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Religious - Egyptian Wedding:

Before we let you know about the Egyptian wedding process we think you better have some idea about its people who live by the side of the famous NILE.. So read on to know more about its people and its traditions and moreover gain an insight into the marriage processes of the great, grand Egyptians.

Remember the sensuous queen Cleopatra........?

The Egyptian People

A Seidi person can be easily recognized by his external features and his accent. He has strong features, looks slim and tends to be tall. Seidi man wears a heavy galabia -- long-sleeved dress. Unlike the man who can be seen wearing a colored galabia, brown or blue, a Seidi woman always wear a long-sleeved black galabia with a black scarf tied low over her forehead. The marriage customs best illustrate the characteristic lifestyle of the Seidi culture. The Egyptian Society does not allow boys and girls to associate with each other. Second, the places where people can meet freely do not exist and therefore, people adapted their own ways for choosing a bride. One of those ways is called "El-Khatba".

"El-khatba" can only be an old woman with wide public relation connections. Another way of choosing a bride is through the relatives themselves. Young men know that they can choose their brides from their families. Seeing the bride is not necessary at all, for being a relative is quite enough reason to marry her. The girl shares the same blood with the boy , so she is worth marrying. Seidi people do not allow strangers to marry their daughters easily. Priority goes first to the cousins, but the cousin has to be from the father's side. This guarantees the continuation of the family name. In fact, marriage between cousins records the highest rate in Upper Egypt. The brides are not given the chance either to see or to choose her future husband.

The parents get them engaged and the groom pays dowry, in addition to, "El-Shabka" which consists of a gold kholkhal anklet, rings and a thin necklace. On the other hand, the bride's father bears the expenses of the furniture and everything needed to establish a new home for his daughter.
The Wedding celebrations start from a week before the wedding ceremony. One of these days is called El-Henna Day where the bride puts a red substance called Henna on her hands and legs. After El-Henna Day came the day in which her furniture and clothes were loaded on a truck followed by her family and her friends whom they sang. About the ceremony, she said that her wedding party was similar to any other wedding in her place. Two separate places were designated, one for women and the other for men. Both men and women were not allowed to mix together. The groom sat with the invitees and his future father in law and the bride sat with the women. Each enjoyed themselves in their own ways. Young girls danced and sang for the bride and she joined them at times. But now times have changed. Girls are no more obliged to marry someone they do not see. Thanks to education, women became more aware of their rights and practiced them especially in marriage. The only thing that did not changed is the segregation of men and women.

Recently great changes have occurred in Upper Egypt. The reasons, not only refer to education, but also to the media influence. Because a large part of women society does not work, they spend long times watching TV or listening to the radio.

Rich families or the families whose heads worked in the Gulf area have videos. Perhaps, that justifies why the government uses radio and TV widely to increase the women awareness in the cases of overpopulation and illiteracy.

In spite of the government's tremendous efforts Upper Egypt still needs more attention to focus on the vital problems such as clean water, medical care and upgrading skills. With their great tolerance and determination, Seidi people can overcome their problems and continue to add to the Egyptian civilization.

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Religious - Egyptian Wedding:

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