Weddings in Tunisia are usually held in the summer, when it is especially hot and work is not possible. But the traditions here in each region of the country differ. In addition, modern Tunisia is equal to Europe, so that young people are increasingly abandoning the wedding ceremonies familiar to the country. For example, they dress in European style, refusing to wear clothes in the national style. But there are those who sacredly revere ancient traditions.
Jasmine for dating and white slippers as a gift to the bride
Tunisian men do not need to think about how to get acquainted with the fair sex. A sprig of jasmine helps them with this. So it’s quite easy to recognize a bachelor in the crowd: an unmarried man has a flower behind his left ear, but a family one has a flower behind his right. For acquaintance, a man holds out a twig to a girl and, if she accepts the gift, the acquaintance took place. This is followed by free communication between the couple - neither laws nor religion limit it.
Tunisians get married after thirty, trying to get an apartment before the wedding. The girl's parents have at least important work: candidates are carefully considered, collecting data and finding out the place of work.
On the eve of the wedding, the betrothal is held, when the man gives the chosen one a golden jewelry. Another traditional gift is... white slippers. They are included in the gift basket, the so-called wedding set. The bride is also presented with a white candle, pillow and gloves. And these kits are very expensive.
You also have to spend money on wedding dresses. For example, for a bride they need at least ten! Often, the necessary costumes are rented, except for national wedding ones: a white tarayun kuftan is used for a woman, and a man will put on a shirt - a hermesud zheba. Only the tailoring of the latter takes about two months.
Weekly festivities
Weddings in Tunisia are famous for their duration - they are celebrated for several days, sometimes for a whole week! And before, and at all, the celebration lasted 40 days! But this tradition has sunk into the past, like polygamy, which was accepted before 1957.
It is interesting that the celebrations on the occasion of the creation of a new family last for seven whole days, and only on the last day do the future husband and wife see each other. It all starts with a kind of bachelorette party. The girl, surrounded by her friends, is taken to the bathhouse. After water procedures unmarried girls share it among themselves old clothes which, according to beliefs, will help to get married. After water procedures, the hands and feet of the bride are painted with henna. In Tunisia, it is believed that this is a kind of aphrodisiac for the groom. While the henna is being painted, the bride's hands lie on a white pillow - the same one that was included in the wedding set presented by the groom. And in her bedroom at this time, a candle should be lit, donated by her future husband. After the procedure, the girls wear white gloves on their hands, and white slippers on their feet.
Not only the bride brings beauty - the groom is obliged to take a steam bath in the bath. After that, he and his friends will have dinner, as well as gifts. They give mostly money. Their number is entered in special list, with which the man will check in time to return the same amount for the wedding to the donor.
One more obligatory tradition was a visit to the notary. The goal is simple - to sign a marriage contract. The groom comes to the office, and the notary comes to the bride's house. In Tunisia, this is serious, because without such a document, a marriage certificate is not even issued! To this modern innovation was added the reading of the 1st sura of the Qur'an, as well as congratulations from friends and relatives after the conclusion of the contract.
Three kilograms of gold and a throne for a couple
Before the bride leaves Father's house, she will also sit on the platform, surrounded by sisters and friends. The girl is wearing a veil, a lot of gold jewelry - at least 3 kg! And these decorations, by the way, must be provided by the groom. So he shows his wealth and that he can support his beloved after the wedding. According to tradition, gold should be present in the decoration of furniture and utensils. But these household items are often rented.
The young finally meet, and the ceremony ends with a common feast. There will definitely be couscous on the table - a national dish that includes vegetables, wheat and meat. Traditional dances accompany the holiday, but mass discos are not accepted here.
Perform another wedding important function is a place to meet. After all, there are quite a lot of invitees!
At parting, the mother, lighting the way with candles, together with her daughter goes around the house several times to the music of the wedding orchestra. After that, the husband picks up the girl and takes her to new house. Accompanying them is a cortege of expensive cars who carries the dowry of the young mistress.
The girl at this time needs to be patient and humble. If in most countries it is customary to meet a daughter-in-law with bread and salt, then in Tunisia a “show-off” awaits a young lady. A young wife with luggage is placed at a new house, and women begin to discuss her out loud.
By the way, guests usually do not give gifts, but sponsor a honeymoon trip. True, the young will not be left without gifts - they will visit relatives upon their return, where they will be presented with gifts.
