ETHIOPIAN WEDDING

Muslim marriage ceremonies in Ethiopia are centered on a display of generosity. Usually after the declaration of engagement, the groom sends a milking cow to the bride's house. The mother collects the milk to make some butter that will be presented to the groom on the wedding night.

Yassin Ahmad Ibrahim, an Ethiopian Muslim, told us about the traditions briefly. After the declaration of the initial approval between the bride and the groom, the engagement is declared in the presence of the tribal leaders and the Sheikhs. The mother of the bride hands the groom buttermilk to drink. This is a sign of her approval and satisfaction with the future husband of her daughter. During the engagement period, the groom comes under the service of the bride's father. He helps him in any type of work that he made need or want to be assisted in.

The mother of the bride stores honey, wheat and many different items for her daughter during the engagement period. On the wedding day, the father of the bride presents cows, sheep, honey, wheat and many other treats, demonstrating to the crowd what he has prepared for his daughter. The notables and the tribal leaders reply to this by showing their acceptance.

Then the bride walks to her house, where food is served. However, the groom eats only from a special dish prepared by the mother of the bride, again as a sign of approval. She also offers buttermilk to him as well as to his closest friends. When she offers the buttermilk, the groom takes it, then hands her coffee seeds. He also gives an amount of money to the cousin and the aunt of the bride. Towards the end of the ceremony, guests line up in two lines, through which the bride walks toward her new home in an atmosphere of singing and chanting