Afghan
wedding is interesting and unique.
As you enter the door, a row of women on your right and a
row of men on your left, welcome you in.
The bride and groom’s family will great and escort the
guests to the tables. Guests
in an Afghan wedding are dressed with highly expensive clothes and
jewelries, as they show their best appearance at a wedding.
The guest gather around their loved ones and talk about
their lives and maybe little gossip and secret exchanges, as the
musician plays mellow music for these who care to listen and calm
soothing music for those who are in a mist of a political debate.
At another corner of the stage two very decorative chairs
are set for bride and groom.
In front of the chairs there is a table with highly
decorative ensembles including beautiful candles and beautiful
flowers. A traditional Afghan wedding usually begins around 6 in
the evening and ends as long as the hall agreement allows them.
Till 8 in the evening musician plays music as young people dance
while more and more people come in.
Around
9 at night the musician plays a special song, which commemorates
the arrival of the bride and groom. The song is called “Ahesta
bero, mah e man ahesta bero” meaning
(walk slowly my light of night go slowly).
This song was made decades ago and has been sung in wedding
songs for generations. Back in the early 20’s Ustad Mohammad Hussain Sarahang the
greatest Classical singer in Afghan history changed a song and
made the lyrics more joyful but still in a slow classical form.
Later on Ustad Rahimbakhsh sang it more in a folkloric style,
which till this day is being sang. As the Bride and Groom walk
inside the hall all guest stand up to pay respect to the entrance
of the Holy Quran being held over the heads of the Bride and
groom.
As
the bride and groom walk very slowly to the beat of the song,
guest take pictures while others clap their appearance. Bride and
groom take their rightful place at the throne as though they are a
king and Queen or that night. After the “Ahesta bero” is done
the Bride and groom are covered under a very decorated shawl where
in the past the groom will look at his Brides face in a mirror and
will read a prayer from the Holy Quran, In the decades past this
would have been the first time ever that the bride and groom would
have seen each other face due to arranged marriages. The shawl is
lifted and the bride and groom feed each other “Maaleda” and
Beverage as the guests applaud.
The actual Religious ceremony where the Spiritual Mullah
and the witness, the bride and grooms family agree upon the
premarital contract occurs behind the scene either before dinner
or after dinner. The
next song that follows is “Hena Beyarin bar Dastash gozarain”
which means Bring Hena (Kheena) a red colored dye which leave a
Orange Red stain on the skin) and place on their hand.
Historically
the bride and grooms palms were cut in little insertion so that
they could be joined in blood, as time passed they replaced it
with Hena so it would be more healthy and lest messy. At this
moment a girl dressed in traditional Afghani clothes will come
though the door with a silver tray with candles and assorts of
beautiful fresh flowers with little containers of “hena”
dancing and turning all the way to the throne of Bride and groom.
The Mother of the groom will place a teaspoon full of Hena onto
the Brides palm and cover it with a triangular cloth made of very
fine and shinny fabric. The Brides mother places the Hena on the
pinkie figure of the groom and likewise covers it with the fabric.
After
hours of dancing they will announce that dinner is ready, all the
guests will form a line and walk alongside of a beautifully
decorated buffet where assorted of authentic Afghan meals are
presented. From the
Shohla e Goshtee to three different values of rice Called Palou
and Chalou, there are many kinds of Kabobs; Kabob e Chopan,
Chaplee Kabob, Teka Kabob, Shaami Kabob, also Mantu Aushak with
authentic Afghan Bread will conclude the dinner table. For desert
they will serve Firnee, Sheer Brenj, Jello, Baghalua with fruits
of the season. After Desert is finished The Bride and groom will
walk over to the 3 store cake and the musician will return from
dinner and sing the traditional song of “Baada Baada Elahee
Mubarak Baada - Man dil ba tu dada am Tawakol ba khoda” Meaning
Congratulation I gave u my heart now I leave it to GOD as the
bride and groom cut the cake and the member of the family will cut
the cake into small pieces and serve the guests.
Then
comes the hours of enjoyment as the musicians plays fast beat
songs and the dance floor fills up with people as the dance till
the end of the ceremony which could go till dawn. At the end of
ceremony “attan” is being performed, Attan is a traditional
Afghan dance; its origin is the provinces to the south of
Afghanistan where every celebration ended with this dance. The
Beat is a traditional Afghan Beat of “mogholi” where no other
Nation in the world uses this beat its a creation of Afghans of
the Moghol dynasty. A huge circle is created and the performers
will follow each other going round and round in a circle to the
beat as the rhythm and beats faster the slower participants drop
out remains the ones who can dance and move.
There
are three different kinds of attan in Afghanistan, “wardaki”
“logari” and “khosti” Wardaki consists of body movements
no clapping and lots of turns and twists. “logari” uses the
clapping and the full turns in place as well as the main turn.
“khosti” is interesting because of the head movements the head
is snapped side to sides as their long jet black hair fling
through the air. The Music is finished and the hosts along with
bride and groom stand by the door to show their respect and thank
the guests for coming to their wedding ceremony. Source:Afghanland.com: