A Moroccan Marriage: Celebrating Maghraib Style

Guyer Bogen
School for International Training, Morocco

Although Morocco offered a daily dose of contrasts to the Hawaiian lifestyle, I was able to enjoy one cross-cultural aspect on a regular basis: The Moroccan Party. Moroccans, just like Hawaiians, find even the smallest reasons to celebrate on a grand scale. My Moroccan host parents possessed one of the most traditionally aesthetic houses in our neighborhood in Rabat. Due to the size and beauty of this Riad (traditional house), locals would rent out our house in order to have a proper wedding for their children.

Before I delve further into my Moroccan wedding experiences, I think a little context is necessary. As a study abroad student from UH Hilo, I spent the Spring 09 semester in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. I lived with a Moroccan family, studied both Classical and Moroccan Arabic, and attended daily lectures on Moroccan politics, religion, and society in general. I also was lucky enough to travel and experience the entire country from North to South.

So back to Moroccan weddings: On a Saturday morning in mid-April, my host mother Fatiha informed me that we would be hosting a wedding that evening. Having missed a wedding the month before, I was excited to finally get a chance at participating in a genuine Moroccan marriage. Around six o’clock women dressed in luxurious jell-ah-bah” (traditional hooded cloaks) began milling into our residence. By eight, the house was jam packed with females and I was becoming increasingly curious concerning the whereabouts of the male contingency.

Finally, around ten, a pack off forty well-dressed Moroccan men came dancing and singing into ourcourtyard. The women, who had been quietly chatting over tea for the last four hours, jumped to their feet and joined the melee. I went to bed around three in the morning, but apparently feasting, dancing, singing, and even a cake cutting ceremony continued until the unbelievable time of seven in the morning. In the course of the thirteen-hour celebration, the bride had changed dresses six times and untold amounts of food had been consumed.

The modern Moroccan wedding is a mix of traditional Moroccan culture and the globalized image of a wedding. While the singing and dancing was distinctly Moroccan, moments such as the cake cutting ceremony were distinctly not. Just as Morocco is becoming a more modern, westernized country politically, so to are the very customs that create the culture’s identity. I am extremely privileged to have had the unique opportunity to experience such a memorable and special event.