Amazigh wedding ritual in Morocco
Amazigh weddings are unique in different customs and rituals depending on the geography of the place and tribal affiliation, which distinguishes them from other weddings, especially since some Amazighs believe in the ability of some rituals to protect and delight the newlyweds and increase the chances of having children.
Their keenness to practice traditions and rituals is the embodiment of a cultural identity and a social order based on cohesion, the characteristic qualities of the Amazigh tribes, which are clearly shown during weddings.
The first ritual on the marriage journey is "bribery", i.e. when the mother chooses and monitors a particular girl until she is established to be eligible according to "predetermined criteria". It is a difficult process to explore for the right bride, as it takes a long time, possibly months and possibly a year, when the mother consults with her relatives and friends from the tribe in order to find the perfect bride.
Sharaf Hammado, president of the Heritage Association of Ahhan, explains to the Huffington Post Arabic that the good reputation and know-how of the house works, including cooking, as well as the beauty recognized by amazighs such as good face and length of hair, is the conclusive proof that the girl has all the ingredients that qualify her for association.
After choosing the right wife, the groom's family agrees on when to formally propose to the girl. The groom accepts some sweets, clothes, an engagement ring or a silver ornament to read fatiha, which serves as an era for both parties to make.
The engagement period lasts from two months to one year during which the two families exchange visits in order to strengthen relationships called "Acti thinking", i.e. renewing the covenant and promising to marry, before the parties set the wedding date.
Tamgra or wedding night begins at the Adausarn tribe (southern Morocco) as the promised day dawns. Speaking to the Huffington Post Arabic, Mohammed Samaran, a collective activist in Agadir, says the bride's father begins to tell the so-called "Abrah Naqbalt", the person who walks around the alleys of the village and shouts announcing the marriage of Flan With Anlana, while the women head to the bride's house to help prepare them and prepare the place to receive guests.
"The task of slaughtering sacrifices for men, as well as cooking meat with dry fruits in a large saucepan called Tarvact, is entrusted before guests meet at the lunch table," Samaran said. He noted the tribe's knowledge that the groom did not attend the ceremony;
The bride's motorcade then heads to her husband's house, where the groom's family receives them with dates and milk. The groom then climbs to the roof of the house to throw dates and almonds at his guests with joy and joy in their presence, to the tune of women. The newlyweds then sit adjacent in the middle of the house, while the men line up to perform Ahwash, an Amazigh folk dance.
The celebration continues until early the next morning, the same tradition as the tribes of the Southern Moroccan region of Sousse, with slight differences.
In a paper entitled "The Wedding System in Morocco. The model of the Amazigh tribes of Beni and Rhine, published in the Journal of Popular Culture, explained the details of the traditions of The Night of The Income in the Ait and Rhine Amazigh tribe in central Morocco.
The author explains that this night has a special ritual, with the girl initially entering the room with her "minister" (i.e. accompanying her throughout the wedding days and being either a close friend or a relative) and a woman member of her family and relatives of the groom.
The ladies stay with her a little bit - teach her how to deal with the husband on this special night - and then leave her. During this moment, the groom and his "minister" - his companion throughout the wedding days - are in an area outside the house.
Once the bride's escorts leave, the groom sneaks into the room, leaving behind his minister, his mother and some of the women waiting for the "result" or what he calls "squeaks."
The author adds in his research, that after the groom finishes his "duty" comes out silently after coordinating with the "minister", he goes to wash, and as soon as the women feel his exit until they rush to the bride to see the blood of the virginity, the zagared rises, and it expresses the joy of the family with her daughter who was able to "preserve her honor", and the same thing by the groom's parents because their son became a "man of freedom", and the virility here is the ability to take responsibility.
The same rituals are followed by the Ait Atta tribes and residents of the Tazarin region on the outskirts of the southern Moroccan city of Warzazat.
Amazigh customs vary with different tribes, but they adhere to what they inherited from time to generation.
One of the traditions unique to the Ait Atta tribes in the south-east of the kingdom is the so-called "Tarda Noddy", which means "margarine washing". Fifteen days after the wedding, the newlyweds invite a number of family members to dinner, often a couscous meal.
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