Seven days of a Tunisian wedding
Let's start with the wedding theme. The official part is that the bride and groom go to the registry office (which is called “belyadiya” in Tunisia and combines not only the civil registry office, but also notarial functions), where they register the marriage, put their signatures on the documents and conclude marriage contract. During registration, a surah from the Koran is read. A notary can also be invited home to perform the necessary actions.
According to an old Tunisian tradition, the wedding celebration continues for seven days. It is curious that the newlyweds celebrate their wedding days separately, each with their family and close friends. It should be noted right away that the wedding celebration can be different - it depends on the region or city.
First day celebration is dedicated to a visit to the hammam (bath). Hammam is visited, of course, separately by both men and women. The bride is washed, the hair on the face and body is removed, the skin is moisturized and put in order in every possible way. Nowadays, almost no wedding is complete without it. bath day". The girl goes to the hammam along with the female half of the family and friends. Bath procedures are accompanied by laughter, fun, songs and sincere conversations.
Second day- the so-called "henna party" or a party dedicated to the fact that the bride and the entire female half of the wedding celebration invites a craftswoman who draws intricate patterns with henna on her hands, feet and, if desired, on other parts of the body. The palms and soles of the feet are decorated with henna, and the back side is decorated with black paint called "harkus". It is believed that it is henna that symbolizes well-being, attracts financial success and is protection from the evil eye. For this party, the bride dresses up in a special outfit called a "barnus" - which, in fact, is a long loose cape with sleeves and a hood, embroidered with rhinestones and embroidery ( Tunisia also has winter clothes with the same name - wool barnus, - note of the author of the article).
On this day, the groom's father (or the groom himself) brings or sends gifts to the bride's house. It can be a variety of gold jewelry (by the way, according to ancient tradition, gold must be at least 3 kilograms), expensive carpets, Appliances, or, for example, money. Modern Tunisian girls are very fond of this wedding day and are sure to have a henna party now.
Third day: the wedding continues. Everyone is having fun and celebrating, music plays, treats are served, and against the backdrop of everything that happens, the bride should appear in seven different dresses. By the way, the robes that the bride changes - one dress is better than the other! Note that at present, girls do not adhere to tradition 100% and can get by with three or four dresses. Perhaps they are united by the fact that all outfits are lavishly decorated with stunningly beautiful embroidery, iridescent rhinestones and various sparkling accessories. As a rule, in this way the bride demonstrates donated outfits (from the groom's family, from her mother, from her sister, etc.). All this is accompanied by drum music, dances, songs and applause.
On the fourth day friends and neighbors come to the bride's house, congratulate them on the wedding and bring gifts that will be useful to the young family for life in the new house. All guests are served couscous with lamb and vegetables (by the way, a chef is invited to prepare dinner, as guests come and go, so a lot of couscous is required), and for dessert - sweet Tunisian tea with mint and sweets.
The bride prepares things for the new home - blankets, bedding, bedspreads, carpets, towels, dishes, her outfits, various women's accessories and much, much more. The dowry is taken to a new house where a young family will live. Upon arrival, everyone is treated to juice and sweets.
Fifth and sixth days similar to the fourth. On these days, the bride traditionally says goodbye to her stepfather's house, spends time with her mother, sisters, brothers and other relatives. Bridesmaids also come to the bride these days; everyone is having fun, dancing or singing songs. The family goes outside, walks near the house, the action is accompanied by chants, oriental dances and heartfelt conversations.
As for the groom, during the days preceding the last day (the so-called joint feast), he celebrates the end of his bachelor life. Friends and relatives also visit the groom's house. But, of course, everything happens a little more modestly than in the bride's house.
Finally, seventh day traditional Tunisian wedding (although nowadays young people celebrate the wedding for 2 or 4 days). This is due to the fact that the seven-day scope is simply beyond the power of the young for financial reasons. In the event that the wedding lasts only a couple of days, then the first day is a hammam and henna-party for the female half, and a hammam for the groom and the male half, and the second day is dedicated to the general celebration. Of course, both families, numerous relatives, many friends, acquaintances and just passing by are invited (yes, in Tunisia, it is a common thing for strangers to come to a wedding).
As for the wedding budget, it depends on the number of days, and ranges from 5,000 - 25,000 euros (10,000-50,000 Tunisian dinars), and most expenses are borne by the groom's family.
