For years, I have been hearing epic tales about Sha3bi weddings. From crazy mahraganat music choreography to knives, senag and sword-dancing, I was just waiting for that day when I finally got an invitation.
A lady who has been working with my family for years, whom I consider family, invited me to her daughter’s wedding and it took me less than a second to say YES! This is your guideline on how to go to a Sha3bi wedding 101:
What do you wear?
Definitely not a dress or a suit. People are exceptionally simple. Other than the bride and her mother, everyone else is dressed in jeans, tops, t-shirts and 3abayat. It goes without saying women need to cover up, don’t wear anything shiny and try to blend in as much as possible.
How do you get there
Don’t even think about taking your car. Other than the obvious struggle of parking spots, you will get lost, please don’t even think you will find your way. The wedding was at 3arab ElTawaila in ElMatareya. Uber and Careem were not options, it had to be an insider. The bride’s father arranged with a taxi driver from ElMatareya to handle our transportation.
We did not understand how bad it could be until we got there. If you think traffic in Cairo’s suburbs is awful, you need to go there. No rules, yet no fights, streets that barely fit a single car, kolo fe wesh ba3d, there is mahraganat music everywhere in the streets and if you’re lost, the noise is enough to leave you in sheer panic.
The wedding planning
The regular wedding stuff, a kosha, festive lights, ferasha in the streets, a buffet in the bride’s house and a DJ taking a center spot in the street. The buffet was mainly rice, white beans, grilled meat and cake.
The shabka
Beautiful and simple. If you get invited to a sha3bi wedding, you need to understand whoever invited you will be absolutely euphoric when he sees you there. Just like most of us care about our wedding crowds, they feel the same way. It gives them pride, they show you off so you need to be very careful not to give a look or say something that offends them. Compliments all the way.
Choreography
No matter which song is playing, every guy is doing the same dance. It is their thing. They all know it like the back of their hands. 3adi ay wa7ed mashy beydkhol fel nos. It’s happy and epic.
Fireworks?
Definitely.
Beera, hasheesh and matawy?
Non-existent. I was waiting for that Limby wedding moment when the groom starts rolling a joint while sipping beer, maybe people throwing around chairs in a fight, korsy in klob style, but nothing happened. I even asked the mother about what I thought made a signature sha3bi wedding, she said, “la ya 7abebtchy malnash fih”. Yakhsara! I wanted a photo. I guess I’ll have to wait for my next sha3bi wedding.
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