Community Magazine January 2016

48 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE I R A Q M O R O C C O A L G E R I A Wedding Rituals and Customs from Around the World DAVE GORDON As this is the wedding issue, it is only appropriate to bring to Community readers fascinating information about rituals that have been adopted and cultivated at various times in history, and in various parts of the world. T hough this short survey is not an exhaustive list of Jewish rituals around the world – nor is it a complete list of regional or ethnic practices - it offers a snapshot into what our brethren in other lands hold as cherished traditions. IRAQ – The tradition of applying “henna,” the red paste used to adorn the skin before and during a wedding ceremony, is shared among many cultures. Its name symbolizes the three mitzvot specific to the Jewish woman: halla, nida, and hadlakat ha-nerot . ( Camphis is the name for henna which is used in Shir Hashirim and the Talmud .) Iraqi Jews dubbed it leilat al-hinni , the night of the henna, for the evening before the wedding. The groom would send the henna to the bride’s house, along with gifts for her family, which may include sweets, candles, and shoes. Later, the bride and the groom have their hands and feet hennaed. Though in recent times, it was only on the bride’s fingertips, and one finger of the groom’s which got hennaed. At the henna ceremony, two genres of Iraqi music were played: chalghi Baghdad , an instrumental ensemble, and daqqaqat , an all-women drumming troupe. At the wedding itself, traditional Iraqi Jewish brides wore silver bells and golden nose rings. MOROCCO – A similar traditional Moroccan Jewish henna ceremony takes place during the week preceding the wedding. It has various names: La Noche de Novia, Berberisca, Soirée du Henné, Noche de Paños or Lilat el Henna. The henna is placed on the bride’s palms, and sometimes the soles of her feet. The bride, wearing a Berberisca gown made of velvet, with ornate embroidery in gold thread, enters the room, as the families gather to sing to her. The bride’s dress is composed of various parts, including a belt, headpiece, jacket, a breastplate made of velvet, a velvet and silk sash, and laced sleeves. The groom often wears a jilaba , a red hat, and a white caftan. The bride also receives a hamsa (five-fingered hand) on a chain, placed around her neck, to ward off evil spirits. YEMEN – During a Yemenite wedding, the bride wears a headdress decorated with flowers and rue leaves, and gold threads are woven into the fabric of her clothing. Sometimes the veils were made with dangling gold coins. The ceremony takes place in a colorfully decorated room in the groom’s house, rather than under the customary huppah . Y E N I N D I A