Egyptian weddings
As everywhere in the world, weddings are the
occasion for a big celebration in Egypt. Weddings in expensive
hotels in this country are sometimes shown on television.
However my own experiences were with weddings of the Egyptian
lower and middle class. I was a guest at celebrations in
the suburbs of Aswan and in a hotel in Cairo.
This is not a scientifical research paper on Egyptian
wedding rituals (which I did not see from beginning to
end) and they can be different depending upon region, financial
possibilities and Western influence.
Nevertheless some general background information first:
The Egyptian wedding procession is called Zeffa. During
this the bride and groom are brought to the wedding party
in the evening, led by a music band. For this procession
a particular, rather slowly played rhythm is used: Dum
tata tak tak dum tak tak. The drums playing this rhythm
will tell you from far away, where a wedding is taking
place. After the procession the wedding couple sits down
on the typical Egyptian wedding throne (Kosha), from which
they only rarely get up for the remainder of the evening.
Aswan
We met Adel, a young Coptic man, in a papyrus shop. He
invited us to a wedding in his village outside Aswan and
we ended up in a court filled with people. As it is the
custom, I joined the women while my boyfriend disapeared
somewhere in the crowd of men. As we were in the midst
of all these people and chaos it was not easy to find out
at which point of the wedding celebration we had joined
the party. |
The kosha had been built up against a wall, bride and groom were already sitting
there. Contrary to the guests, who were dressed in a mostly traditional way,
the couple was wearing Western clothes. The bride wore a dress with such large
shoulders that she could have starred in "Dynasty" and her hair was
piled up high.
After some time I had the feeling that someone was pulling
my hair. I turned around and found out that it were the
Egyptian women around me. In this village, were hardly
ever a tourist can be seen, my straight, dark blond hair
was clearly a curiosity that one had to feel to believe!
Anyway, we soon felt like animals in a zoo... Oh yes, it was not us who had come
to watch the Egyptians - we had been invited to add a bit of glamour to the party
as an exotic attraction! We had to pose for many pictures and shake hundreds
of hands.
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Posing in front of the bride and groom
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Then someone had found a drum and started to
play. The rumour had spread that I was a dancer and so I
was of course requested to show something. Dancing there
in the court of a little village with naked feet on the earthy
ground, I had sort of a "back to the roots" feeling.
After this we were asked inside the house to sit down
at a big table for dinner. I was glad that we had already
eaten at the hotel because mutton is not really my taste...
I think, I told them that I was a vegetarian and ate only
beans.
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| During our next visit at the papyrus shop Adel
told us that our presence was wished for at another wedding.
Of course we went there.
This time we had to wait at his place first for the wedding
couple to arrive. Then the celebration went on like the
first time.
By the way, if you think how romantic it would be to shine
as a dancer at a wedding with marvellous native musicians
and an attentive audience, I will have to disappoint you.
Although this time I was even placed on a pedestal so that
everyone could see me, the two tabla players were far from
professional and sometimes got the rhythm wrong. And only
half of the guests were even watching me - I was just a
part of the general chaos.
And of course we had to pose again for pictures with the
wedding couple and various family members.
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Cairo
I had hardly arrived at the hotel and had been pleased
about the fact that it was in a quiet neighbourhood, when
a large noise started in front of the building. Then I
heard the drums playing the Zeffa rhythm. I fetched my
camera immediately and rushed down into the hall, where
the wedding procession had already arrived.
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The hotel clearly had a contract with these
musicians because the performance at the hotel always happened
in the same way for this wedding and the two others that
I would see during the week:
After the arrival of the band and the guests the wedding
couple entered either through the door or down the stairs
of the first floor to the sound of the Egyptian "wedding
march" and stopped in the middle. Now the first people
started to dance around them - and after people had noticed
how I clapped along to the rhythm with great enthusiasm,
they soon shovelled me to the centre to dance along. |
| Then it was time for the Tanura dancer who spinned for
a really long time and did some tricks with his skirt. At
the end of his show, while he was still turning, he undid
his turban and rolled it up in the shape of a baby, which
he finally put in the arms of the bridegroom.
Then the couple was placed on two chairs. Incense was
carried around them and then they circled each other with
the incense container.
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After more music and dancing the procession went into the
restaurant and the name of Allah was sung.
During all this the video camera was always close by.
Some people sat down earlier in the restaurant and watched
the happenings in the hall on the screen - this way they
could see more as if they had been standing in the crowd! |
While the couple sat down on the kosha, a DJ played Arabic pop music. Then they
offered each other a glass of juice and finally drank from the same glass.
Now the husband could kiss his new wife.
After the couple had done a wedding dance, the party really
started with a lot of dancing to pop music. Interestingly,
mainly the young men danced like crazy and moved their
hips impressingly. There seemed to by a competition about
who was the better dancer.
The girls and women mostly stood and watched. Only a few who felt more adventurous
dared to go on the dance floor. Probably most couldn't really let go in front
of all the family.
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However, people also danced
in every corner of the restaurant. Especially the children
were encouraged to dance.
Quite soon I was seized by a few young girls
who pulled me here and there to show me something or someone.
All this in sign language of course, because my Arabic
only consists of about 15 words. Only occasionally I sat
with a guest who gave me some explanations in English. |
If I haven't mentioned food yet, there is
a reason. For about an hour after the arrival in the restaurant,
nothing was served. Only then the waiters brought plates
with sandwiches and cake to the tables. Everyone just grabbed
something from the nearest plate. Along with this there
were soft drinks and water.
The party went on with most elders sitting
and talking and the young ones dancing.
Around midnight most guests left and by 1
am the party ended with more singing of Allah's name (from
tape). |
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As you might have noticed, none
of these weddings had a professional female dancer. Maybe
for economical reasons but maybe also not to upset the more
conservative guests.
Get invited to a wedding
It is rather easy to be invited to a wedding in Egypt.
If you are staying in a hotel that is popular for wedding
celebrations, you only have to listen to the drums. Place
yourself in the crowd of guests and clap along. And if
you also show a happy face you will gladly be included
in the celebrations. Another possibility is to befriend
Egyptians and ask them courteously if you could watch a
wedding. There is always someone getting married...
After the first wedding in Cairo I had been invited to
the others by the hotel manager (one wedding was that of
his own son).
Please note: Of course also Egyptians like it when you
dress nicely for a wedding. A conservative style of clothing
is always right. Participate in the celebrations without
showing off too much. After all you are at a strangers'
party.
Read about another Egyptian wedding on Shira's
website. |
