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MARRIAGE IN
AFGHANISTAN
By: Jade Schilling
2nd Block
 Wedding lasts from around
6:00pm-11:00pm
 Guests sit at tables
• Bride’s guests on right side
• Groom’s guests on left side
 Throne-like chairs in front for
couple
 Arranged marriage
 Ceremony is sometimes the first
time the bride and groom meet
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/afghanistan/Afghan-Wedding-Traditions/4909
http://blogdavinciflorist.blogspot.com/2010/04/interna
tional-engagement-party-at.html
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
SPOUSE CRITERIA
 For bride:
 For groom:
• Age (can’t marry until 16)
• Age
• Physical appearance
• Physical appearance
• Character
• Education
• Family background
• Ability to support wife
• Reputation
• Character
**can marry first cousin, if there is a suitable one**
• Family background
http://www.muslim-marriage-guide.com/afghan-marriage-traditions.html
ENGAGEMENT
http://awwproject.org/2010/05/a-family-matter-part-i/
• First, letter is sent from male’s
parents to a member of the
female’s family
• (to be)Groom’s father and
elders go to (to be) bride’s
house
• They bring gifts for to-be-bride
• Groom’s father (or respected
man from groom side) tells of
their purpose and demand
• Elder man from bride’s side
receives the demand
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646-afghan-muslim-wedding.html
BEFORE THE WEDDING
 Amount of time between the engagement and the
wedding ceremony depends on financial ability of
groom’s family
 Groom (or groom’s family) provides:
• House
• Dowry (wedding gifts/payment)
• Expenses of wedding ceremony
• Gifts for bride
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646-afghan-muslim-wedding.html
BEFORE THE WEDDING
B r i d e ’s H o u s e
G r o o m ’s H o u s e
 Lunch
 Henna
• First put on bride-to-be (by groom)
• Groom then leaves
• Henna is then put on the rest of the
girls who are not married
•
kind of like the equivalent of a
rehearsal dinner in America
• Large group of people
• Many gifts are brought to the groom
and bride
http://www.onislam.net/english
/culture-andentertainment/traditions/41164
6-afghan-muslim-wedding.html
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/
special-coverage/454711-wedding-traditions-in-muslim-communities-special.html
Marriage Ceremony
• After the lunch,
elders start going to
the bride’s house
• Soon after, everyone
follows
• Groom arrives on a
decorated horse
• Musicians play
tambourines
http://www.nerdygaga.com/3723/wedding-traditions-and-meanings/
http://culturalembrace.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646-afghan-muslim-wedding.html
http://islam.about.com/od/marriage/p/wed_afghan.htm
• Once everyone is there, a marriage speech is
given
• Guests dance to the music
• Mullah (holy man) is the one who marries the
couple
• Couple sit on a sofa
• Couple has shawl placed over their heads and
they hold a mirror
• Tradition is called ““mirror and Qur’an.”
http://fensti.freehostia.com/Engl180/KiteRunner/Weddings.html
Marriage Ceremony
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/afghanistan/Afghan-Wedding-Traditions/4909
http://islam.about.com/od/marriage/p/wed_afghan.htm
Marriage Ceremony
• The wedding cake is first cut
and tasted by the newly
married couple
• It is then given out to the
guests
• Guests dance for a while
• They dance the national dance
of the Afghans, the Attan
• People congratulate the
couple on their marriage
http://www.afghan4life.com/afghan-girl-very-nicemast-mily/attan-dance-2012-afghan-wedding-attandance-2012-video_584f2dde1.html
http://finechinagirl.com/2009/07/05/cake-boss-carlos-bakery-hoboken/
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646-afghan-muslim-wedding.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/afghanistan/Afghan-Wedding-Traditions/4909
http://islam.about.com/od/marriage/p/wed_afghan.htm
AFTER THE CEREMONY
 Bride and Groom go to new home
 When bride arrives, an animal (sheep or goat)
is sacrificed for Allah
 Bride hammers nail into door because it is a
good omen for the marriage
 A few days later (either 3 or 7) relatives and
friends bring gifts for bride
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646-afghan-muslim-wedding.html
http://islam.about.com/od/marriage/p/wed_afghan.htm
WORKS CITED
"Afghan Marriage Traditions and Prevailing Laws." Afghan Marriage Traditions. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013. <http://www.muslim-marriage-guide.com/afghanmarriage-traditions.html>.
"Afghan Weddings." Afghan Weddings. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://fensti.freehostia.com/Engl180/KiteRunner/Weddings.html>.
"Attan Dance 2012 Afghan Wedding Attan Dance 2012." Afghan 4 Life, 2013. Web. 2
Mar. 2013. <http://www.afghan4life.com/afghan-girl-very-nice-mast-mily/attandance-2012-afghan-wedding-attan-dance-2012-video_584f2dde1.html>.
WORKS CITED
"Cake Boss: Carlo’
s Bakery –Hoboken." Cake Boss: Carlo’
s Bakery –Hoboken : Finechinagirl.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013. <http://finechinagirl.com/2009/07/05/cake-boss-carlos-bakeryhoboken/>.
"Cultural Embrace Travel Tidbits." : February 2011. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://culturalembrace.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html>.
"A Family Matter, Part I." Afghan Womens Writing Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://awwproject.org/2010/05/a-family-matter-part-i/>.
"Interesting Facts & Information: Tourism, Travel, Culture, Language, Business, People. » Blog
Archive » Afghan Wedding Traditions." Interesting Facts Information Tourism Travel
Culture Language Business People RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/afghanistan/Afghan-Wedding-Traditions/4909>.
WORKS CITED
"OnIslam.net." Afghan Muslim Wedding. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646afghan-muslim-wedding.html>.
"OnIslam.net." Wedding Traditions in Muslim Communities (Special). N.p., n.d. Web. 02
Mar. 2013. <http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/specialcoverage/454711-wedding-traditions-in-muslim-communities-special.html>.
"Wedding Traditions and Meanings." Marriage Traditions and Meanings. N.p., n.d. Web.
02 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nerdygaga.com/3723/wedding-traditions-andmeanings/>.
"Weddings in Afghanistan." About.com Islam. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2013.
<http://islam.about.com/od/marriage/p/wed_afghan.htm>.