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Not many couples realize that by taking the time-honored step of committing to each other in marriage, they are actually following a tradition which originated in Egypt.

Yes, the very first relationships to be legally and religiously bound were those in ancient Egyptian society. Laid out in a series of ancient laws, both the rights and duties between the couple were organized and, in one of the earliest examples of equal gender opportunities, these laws gave wives the same right of divorce as husbands, and elevated wives to a position of great respectability. The symbolism of the perfect circle of a wedding ring is also said to date back to ancient Egyptian origins of 3,000 BC, where the rings represented a union described by the Egyptians as being "without beginning, without end."

As a country with a diverse mix of religious beliefs, the various customs and ceremonies for marriage are dictated by the couple's shared religion, which may be Islamic, Muslim, Christian or Coptic Christian, so if you're getting married in Egypt, or marrying an Egyptian citizen, be aware that the ceremonial events, costumes and traditions will be greatly influenced by the relevant religious faith.
Engagement
The engagement period before marriage is another of those ancient Egyptian traditions and it remains Egyptian custom for the couple to have plenty of time to get to know each other before engagement, even if the marriage has been arranged between families, for example in a Muslim marriage. Subject to approval, the "boyfriend" visits the home of his intended, in the hope of gaining the family's approval and the opportunity to reach an engagement agreement. The traditional symbolizing of this event is still practised today, with two gifts from the suitor:

♥ Mahr - a sum of money paid to his fiancée's family

♥ Shabka, a gift of jewelry to his new fiancée, likely to be of gold and precious stones if he's fabulously wealthy!

The amount of money and the value of the jewelry directly reflect both financial and social status of the suitor and his family. Tradition has it that once the engagement is formally agreed, a date for a lavish engagement party is set.

In ancient Egypt, the engagement party would have taken place in a banquet hall, but the modern twist is that hotels seem to be the venue of choice for contemporary, cosmopolitan Egyptian couples. Nowadays, a wedding and home to live in afterwards are a major expense in life, so the engagement period has become extended across the years for Egyptian couples as, like all of us, they strive to afford the cost of their first home - homes in cities such as Cairo are prohibitively expensive.
The Wedding Ceremony
Many of the ceremonial delights we associate with Arab / African traditions form part of Egyptian weddings. Females in the wedding party may have their hands stunningly decorated in Henna and will carry flowers, which they will spray over the couple as a gesture of love and luck and to symbolize new beginnings.
Ghelot Deluxe Cone Henna Paste, 12 Count
The wedding ceremony, or Zaffa as it is known, can take place in a variety of venues, depending on the religious customs being observed. So, Islamic or Christian weddings will take place in their relative mosques or churches, while modern, urban weddings may take place in hotels.

Alternatively, a traditional rural Islamic wedding includes a delightful, colorful procession which leads the bride to her new husband's home. She's the stunning main attraction, even though she's completely hidden from view as, swathed in tent-like layers, she rides on a camel led by the whole wedding party.

The urban tradition, which is a quirky equivalent of this procession to the wedding, is that the wedding cars for both families are highly decorated and, as they travel to the venue, they will honk horns constantly, creating a noisy parade to get those forthcoming celebrations started!

The signing of the marriage contract is a significant part of the ceremony and is carried out by the Maazon, who licenses and registers the contract. This tradition is in place wherever the venue of the actual wedding, be it the bride or groom's house, mosque or church, hotel or ceremonial tent.

Following the ceremony, the start of the wedding celebrations is usually signaled by the drinking of Sharpat - a jewel colored rose-water juice and from here, the entertainments begins. Nowadays, these entertainments can vary greatly depending on the rural or urban venue of the wedding:

♥ Generally, urban Egyptian weddings have been greatly influenced by Western traditions and may include old favorites such as the ceremonial cake cutting, the declaring of the buffet open and the throwing of the bouquet to eager maidens. However, traditional singing and dancing will also be very much a part of the event, of course.

