Eid has just arrived, and we are overjoyed at the prospect of all the weddings that will inevitably follow! Just picture this: Your college or high school friend is getting married, and you’ve just been asked to the wedding when you’re still processing the concept of marriage and how quickly time has passed. But you take it all in and mark your calendar for the big day, keen to learn more about how the wedding is going and to acquire a piece of the gossip that always takes place at weddings. You arrive at the wedding, and we’re all familiar with the unique traditions of Egyptian weddings, which we like no matter how old-fashioned they may appear. Therefore, let us know more about some of those odd things you most certainly will find at any Egyptian wedding.
Car Parade
Any wedding would be incomplete without a car parade. It normally takes place before the wedding, and the groom’s friends are usually in charge of this ritual. Some individuals despise it, while others look forward to it. What happens on the streets..stay on the streets, and usually there is no consideration for traffic. That’s why you’ll always hear people blowing their horns in frustration because car parades slow down traffic, but some people get into the spirit and even celebrate with the groom and his pals.
Zaffe
The married couple’s grand entry to their celebration is called the Zaffe. It is customary for the bride’s father to accompany his daughter to her groom. A band of drummers performs traditional, cheerful Arabic music after that. Rings are switched from the right to the left hand during the Zaffe. The female attendees may be heard producing a high-pitched ululation with their tongues, known as the “zaghrouta.” This tradition can be used as a “warm-up” for a night where dancing is required and may extend for several hours.
Food
Because food is such an important element of the wedding, we’ve arrived at the fun part. Weddings are attended by some people primarily for the buffet. Some people even make assumptions about the bride and groom’s social level based on the cuisine they serve at the wedding. Food has a key purpose here in addition to just providing fuel for our bodies! The bigger the buffet, the happier the guests.
Dancing
Dancing and in most weddings, a belly dancer in a beautifully colored outfit. All everyone needs are Arabic music to keep the dancing going. The bride and groom are usually the fittest of all the guests, and they will dance for hours until everyone has left. It’s pleasant and amusing to observe younger and older generations express their whole joy for the bride and groom by dancing nonstop, you will have people in a circle with the most enthusiastic dancing closest to the couple, while a shyer crowd will be found in the background clapping to the beat.
Dresses
Wedding dresses are an important part of any wedding around the world. However, we’re talking about the guests here; when wedding season approaches, people are usually on the lookout for new dresses. This is because wearing the same dress more than once and being seen in it at other weddings would be an unforgivable sin. As a result, dresses have a unique significance in our Egyptian wedding customs.
If you want a real taste of Egypt get yourself invited to an Egyptian wedding, although for most an invitation is not required…the more people the merrier.