Monday, October 25, 2010

27 Caftans

The Moroccan host-mothers dressed their American girl/dolls this past Friday.  All of the best jewelry was brought out and matched with their corresponding caftans.  Caftans are the traditional dress robes for Moroccan women at special celebrations-- such as the wedding several of us were about to attend!  Now don't they look beautiful?
So you're probably wondering how we got an invitation to a Moroccan wedding.  Well, the bride is simply our sociology professor's husband's sister-in-law's sister.  (I think I got that right...)  Unlike Owen and Vince, we didn't need a false pretense to show up.  Moroccans love wedding crashers!

 Although the invitation said 9:00 p.m., we left for the wedding at 9:30.  "Arrive at 9:00 means arrive at 12:00 to a Moroccan," Fatima informed us.  Sure enough, we were some of the first guests to arrive.  Our arrival was announced by the deep-chested singing of four women.  For the first time during my stay in Morocco, the sound made me feel like I was in the idea of Africa that Hollywood (read: The Lion King) instilled in me.  The four women resumed their chorus when each group arrived.

Before the bride and groom arrived, the gifts arrived.  Boxes strolled in (via the tops of men's heads) containing traditional gifts: perfumes, jewelry, money, teacups, and shoes.
Finally the bride and groom were brought in.  Each sat in a big white carriage on the shoulders of six strong men.  I say 'strong' because they had to hold the carriages for multiple dances, some of which were 45 minutes long!  Professor Langerak pointed out that the dances conjured images of courtship rituals.
The exhausted bearers:
The bride's mother encouraged us to dance along with the other guests.  Kate stole the show with the Moroccan dance moves her host-mother makes her practice every day at breakfast.  After a few hours of dancing I realized that the box of tissues on each table was in fact for sweat, not tears.  (Mom, I'm sure you still would have managed to cry!)
Mint tea-- which the locals call Moroccan Whiskey-- and small snacks-- which the Minnesotans call treats or bars-- arrived at our table throughout the night.
Two video cameras captured the whole event.  We would appear on one of the room's six screens as the cameramen made their rounds throughout the room.  We Americans couldn't help but smile and look at the camera, though the other guests sat completely still with serious frowns and distant stares.  This footage, as Kate and Bri were fortunate enough to discover a few days earlier, is edited into an hours-long movie for Moroccans to show their guests.
The live music and dancing continued until morning.  We arrived home to a sunrise over the Medina.  (Please note: Ed and Lois have always told us their bedtime is 9:00 p.m., but they were the two most lively at 7:00 a.m.!)  We couldn't have left the wedding any earlier because we would have missed these amazing events:
The bride changed her whole outfit (caftan, jewelry, makeup and hairdo) four times.  The groom changed as well, but all attention was on the bride.  Each of the five outfits had its own carriage and ritualistic dance.  Sister dearest, please don't get any ideas.


Kate noted that we never heard a public announcement (i.e. vows, toasts, introductions) throughout the whole night.  The signing of the marriage papers is a separate event, so there may be words exchanged there.

The bride receiving henna on the marriage throne.
The bride being unveiled.  Her dress was then pinned into the carriage for another dance.
The bride and groom cutting the cake.  Does this look familiar?
Overall we give the wedding an A+++.  For those of you wondering where the other half of the group was, ask for a blog post on their weekend in Spain!

Bslama!
Josef Lorentz and TIME 2010

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