The Palestinians are steeped in a rich culture with an abundance of beautiful traditions that date back many years, and there’s certainly no shortage of them when it comes to wedding celebrations. While Palestinian weddings these days tend to incorporate more Western practices, a large number of refugees and the generational diaspora that have accumulated over the years means that many people are often turning to their native traditions as a way to preserve their culture.
Here at Wedded Wonderland, we love everything cultural, so we’re sharing with you eight of our favourite Palestine wedding traditions. Don’t be surprised if you see some of your own traditions here, as the Levantine areas tend to overlap and share many cultural aspects.
You might be familiar with the henna night, as there are many cultures who hold one before the wedding. For Palestinian families, the event is strictly women only and involves a night of music, dancing, and of course, henna.
The bride-to-be’s hands will usually have the most extensive henna work, with the paste being applied in beautiful intricate patterns.
It isn’t uncommon to see many of the women wearing the traditional Palestinian thobe throughout every celebration. Whether it’s the henna night or the wedding, anyone from the bride to the guests can be found in the beautiful black, or white dresses with gorgeous red patterns and details.
In older generations, the patterns on the dresses were representative of heritage, ancestry, and affiliations. Now, girls tend to wear the dresses passed down to them from their mother or grandmother.
In some villages, it’s custom for the groom to have a public shaving on the morning of the wedding. You can expect to see his close friend or a family member doing the shaving.
Once the shaving is complete and the groom is ready, everyone will start to make their way from his house to the bride’s house, where there’ll be plenty of singing to hear.
It’s not an Arab party without a dabke, and the Palestinians sure know how to do it well.
While there are many different types of dabke dances, they all usually start off with the same concept; participants stand in a line holding hands, and walk around the dancefloor, taking specific steps, kicking their legs into the air and stomping their feet down. If you ever get to witness a dabke, keep an eye out for the person leading; they’re usually jumping around a lot more, and doing all sorts of twists and turns.
It’s an ear-splitting sound that every Arab will hear from a mile away; the zaghareet is a sound, usually done by women, that is created by touching the tongue either to the sides of the mouth or the teeth in a very fast motion. The result is something spectacular and an iconic part of any wedding.
The zaffe is the spectacular musical procession that announces the couple, and it is the beating heart of a Palestinian wedding. Drummers on the tabl and a player on the mizmar lead a loud, joyful parade while family and friends clap, sing, and dance the groom, and often the couple, into the celebration. In some traditions the groom is lifted onto shoulders. It is impossible to miss, and impossible not to join.
Long before the wedding comes the tulbe, the formal asking for the bride's hand. The groom's father and the men of his family, often joined by a respected elder or mediator known as the jaha, visit the bride's family to ask for her and to agree the terms of the marriage over coffee and sweets. Once both families agree, the engagement is sealed and the celebrations can begin.
A Palestinian wedding is rarely a single day. Traditionally the festivities stretch across several days, building from the henna night to the wedding itself, and no celebration is complete without an enormous feast. Tables overflow with dishes to share, a generous expression of the hospitality Palestinian families are known for.
A Palestinian wedding unfolds over several celebrations, beginning with the formal tulbe (the asking for the bride's hand), followed by a women's henna night, then the wedding day itself with the zaffe procession, dabke dancing, the ululating zaghareet, and a generous feast.
The zaffe is the lively musical procession that announces the couple, led by drummers on the tabl and a mizmar player, with guests clapping, singing, and dancing the groom and couple into the celebration. It is the joyful centrepiece of the day.
The dabke is a traditional Levantine line dance. Dancers hold hands in a line, stamping and kicking in time, led by a lead dancer who breaks into livelier jumps and turns. It is a staple of every Palestinian wedding.
Traditionally the groom and his family carry much of the cost, including the mahr (a gift or dowry given to the bride), though today many couples and both families share the expenses.
Guests usually dress formally and modestly, and many women wear or admire the traditional embroidered thobe. Bright, celebratory outfits are welcome, and comfortable shoes help for the dabke.
The thobe is the traditional Palestinian dress, often in black or white with intricate red embroidery called tatreez. The patterns historically signalled a woman's village and heritage, and gowns are often passed down through generations.
Cover photo by: @stellagphoto