♥ Many older traditions are still very much part of rural weddings, where the whole ceremony customarily takes place on a clearing of land. A Sewan, a massive Arabic tent is set up as the venue for both the ceremony and the entertainments which follow. Traditional Egyptian feasting is followed by belly-dancers or singers (and sometimes both) as part of the entertainment, which would typically continue well into the next day!
Traditional Egyptian wedding candelabra dance:
♥ Another tradition is the Egyptian wedding candelabra dance, which lights the way to eternal bliss for the newly married couple.
After The Wedding

Now then, if you're marrying in Egypt it's as well to recognize that with the current climate of political unrest in Egypt, the evening to dawn curfew in many areas (particularly urban localities) has led to prevalence of day-time wedding receptions. Egyptian wedding planners report that Western traditions of wedding ceremonies and receptions held on fine lawns during the day has helped add appeal, rather than disappointment, to the idea of an after-wedding party which has to be held in broad daylight to fit in with curfew laws in some areas.

Depending on the wedding venue, the bride and groom will leave the party towards its end, to spend their wedding night in the groom's home, their new home or their dedicated room if they are staying in a hotel or bridal suite.
Fashions
If the bride and groom are retreating to their new home for their wedding night, the way will be led by the whole wedding party, who will joyfully toss green wheat in the air, as a symbol of fertility for the happy couple!

Aside from the cultural veil-wearing tradition of Egyptian females, wedding veils are important for brides in Egypt. From the full swathing of Islamic brides, to traditional veils for Muslim and Christian brides to represent modesty, a veil is a must as part of the bride's wedding wardrobe.

Many people don't realize that white wedding dresses are more of a western tradition, dating from the Victorian era. The fact is that in some areas of the East, white is the color worn in mourning, so bright, jewel-colored bridal dresses are the popular choice for Egyptian brides, although urban brides who enjoy western influence might choose to wear white.
Gold Metal Head Chain with a Centered Iced Out Diamond and Dangling Stones Unique Traditions
A black tuxedo or ceremonial tribal costume is commonly worn by the groom.

♥ Rural Egyptian marriage customs have popularly included marriage between first cousins, as a means for keeping tribal wealth, prestige and heritage within family groups. However, in modern Egyptian society, this custom has significantly declined.

♥ An Egyptian wedding can seem very hands-on, as female guests will traditionally pinch the bride in order to grab some of her good luck!

♥ It's tradition that for the week following the wedding, the bride's mother cooks all the meals for them, allowing plenty of time for them to ... ahem, relax.

♥ An ancient tradition (thankfully long ceased) is that wealthy Egyptian men believed it to be distasteful to 'deflower' their virgin brides - it was far more tasteful to hire a servant to do the deed instead, apparently!

Image Credit: Geekeasy and All Tours Egypt on Flickr

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Not many couples realize that by taking the time-honored step of committing to each other in marriage, they are actually following a tradition which originated in Egypt. Yes, the very first relationships to be legally and religiously bound were those in ancient Egyptian society.

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Getting married in Egypt has always been a bank breaking challenge. People do not date unless they are engaged and do not have any physical contact until they are married. Prior to marriage, a man has to own an apartment and should have a good job. As the Egyptian economy continues to worsen day, the process of getting married is expensive for both the man and the woman’s family. This tremendous expense is why so many young men cannot afford marriage and a reason they want to immigrate to other countries. In addition to a bride’s family wanting to make sure that their daughters will be treated well and that they will have a good future, marriage is like a business arrangement in the Egyptian culture. When the more well-off men propose, they have a better chance of  marrying someone they have chosen. Some young men and women say they got married but it isn’t completely legal. It is simply the process of signing a paper in the presence of two witnesses. This is a type of marriage where the ends justifies the means for the couple to be together. If the families do not help their sons or daughters and the partners choose to marry anyway, they are seen as chasing material happiness instead of marital happiness. The Egyptian culture believes girls should wait longer for a proposal and chastise her for not following the community and religious traditions.

Arab Wedding. in Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_wedding
Egyptian Wedding Traditions. World Wedding Traditions. retrieved from htps:// www.worldweddingtraditions.net/egyptian-wedding-traditions
Mark, Miriam. "Determinants of Delayed Male Marriage in Egypt."The Standford Journal on Muslim Affairs. 2011. retrieved from
https://stanford.edu/group/avicenna/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Miriam-Marks.pdf

Marriage-Egypt's Impossible Dream? BBC World Service. 13 Apr 2005. retrieved fro www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03ghvfd

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Week 6 RA 1
What's going on in the world?