Afghan wedding
Encyclopedia
Afghan weddings are unique and modern celebrations of the Afghan people. It's a tradition in which, like majesty Amanullah Khan
and Queen Soraya Tarzi
, the bride and groom are respected as King and Queen of the night. This was also the custom in the wedding of Aminullah
's cousin to whom he placed down his sword, and kneeled to the ground and told the bride and groom that their wedding night was truly respected, they can make any command as a king
and Queen
for the night.
To welcome guests entering the door, a line of women stand on the right
and a line of men on the left. The bride and groom's families greet and escort the guests to their tables. Guests in an Afghan wedding are dressed at their best in expensive clothes and jewelry. The guests gather around their loved ones and talk about their lives. When all guests have arrived or when the room is about half full the musicians starts playing traditional music or contemporary hits. At the downstage corner are the decorative chairs for the bride and groom. In front of the chairs is a table with highly decorative ensemble that includes candles and flowers.
A traditional Afghan wedding usually begins around 6:00 pm and ends usually at 11 pm, or as long as it has been agreed with the hall. In the middle of the wedding, around 8:30 pm, a special song is sung called "Ahesta Boro
and in pashto pa besmillah qadam rawakhla," meaning "walk slowly," which commemorates the bride and groom's arrival. While the song is played like the Wedding March in American weddings, everyone begins to stand up and smile until the groom and bride are set in their place.
, is a religious Islamic marriage ceremony in which a marriage contract is agreed upon. It is traditionally held in private with the gathering of the couple's immediate family and is led by an Islamic clergy, the mullah. In Afghan weddings, the bride and groom are traditionally kept in separate rooms. The bride is represented in the Nikah by her father or a close male relative. The Nikah is negotiated before the mullah between the groom and bride's representative. Once the groom has accepted the terms of the marriage, the mullah then comes before the bride and asks three times if she accepts the marriage. Once the bride accepts, they are pronounced husband and wife. After the Nikah is complete, the bride and groom enter the wedding hall and the traditional song "Ahesta Boro
", which literally translates to "Walk Slowly" in Farsi, is played. After food is served, there are a number of traditions that take place, one of which is known as "Aina mosaf" where the bride and groom are covered with a decorative shawl under which they are given a passage to read from the Quran together followed by a decorated mirror to view themselves for the first time as a married couple. In the past decades, this would have been the first time that the bride and groom would have seen each others' faces due to their marriage having been arranged. The shawl is then lifted and the bride and groom feed each other “Maaleda” also spelled "Malida", an Afghan dessert made from bread crumbs, followed by intertwining their arms and offering each other a sip of a beverage, usually the juice of a fruit. Other traditions include placing henna on the bride and grooms hand and cutting of the wedding cake.
The next song that follows is “Hena Beyarin ba Dastash Gozarain” and Henna ("Kheena" by Afghans, a dark-red colored dye which leaves an orange-red color on the skin) is placed on their hands.
(also spelled as hennah), considered more sanitary and less messy. At this moment a girl dressed in traditional Afghan clothes would come though the door with a silver
tray with candles and an assortment of fresh flowers with little containers of henna dancing and twirling all the way to the bride
and groom. The mother of the groom would place a teaspoon full of henna onto the bride's palm and cover it with a triangular cloth made of fine and shiny fabric. The bride's mother would place the henna
on the pinkie finger of the groom and likewise cover it with the fabric.
: kabob e chopan, chaplee kabob, teka kabob, shaami kabob, also mantu aushak with authentic Afghan bread will conclude the dinner table. For dessert firnee, sheer brenj and baghalua with fruits of the season are served. After the dessert
s are finished, the bride and groom walk over to the three-story cake and the musician will return to sing the traditional song “Baada Baada Elahee Mubarak Baada - Man dil ba tu dada am Tawakol ba khoda," which means "congratulations, I gave you my heart now I leave it to God" as the couple cut the cake and a family member will cut the cake into small pieces and serve the guests.
After which comes the hours of enjoyment as the musicians play faster songs and the dance floor fills up as everyone dances till the end of the ceremony which could go on till dawn.
, although this tradition was lost during the Islamic period, or it has been modified, but soon during 14th century
in the midst of Hindukush mountains it became famous. Although in modern Afghan weddings Attan is performed only once, it is traditionally performed twice (at start of the wedding and at its end) and sometimes even more, especially among Pashtuns.
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
and Queen Soraya Tarzi
Soraya Tarzi
Soraya Tarzi, known mostly as Queen Soraya, was the Queen of Afghanistan in the early 20th century and the wife of King Amanullah Khan. She is the only woman to appear on the list of rulers in Afghanistan, although wife of King Amanullah Khan...
, the bride and groom are respected as King and Queen of the night. This was also the custom in the wedding of Aminullah
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
's cousin to whom he placed down his sword, and kneeled to the ground and told the bride and groom that their wedding night was truly respected, they can make any command as a king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
and Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
for the night.