So, on the last day (it turns out, in a row - the second, fourth or seventh, depending on the duration of the celebration), the bride and groom celebrate together in a large hall, prepared and decorated in advance. A special platform (in fact, a stage) has been prepared for the young, where the thrones for the bride and groom are located. The bride and groom spend almost all the time there, going down to the guests for dancing, for which there is a space in front of the platform for the newlyweds. The hall is decorated with flowers, draped with expensive shiny fabrics. There are tables for guests throughout the hall (like in a restaurant). Guests are served sweets. soft drinks and oriental desserts (the last day of the wedding celebration does not include lunch). The atmosphere is solemn and festive, live music sounds, a sea of smiles, conversations, wishes for a long and happy life.
For reference: polygamy is prohibited in Tunisia and the divorce procedure is enshrined at the legislative level.
Wedding traditions and rituals of Tunisia.
Get acquainted with a woman, a man in this country is not difficult.
It is enough to give a jasmine branch to your chosen one. If this branch is accepted, then the woman agrees to courtship. Jasmine is a symbol with which girls can understand whether a man is free or not. If a guy has a flower behind his left ear, then he is a bachelor. If behind the right - the man is married. True, it is possible that a married man can wear a flower behind his left ear. Such representatives of the stronger sex are simply not averse to having fun and having a non-binding affair or romance.
Marriage in Tunisia is entered at a fairly young age. At almost every step in this country you can find small shops designed for a wedding ceremony. And this is not surprising, 60% of the country is made up of people under 20 years old. Therefore, marriages are very common here.
Since polygamy is prohibited in Tunisia, weddings are celebrated on a grand scale, collecting great amount guests. The preparation of this event is approached very seriously and thoroughly. The people of Tunisia - a wedding happens once in a lifetime. In addition, this is a very expensive pleasure and not every man will be able to pay for another wedding, even if polygamy were allowed. Anyone who dares to have more than one wife may be subject to imprisonment or a huge fine.
Relatives come to the celebration in national wedding costumes. Most often they are rented, which costs 200-300 dollars. They also rent furniture, dishes, as well as special chairs for newlyweds, which are trimmed with silver and gilding.
The bride must wear a veil on this day. According to tradition, it should have a lot of gold jewelry. She sits in her chair on a specially made platform, and around her are her friends and sisters. There should be no men around. The groom, standing at the bride's chair, showers her with gold, which should be at least three kilograms.
The wedding, according to tradition, lasts 7 days. All this time, the bride and groom celebrate the celebration separately, each with their relatives, friends and loved ones. They have no right to see each other at this time. During this time, guests and newlyweds not only drink and have fun. Each day of the celebration is dedicated to one of the traditions. For example, on the first day, the bride is washed in a bath to prepare for a meeting with her betrothed. Her body is rubbed fragrant oils and completely shave. There should not be a single hair on the bride's body, otherwise this is a sign of "bad taste". The hair on the head is also thoroughly washed and styled in an intricate hairstyle.
The next day, her feet and hands are covered with henna, and intricate patterns are drawn on her body with her help. In this country, henna is endowed with mysterious properties. It is believed that it can protect against damage and bring joy and prosperity to the house. Last days timed to coincide with the bride's farewell to her stepfather's house. The wedding band plays songs, and the bride is led around the house several times. Ahead is the mother of the newlywed with lit candles.
Only on the last day of the wedding, the bride and groom meet, and a common feast begins with dancing and fun. Served on the table traditional dishes: couscous, meat, vegetables, snacks and a national dish made from wheat. After the celebration, the newlyweds take off their national costumes and put on their usual clothes. The bride takes off her veil, which she will never wear again.
In this country, European customs, and young people prefer to wear jeans and T-shirts.
In Tunisia, there is no ban on free communication between members of the opposite sex. In order to meet a girl in Tunisia, you just need to give her a branch with jasmine flowers. If she wants to meet a guy, she will accept flowers from him. You can also determine the marital status of a man by flowers. If he wears a branch with flowers behind his right ear, then he is married, behind the left - single. But do not be hopeful that in Tunisia, crystal-clear men, very often married people place flowers behind their left ear. In Tunisia, people get married very early and have children, as in many countries located in the south. They prepare for the wedding for a long time and in detail, on every corner you can find a shop with wedding dresses. Almost 60% of the country's population is under the age of twenty.
