The wedding in Morocco
The ceremony of the wedding in Morocco takes place according to different traditions from region to region for 3 days but can last up to 7 days, depending on the economic situation of the family.
Once the date of the wedding has been fixed, the man brings the future bride the engagement ring, the dress and the jewels that she will have to wear during the days in which the wedding will take place.
The first day of the wedding in Morocco:
The first day, or henna day, usually falls on a Friday and is the day when the groom’s family brings gifts to the home of the bride-to-be. These include a number of symbolic gifts, including a sack of sugar, a carton of oil, and an animal that must be slaughtered in order for the wedding to have God’s blessing and will serve as one of the courses of the banquet. It is also up to the groom’s family to prepare the favors and sweets to be offered to the guests, as well as the bride’s trousseau, consisting of two dresses to be worn during the feast, two pairs of babucas (traditional embroidered shoes), two nightgowns, a bag and a pair of shoes. The bride’s mother’s dress and the groom’s father’s dress are also brought by the future husband’s family.
The celebrated
The wedding is celebrated over two days. The first celebration takes place in the house of the girl in the presence only of women. In the house of the young man will be held, however, what is considered the most important celebration in the presence of men.
On the occasion of the celebration, the bride calls an old woman, called “ngafa” in Arabic. who will have to make the young woman beautiful by styling her hair and making her up for the occasion. Fundamental is the decoration of the hands that are painted by the ngafa with henna, a dye made from dried leaves put in water and left to macerate. The bride, during the course of these wedding days, changes clothes seven times. The most important dress is the white one made of fine lace and adorned with gold trim and details. It is often accompanied by a veil. The other dresses are lent to the bride by the invited women and are particularly decorated. The dress of the groom is represented by a classic ceremonial dress.
The dishes
There are several dishes offered for the celebrations: such as sweets dipped in honey, loaves of bread and dates. Just these fruits have an important meaning for the wedding because they symbolize abundance, fertility and happiness that is wished to the couple. A gesture that takes place during the ceremony is precisely that which involves the exchange between the bride and groom of a date.
For the celebration, a reader is called to read excerpts from the Quran to recall the most significant religious actions and gestures. On this day people eat and dance for the whole afternoon of Sunday: the bride changes different clothes according to the various regional traditions and is carried on a sort of throne called “hammerya”, loaded on the shoulder and made to turn among the guests. The banquet is usually made up of the animals received as gifts, cooked on the spit or in the form of tajin with plums; there can also be chicken with olives and seasoned lemon, as well as the inevitable sweets and mint tea.
The last night of The wedding in Morocco
On the last night of the wedding feast, the bride and groom are loaded onto sedans decorated with precious ornaments and transported by relatives to their car. During the transport, relatives sing a song as a wish of protection for the married couple.