To welcome guests entering the door, a line of women stand on the right
Relative direction
The most common relative directions are left, right, forward, backward, up, and down. No absolute direction corresponds to any of the relative directions. This is a consequence of the translational invariance of the laws of physics: nature, loosely speaking, behaves the same no matter what...
and a line of men on the left. The bride and groom's families greet and escort the guests to their tables. Guests in an Afghan wedding are dressed at their best in expensive clothes and jewelry. The guests gather around their loved ones and talk about their lives. When all guests have arrived or when the room is about half full the musicians starts playing traditional music or contemporary hits. At the downstage corner are the decorative chairs for the bride and groom. In front of the chairs is a table with highly decorative ensemble that includes candles and flowers.
A traditional Afghan wedding usually begins around 6:00 pm and ends usually at 11 pm, or as long as it has been agreed with the hall. In the middle of the wedding, around 8:30 pm, a special song is sung called "Ahesta Boro
Ahesta Boro
Ahesta Boro is a musical composition played to welcome the bride and groom's entrance to the wedding hall in weddings in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and parts of Pakistan. Usually the accompanied couple is walked slowly under the sanction of the Qur'an as the attending...
and in pashto pa besmillah qadam rawakhla," meaning "walk slowly," which commemorates the bride and groom's arrival. While the song is played like the Wedding March in American weddings, everyone begins to stand up and smile until the groom and bride are set in their place.
Nikah
Also spelled as NikahNikah
Marriage in Islam is an Islamic prenuptial contract between a man and woman to live as husband and wife. It is a formal, binding contract considered integral to a religiously valid Islamic marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom and bride involved in marriage proceedings...
, is a religious Islamic marriage ceremony in which a marriage contract is agreed upon. It is traditionally held in private with the gathering of the couple's immediate family and is led by an Islamic clergy, the mullah. In Afghan weddings, the bride and groom are traditionally kept in separate rooms. The bride is represented in the Nikah by her father or a close male relative. The Nikah is negotiated before the mullah between the groom and bride's representative. Once the groom has accepted the terms of the marriage, the mullah then comes before the bride and asks three times if she accepts the marriage. Once the bride accepts, they are pronounced husband and wife. After the Nikah is complete, the bride and groom enter the wedding hall and the traditional song "Ahesta Boro
Ahesta Boro
Ahesta Boro is a musical composition played to welcome the bride and groom's entrance to the wedding hall in weddings in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and parts of Pakistan. Usually the accompanied couple is walked slowly under the sanction of the Qur'an as the attending...
", which literally translates to "Walk Slowly" in Farsi, is played. After food is served, there are a number of traditions that take place, one of which is known as "Aina mosaf" where the bride and groom are covered with a decorative shawl under which they are given a passage to read from the Quran together followed by a decorated mirror to view themselves for the first time as a married couple. In the past decades, this would have been the first time that the bride and groom would have seen each others' faces due to their marriage having been arranged. The shawl is then lifted and the bride and groom feed each other “Maaleda” also spelled "Malida", an Afghan dessert made from bread crumbs, followed by intertwining their arms and offering each other a sip of a beverage, usually the juice of a fruit. Other traditions include placing henna on the bride and grooms hand and cutting of the wedding cake.
The next song that follows is “Hena Beyarin ba Dastash Gozarain” and Henna ("Kheena" by Afghans, a dark-red colored dye which leaves an orange-red color on the skin) is placed on their hands.
Henna
Historically, little incisions were cut into the bride and groom's palms so that they could be joined in blood. As time progressed it was replaced with hennaHenna
Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes...
(also spelled as hennah), considered more sanitary and less messy. At this moment a girl dressed in traditional Afghan clothes would come though the door with a silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
tray with candles and an assortment of fresh flowers with little containers of henna dancing and twirling all the way to the bride
Bride
A bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
and groom. The mother of the groom would place a teaspoon full of henna onto the bride's palm and cover it with a triangular cloth made of fine and shiny fabric. The bride's mother would place the henna
Henna
Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes...
on the pinkie finger of the groom and likewise cover it with the fabric.
Meal
After hours of dancing, dinner is announced, and the guests form a line and walk alongside a decorated buffet, where assorted authentic Afghan foods are presented. From the Shohla e Goshtee to three different varieties of rice called palou and chalou, there are many kinds of kabobsKebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
: kabob e chopan, chaplee kabob, teka kabob, shaami kabob, also mantu aushak with authentic Afghan bread will conclude the dinner table. For dessert firnee, sheer brenj and baghalua with fruits of the season are served. After the dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
s are finished, the bride and groom walk over to the three-story cake and the musician will return to sing the traditional song “Baada Baada Elahee Mubarak Baada - Man dil ba tu dada am Tawakol ba khoda," which means "congratulations, I gave you my heart now I leave it to God" as the couple cut the cake and a family member will cut the cake into small pieces and serve the guests.
After which comes the hours of enjoyment as the musicians play faster songs and the dance floor fills up as everyone dances till the end of the ceremony which could go on till dawn.
Attan
Attan is the national dance of Afghanistan and the traditional dance among the Pashtuns. It is a circular dance, performed at the end of ceremony, and its origin is dated deep in Afghanistan's pre-Islamic Avesticera. Attan used to be religious dance involve many circles around the fire, some say it was dance of warriors around the fire performed before going to warWar
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, although this tradition was lost during the Islamic period, or it has been modified, but soon during 14th century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
in the midst of Hindukush mountains it became famous. Although in modern Afghan weddings Attan is performed only once, it is traditionally performed twice (at start of the wedding and at its end) and sometimes even more, especially among Pashtuns.