A relative from the side of the bride and groom come to the ceremony in elegant national costumes. You don't have to buy them, you can rent them now. According to statistics, it was found that each workshop for tailoring such suits delivers them 5-6 pieces per day. The rental price is about $300 per day. Also in Tunisia, it is customary to rent not only clothes, but also furniture and utensils. Very often they take chairs decorated with silver for newlyweds, tables and trays for food.
During the marriage ceremony, the bride sits on a special platform surrounded by sisters and friends. She will definitely wear a veil, this is a tribute to tradition. AT ordinary life It is not customary to wear this element of clothing. According to tradition, the bride should have a huge amount of all kinds of gold jewelry. All these jewelry should be given to her by the groom before the wedding, he should simply shower his beloved with jewelry. According to tradition, the bride should wear at least three kilograms of gold. Therefore, the men of Tunisia no longer yearn for the times when polygamy was allowed in the country.
In Tunisia, any marriage can be dissolved, it is a secular state. But in this case, this does not contradict the religious laws of the country. Islam is practiced in this country, and it does not prohibit divorces. The procedure for dissolution of marriage is absolutely the same as in many countries. This is done through the court, in which an application for divorce from the spouses is submitted.
After polygamy was abolished in /Tunisia, one who has more than one wife is prosecuted. He will be sentenced to one year in prison and forced to pay a fine of 240 dinars.
There are no clear descriptions in the Qur'an of how the marriage ceremony should take place. Therefore, in each Muslim country it is carried out within the framework of their traditions and customs. Even in different regions of Tunisia, marriage ceremonies differ from each other.
We want to tell you about how a wedding is usually celebrated in Tunisia on the coast. First, the groom goes to the notary and signs the marriage contract. Recently this binding document for marriage. A visit to a notary is accompanied by a reading of the Koran. After the groom has signed the contract, he receives congratulations from relatives and friends. The bride, of course, must also sign such an agreement, but then the notary himself comes to the girl's house.
Celebrations on the occasion of the wedding last a whole week. At the same time, the bride and groom celebrate the wedding, each with his family, and at this time they do not see each other. One day, the bride's relatives prepare her for the wedding night, they wash her in a bathhouse and shave off all the excess hair on her body. On another day, a henna ceremony is held. On this day, the girl must change clothes four times. Henna is painted on the girl's body in order to protect her from damage. With the help of henna they draw very beautiful patterns on the palms and feet, on the arms and legs. On the last day, the ceremony of farewell of the bride with the house and parents is held. On the night before the wedding, she is circled several times around the house. The girl's mother lights her way with lighted candles.
And finally, the young meet. Of course, the ceremony of marriage ends with a gala dinner, which gathers all the relatives from the side of the bride and groom. When the seven days of the holiday are completed, the young will take off their national clothes and again turn into modern European-looking people. Now Tunisia is very much equal to Europe, the days when women were supposed to walk in a burqa are long gone. Since the wedding takes place over seven days, the parents of the bride and groom have to spend a lot on it. In this country, polygamy was abolished not only because of the significant costs of the wedding, but also because there are much fewer women in the country than men.
In some countries you can have only one wife, in others four, and thirdly, how much you can feed. When polygamy was banned in Tunisia half a century ago, local men did not particularly protest. Like, this is a violation of Muslim custom. A traditional Tunisian wedding is too expensive to even wealthy man could afford it more than once in a lifetime.
Tunisia is a small state in North Africa. There are about the same number of inhabitants as in Moscow - about 10 million people. There are slightly more men than women. Tunisian women are quite independent. Many work, and often do work that we consider purely masculine. And Tunisian women are very beautiful. Therefore, probably, the local men with their wives are affectionate and gentle. "If I were a sultan, I would have three wives." In Tunisia, even if you are a sultan three times, no one will allow you to have even two. Although quite recently, half a century ago, polygamy was common here. The tradition ordered women to obey their husbands in everything, and to appear in front of people only in a veil. A law prohibiting polygamy was adopted in Tunisia only in 1957.
The customs of Tunisia do not interfere with free communication between men and women. To get to know a girl, it is enough to give her a sprig of jasmine. If she accepts it, the acquaintance took place. On the same branch, girls determine marital status men. A flower behind the left ear - in front of you is a bachelor, behind the right - a married man. However, even married men often a flower is placed behind the left ear, either out of forgetfulness or for some other reason. Marry and have children in Tunisia, as in many southern countries, quite early. Preparations are being made for the wedding. There are shops with wedding dresses at every step. It seems that the people here are only busy playing weddings. However, this is not surprising - 60 percent of the country's population is under 20 years old.
