walk out, husband and wife, whilst surrounded by cheering family members and friends.
Algerian wedding customs may vary slightly depending how orthodox the family is and if the people follow other religions. Algerian weddings are truly an explosion of emotion and color, perhaps you will be lucky enough to see a wedding procession during your holiday.

Wedding ceremonies a colorful part of Nigerian life

Weddings all over the world are joyous social events that bring people from all walks of life together.

In Nigeria's past, couples were usually joined together in an elaborate traditional ceremony, but with the advent of Christianity and Islam, weddings are now divided into the traditional wedding, also called the engagement ceremony, and the Christian or Muslim wedding ceremony. To save money, some couples have taken to having both the traditional wedding and the white wedding on the same day.

The wedding ceremony and the reception in honor of the bride and groom, usually reflect the financial status of the families. If a family is very rich or popular, they usually use invitation cards to weed out "intruders." These weddings attract the creme de la creme of society.

The three main tribes in Nigeria -- the Yorubas, the Ibos and the Hausas -- usually have certain stereotypes attached to them. Both Yorubas and Ibos are notorious for spending money and having all-night parties. The Fulanis are notorious for flogging young suitors with a horsewhip, and the suitor who endures to the very end, marries the girl.

In times past, a very common practice in Yoruba weddings was for the father and mother of the groom to prostrate and kneel down, respectively, before the parents of the bride, but this custom is no longer practiced, probably due to the creaking of old bones. Another common practice is to wash the feet of the new bride, but some families skip this part of the ceremony because of spiritual reasons. The master of ceremony at the reception usually fabricates a funny story of how the couple met, even though they might have met under ordinary circumstances.

Central to Nigerian weddings are the caterers popularly called "iya agoyin." These lovely ladies are mostly from the neighboring country of Togo, but some of them are Nigerians, and their job is to take care of all the cooking and all that entails. 

Most cooking takes place outside the bride or groom's house, and the meals are prepared on wood fire. A lot of families prefer to have a relative or friend keep an eye on these ladies because huge chunks of beef and some cooking ingredients have been known to mysteriously disappear when these ladies are not properly supervised. You can sometimes see these ladies wolfing down huge chunks of beef while they are cooking.

It is no secret all around the world that when you invite one Nigerian to a wedding, 20 Nigerians show up and worse, they all expect to be served equally. A common way to get the waiters attention is to try to grab them when they go by and say, "Please, you have not served us here." In Nigeria, any wedding that does not adequately provide for its guests, invited and uninvited, is usually portrayed in a negative light. Nigerians love to eat and foods like pounded yam, eba, amala, different types of vegetable soups mixed with beef, fish and whatnot, jollof and fried rice.

The decorations at the reception and at the place of worship usually reflect the battle of wills and conflict of interest, the two families engage in, over wedding plans. 

Both sides want to take over every aspect of the wedding and no side wants to concede to the other. The families usually settle their differences in opinion by wearing different colors on the groom and bride's side.

Nigerians usually judge a good wedding by the bridal gown, the groom's suit and the clothes of the bridal train. The parade of cars at the wedding ceremony are also a way to determine the class of the groom or bride because certain cars like jeeps are more expensive than others.

Weddings in Nigeria are very colorful and interesting, and it is this aspect of our culture, that we cling to as a people.

Wedding Traditions In Turkey

The Turkish marriage celebration continues after the wedding ceremony for several days. The newlywed bride may return home the morning after her wedding vows to see her family and friends, who then might perform a henna ritual on her. 

A Muslim wedding program in Turkey lasts from four to seven days, starting with separate celebrations of the bride and groom's families. From this dy on, the couple getting married cannot see each other until their wedding ceremony.

A Turkish bride might wear a beautiful embroidered silk wedding dress with a red velvet cape. 

In rural areas, marriages are arranged by the fathers of the bride and groom. The women of the family play a key role in introducing the couple, and daughters are often asked if they accept a potential groom before the arrangements are made. This is true for both Muslim and Christian Palestinians. Courtship differs somewhat in larger towns and cities, where young men and women are more likely to be introduced by family, but then spend time getting to know one another, usually with a family chaperone, before deciding whether or not to marry. Though a minority, some middle and upper class Palestinians enjoy the type of courtship most common in the West, meeting and choosing a spouse on their own, based on love. It has also become common for Palestinians living in exile to marry people from other nations and cultures.

Palestinian wedding ceremonies are elaborate affairs and typically last three days. Weddings in villages may be attended by the entire village. The bride is carried in a parade to the groom's home, where the celebration takes place with food, sweets, music and dancing. The family may slaughter one or more lambs to feed the guests, and members of the extended family often pitch in to prepare other dishes. Weddings in urban areas may be smaller, but are no less elaborate.

