محادثه انجليزية على العراس وتقاليد الليبيه

A wedding is something that many people look forward to, and it is interesting to see the different types of celebrations in various countries for a couple’s special day. I decide to travel to Libya, to know more about weddings. I asked a friend and he said that marriage is the biggest celebrations for them. I think it is interesting to be able to see something so universal celebrated in much different ways depending on an area’s culture. I asked him to explain more about Libyan marriage and this is our dialogue:

Me: hello, how are you? Can you tell me about the marriage customs in Libya?

Ahmad: hello, you are welcome here. Weddings usually last for seven days. They consist of many things until the big day. The first day is the day when the groom’s family come over to the bride’s house to decide on the wedding day and officially start the seven days of preparation and the hustle. After they leave, men must go and collect wood. It takes them the whole day to do so because they collect big amounts. On the next morning, women use the collected wood to prepare traditional bread which is made in clay ovens. They also make a stew to have it for dinner with the bread.

Me: and then? What do you do next day?

 Ahmad: The third day is called the groom’s Henna. The groom’s friends should bring Henna leaves in small napkins so the groom’s mother kneads it. After that, the groom and his friends must put Henna on their pinky finger. In the evening, men should mix what we call Bseesa. It is a healthy mix of grains, nuts, and sometimes the date is added. We still eat it until now. As part of the tradition, grandmothers sing while men are mixing.
It is known that the groom’s family must take grocery, a sheep and what is called “Goffa” or as The Amazigh people call it Ater. It is a big piece of white sheets filled with gifts from the groom’s family to the bride’s. They put makeup kit, high heels, the best type of Henna leaves, you name it. At night, the bride must wear a traditional pink suit for the Henna night and must sit on a wool blanket. Her face should be covered while they apply Henna in her hands and foot.

Me: I’m very excited. Could you tell me more about details?

Ahmad: On the wedding day which is the last day, in some cases, the groom’s family comes over to the bride’s house to apply Henna again but they don’t do it anymore. Before, the bride wears the Amazighen suit which is made only for brides. It has accessories hanging on it. The fabric is a little different. The bride’s hair should be braided. Before, her mother must sip olive oil above her daughter’s head. My grandmother doesn’t know why they did it. However, brides now wear dresses but they wear the traditional suit after a week of being married.

Me: I really enjoyed with you, this traditional ceremony is something that is cherished and held highly in their culture. Thank you