(Random Somali Couple, most somali weddings have the bride in a white wedding dress and she will have her hands and elsewhere decorated with Henna just like the bride above but with maybe less make-up :P)
So anyways Salaamz Everybody
this post is all about weddings, i think weddings are interesting as every culture plus religion etc has different very interesting customs, that i enjoy finding out about, so ill post about Somali weddings and maybe you guys can share info on weddings worldwide, :) (post inspired by something i attended last night)
Party number 1)
In the Typical somali wedding (typical depends on whatever is considered fashionable at the time) there is a islamic Nikaah and the men are like given their own sort of nikah party (that means given money from the groom and loads of food) sometimes people hold the ceremony in homes inviting a sheikh/imaam to do the neccesary ritual stuff , and the women wait in another room until someone tells them when the rituals have been completed then the grooms family hand over the dowry to someone of the brides family and give money to everybody in the place so to all the men, and then one of the men takes some money and gives it to all the women and kids and stuff, then after loads of eating of halwa and traiditional sweets and food they all go away, some families then rent a hotel or a hall and hold a party and some dont.
Party Number 2-Wedding Party
Some people throw their wedding party obviously after their nikaah , this is obviously a big occasion the bride wears a white wedding dress, and then later changes maybe to a dirac a somali thing and then a really traditional thing later a guntiino (looks sorta like a sari but its always red) , they get their hair done and decorate their arms and feet with Henna and the bride will be wearing lots of gold because somalis love gold, the party will be ina hotel decorated and everything food will come from a resturaunt and their is Music, hired people to sing, sometimes weddings are "segregated" theres no men there but the singer is a man and so is the camera man and the groom might be there and some of the brides brothers and stuff so not very segregated so i would cover if your invited to a "segregated" somali wedding. at the wedding theres a traditional thing called "baranbur" done its a fun sort of dance percussion is used and its like someone singing poetry which praises the bride and the groom and their families and stuff and then there is dancing to normal "pop" somali music and "Niiko" (whre you shake your ass youtube it) and depending on where from somalia the brides family are there may be other dances, its normally a lot of fun somali weddings start around 8 everybody turns up at 9 or 10 pm and the wedding ends at around 3 or 4 am the next morning.
Party Number 3
7 days after every wedding there is a tradition mostly from south somalia though everyone else follows it now too, called "todobo" which means seven, you knw seven days after a wedding etc, its basicaly when everyone brings this thing called a "shaash" you use to cover your hair with, because before in somalia they only covered their hair after hey got married, its sorta like a bandana or something but people still bring it for tradition , and the bride is showered with gifts from friends, given gold from the grooms family from her own family from her friends, and people give gifts of money and all the guests who are related to the bride or groom also give money this by the end adds up to thousands they are also given household apliances , duvets bed stuff etc
Last night i went to my Cousins wife's "todobo" and it was amazing there was music and dancing and live band and food and cameras and everything there was dances baranbur niiko and some traiditonal dances for south somaliz and traditional dances and songs for somalis from north, there was the gifts and the gold and money and stuff and this todobo was intresting because there was practiced a tradition for north somaliz which has been sorta changed now, there is absicaly this thing called a heedho and it was like a box and they fill it with gold and money and incense and candles and perfumes and jewelry and evrything they want and give it to the bride and some to the grooms sisters, and the bride last night got 8 of those (lucky her) , and at 3am everyone went home after a lot of fun.
how are weddings where you are from?
salaamz
Naz