It is common for a newly married couple to move in with the groom's parents. Because of the economic devastation of Palestine, most young couples cannot afford to live on their own. This also allows Palestinian women to work outside of the home without having to be solely responsible for childcare and household chores.

Contacts between Muslims and Chinese began very early. Arab merchants traded in silk even before the advent of Islam, and tradition has it that the new religion was brought to their port-city trading colonies by Muslim missionaries in the seventh century.

In 755, a contingent of 4000 soldiers, mostly Muslim Turks, was sent by the Abbasid caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur to help the Chinese emperor Su Tsung quell a revolt by one of his military commanders, An LuShan. Following the recapture of the imperial capital, Ch’angan (today’s Xian), these soldiers settled in China, married Chinese wives and founded inland Muslim colonies similar to those established by the traders on the coast. 

A Chinese Muslim wedding is very complex, but it avoids all superstitions such as the reading of the horoscopes of the betrothed persons. Some ask the Ahund to read the Arabic wedding rite on the wedding day or the day before. If one of the parties is not a Muslim, the Ahund admits that one into Islam one or two days before the wedding so both may be of the same faith. Betrothal money was not taken seriously since it looked like a business transaction. Now it is customary to give clothing or jewelry, or a small amount of money is given and looked upon as only a symbol. Marriage is based on love. This change should be introduced to other Islamic countries as a means of solving the problem of the decrease in marriage due to the heavy betrothal price.

The old type of Chinese wedding ceremony is now out of date except among poor people in the country. According to the old custom the parents of the concerned parties monopolized the whole affair. The new type follows the teaching of Islam and gains the consent of both parties. Islamic wedding customs are rational and at the same time are timeless, for they follow rules laid down more than thirteen hundred years ago. Emphasis on agreement between both parties, especially the consent of the girl, shows the Islamic stress on the rights of men and the protection of the rights of womanhood.

The ceremonies of engagement and marriage are quite similar for Chinese Muslims and non-Muslims except that the Muslims celebrate the event with a religious and a general ceremony, and they do not use old Chinese music or gongs or fire crackers since they consider them to be superstitious. The religious ceremony is held a day before or just preceding the general ceremony. At present Muslims hold the marriage ceremony in the mosque. In modern times Western music has been adopted for marriages since it is not associated with the worship of other gods. Chinese Muslims obey the Civil Law of China by practicing monogamy almost everywhere except in the frontier provinces. There is no Muslim court to take care of divorce, adoption, and inheritance, as in other Muslim countries; all these matters are now handled in the general courts.

To marry in Lebanon 

Lebanon, an ancient country where a wedding is a major event. The celebrations are traditionally divided into three stages - the preparation of the bride, the ceremony and the following reception.

During the week before the ceremony, the bride will spend time with her parents, her bridesmaids and he female relatives. This is to enable her to rest and relax. Although western-style weddings are very common now in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut, Lebanese traditions still have an influence on celebrations. The bride will be beautifully made up for the wedding ceremony, adorned with rings, earrings, bangles and a tiara. Roses are popular wedding flowers in the country.

Classical Lebanese belly dancing will often be performed at the wedding reception, symbolizing the bride's transformation into a sensual woman. The newlyweds will serve crumbly white butter cookies known as Ghoraibi to their guests - their white color represents the purity of the bride.

This small country features the modern cities of Beirut and Tripoli, but its outstanding features are doubtless its ancient Islamic architecture, Roman ruins and stunning landscapes.

The coastal town of Byblos dates back no less than seven millennia, and contains a massive amount of history. Its beach is lovely, and there are plenty of restaurants where you can discover delicious Lebanese cuisine, with Turkish, Arabic and French influences. Baalbek, northeast of Beirut, is also highly recommended for its huge temple complex, built many centuries previously.

The Traditional Iraqi Engagement And Wedding

The sab’a as we call it comes after the marriage in seven days (now some of them makes it after ten or 14 days according to their honey moon but it is supposed to be made in the seventh day after marriage). In Mosul they make the party in the fourth day after marriage. This is usually held in the groom parent's house and the guest are from women only; the invited women should bring gifts for the new couple. Only the bride attend this party while her husband usually awaits in another room of his family house waiting for everyone to leave the house. The bride usually wears a party dress and some time more than one, or she may enter the room with her white dress and then change it after a while. The guests starts to dance and celebrate the new marriage.