Grandmother Halima, together with her sister and niece, runs a shop-workshop for wedding dresses. Not only dresses for brides are sewn here. Relatives are also supposed to come to the celebration in luxurious national clothes. Many prefer not to buy them, but to rent them. The workshop sells 5-6 outfits per day for $200-300 each, so this business is very profitable. They rent not only clothes, but also furniture, dishes. Special, silver-finished chairs for newlyweds, tables, trays for baklava.
We attended one of the wedding ceremonies. By Tunisian standards, there were not so many guests - about a hundred people. The bride sat on the platform surrounded by her sisters and friends. The paranja on it is a tribute to tradition. After the wedding, a woman is unlikely to wear it. The abundance of gold jewelry is also a tradition. The groom must literally shower his chosen one with gold. Decency requires that it be no less than three kilograms. Perhaps that is why tunisian men they don't pine too much for the days when they were allowed to have multiple wives. In Tunisia, as in any secular state, marriage can be dissolved. However, in this case secular laws do not contradict religious tradition. Islam, unlike Christianity, does not consider divorce something out of the ordinary. The divorce procedure is the same as in the whole civilized world. Husband or wife, or both spouses, go to court and file for divorce. Faber Shushan - lawyer, specialist in civil law. He works in the city of Monastir. Mr. Shushan says the city court hears up to 30 divorce cases each week. If the spouses at one time entered into a marriage contract, everything is solved simply. If not, the court has to divide the property, determine with whom the children will remain. Faber himself is unmarried. When asked how he feels about polygamy, he replies that it might be a good idea to marry two or three girls at once. Only the means and the law do not allow. Article 18 civil code on marriage reads: Polygamy is prohibited and punishable by law. Whoever has more than one wife is subject to one year's imprisonment and a fine of 240 dinars.
Tunisian men are calm about the ban on polygamy. For example, Mezri, one of the best weavers in the city. He is a man of old beliefs, follows the customs of his ancestors, believes in omens - keeps a dried chameleon from the evil eye. But at the same time, he does not believe that polygamy is the main and best legacy of the past. His grandfather had three wives, while Mezri had one. And he doesn't need more. "How would I get along with all of them?" he says. "And it doesn't always work out with one."
Women are all the more satisfied with monogamy. Zakia has 8 children, and she does not agree to share their father with someone. And Zakiya welcomes monogamous marriages in every possible way. After all, this is main source her income. She sews wedding dresses. It takes two months to make a kuftan-tarayun for the bride. The same amount for a zheba-hermesud, a shirt for the groom. It costs about five hundred dollars.
The Qur'an does not say anything about how wedding ceremony. Therefore, each Muslim country has its own traditions in this regard. Even in different regions of relatively small Tunisia, wedding ceremonies are very different from each other. That's how weddings walk on the coast. Accompanied by friends and family, the groom goes to the notary to sign the marriage contract. Recently, without this document, the municipality does not issue marriage certificates. A visit to a notary is accompanied by a reading of the 1st sura of the Koran. After the conclusion of the contract, friends and relatives congratulate the groom. The bride must also sign the contract. But she does not need to visit a notary - he himself comes to her house.
The celebrations continue for 7 days. Moreover, the bride and groom celebrate separately, each with their relatives and friends, and they do not see each other. One day, the bride is prepared to meet her betrothed: they wash in the bath, shave their body hair. The other day of the wedding is reserved for henna. During this ceremony, the bride changes clothes four times. Henna is a symbol of well-being and protection from damage. Henna smears palms and feet, draw patterns on the body. This is followed by a farewell ceremony: several times the bride is circled around her father's house to the songs of the wedding ensemble. A mother illuminates her daughter's path with candles.
On the last day of the wedding, the young people finally meet. The ceremony ends with a general feast. Guests eat couscous, a national dish of wheat, meat and vegetables. When this seven-day holiday is over, the young people will take off their national clothes and put on their usual jeans and T-shirts again. The times when a woman walked here in a veil are over. Modern Tunisia is equal to Europe. The seven-day ceremony costs the parents of the bride and groom a huge amount. But main reason Tunisian monogamy is not in this, and not even in the fact that there are not enough women in the country even without polygamy. Many Tunisian men would like to have several wives, but, alas, they are only allowed to marry one. And nothing can be done about it.