Most of our marriages are arranged in the traditional way (i.e., not after a love story). When a man sees a woman and he likes her form the first sight he tells his mother about her and his family starts to ask about her family and start to work like a detective and if they match with the groom family socially and economically and in other things they agree about her. His mother goes to the bride house and asks for her hand on his behalf from her mother and gives her all the information about her son and the family, so the bride family will start to do the same thing that the groom's has done but this time, in opposite direction. And if they agree they call the groom's house and ask the groom to come with his mother. Some families let the bride sit with the future groom alone and let them get introduced to each other and talk alone about themselves, if they both agree about each other they will go to the next step and if one of them did not like the other very much they will separate. Also many still prefer the marriage between relatives, like cousins especially in small towns and villages.

The traditions I'm talking about are in the cities not villages. The first thing to do after the initial agreement is called ‘Mashaiya’ in which the groom's family bring the older person in their family with a number of relatives and friends all just men and go to the Bride father who also brings all his relatives and friends all men and sit together to get introduced to each other and in this party the older person in the groom's side make a speech asking for the bride’s hand from her father, the father makes another speech saying yes, then juice and deserts are serviced at once and after they finish, everybody leaves home. This party is very short and almost lasts for an hour only.

Then comes the engagement party, in which the bride and the groom exchanged rings, he buys the bride a ring and she buys his ring, the party engagement party is made by the bride’s family, and usually is attended by close relatives only from both sides, some times if the house is too small only women attend the party beside the groom of course.

There is a limit in the relation between the man and woman in their engagement period (I don't want to go so far with this)

So there is another step and this is (tying the nut) this is the exact translation to the Iraqis language where the couple become legally married in court but they still don’t get to live together. In this contract the man usually writes her some kind of money or gold which she will take if he divorce her or he dies. This is usually done in court and some families bring the judge to the house of the bride where more traditional ceremonies can take place. For Sunnis the bride wear a white dress or Jallabyia, a tradition Arabic cloth, and in front of her they put seven cups, containing different kinds of white things like sugar, yoghurt, cream, (I don't remember the others!) and honey. Also they put the holy Quran and a mirror. (Don't ask me why because I don't know) but I think it’s traditions only and the people like to make it. Usually the judge asks the bride personally if she agrees to marry this man by saying a long traditional speech and he repeats it for three times (I don't know why) and then the bride says Yes. And then return to the groom but he asks him only once! When the judge asked me if I agreed to marry my husband no body told me I should wait before answering yes, so after he asked me the first time I said yes, then he started to repeat it again and again after he finished I did not answer him because I thought he will talk again.

For shias : those details I'm going to give you is from what I saw when I was invited to some parties: the bride wears a white nightgown and they also put in front of her the seven whites besides a big plate with different kind of spices decorated in a very nice way, and they bring a shia's cleric instead of the judge and while he asks her, two women stand holding a piece of white cloth above her head and a third woman start to sprinkle white sugar above her head to that piece of cloth, her feet are put in water with some dried flowers in it. In the party I attended, the cleric asked the bride 40 times before she said yes, but as they told me some repeated about 15 times.

Then after tying the nut, comes the ‘Nishan’ which is another party held by the bride family either in their house or a hotel if the house is very small. In this party the groom's family gives the bride jewelry from gold or diamond depending on their wealth and the groom starts to put it on her, while every one dance and sing.

Before the wedding day in one night there is also a small party held in the house of the bride and the groom as well separately, he invites his friends (like the bachelor party but with no stripper! Some of the men might bring traditional dancers.) and she invites her friends. After all both parties have ‘Hinna’ to be put on the guests hands.

After that comes the wedding party. Some they don't have a party just Zaffa as we call it, in which the groom's family goes to the bride family bringing with them a music band and start to dance for a bit and then the new couple go to their home or hotel. Some have a big party.
There are many other traditions before the wedding and after it I shall put in other post because this became a very long boring post. Of course these traditions may differ a little bit according to the social and economical levels and according to beliefs as well but this is the basic thing. Some of the families started to shrink those parties into two or three depending on the security and economical conditions as well.

A Monday Night Wedding in Qeshm Island
Qeshm, Monthly Magazine, September 2003

Henna ceremony is part of the wedding in Qeshm Island

Bride in Qeshm Island

• Saturday, after two days of rest, a ceremony called Shabe-Kangiis held, and sweets and almonds are distributed among women.
  
  
• Sunday night is Shoodakhi, and only girls are invited to this ceremony. Monday night the families rest and no ceremonies are held.
  
  
• Tuesday night neighbors and relatives are invited to see the sacred space or hejlah, of the newlyweds, and they are served dinner. Gifts from the guests are usually given on this day.

A newly-wed couple in Qeshm Island