Traditional Emirati Weddings
Zayed Al Thani School Grade:7 Strand: Reading
Pupil’s Name: ___________________________________ Section: ……..
Traditional Emirati Weddings
A couple getting married is called for such celebration in the UAE. It was an old custom that women from the families of the bride and the groom walked from house to house in the neighborhood to invite all the families to attend the wedding. The ceremony was a chance for the whole district to celebrate the wedding and they were all involved in someway to help get things ready for the feast. While the preparations are made, the Al Ayyala traditional band performed music in front of the bride’s house. The bride was usually hidden for the public for 40 days. Weddings were usually very long events. Celebrations went on for days where guests were served breakfast, lunch and dinner. Traditionally, the men performed Al Radha or dance, and the women from the bride family displayed the Zihba. A Traditional gift was the giving of money, the Nuphoor. This present was meant to bring good luck for the couple, so that they could start their marriage well. Another symbol of good luck was the bride Hennah; painting on her hands and feet. At the celebrations Men and women were seated separately. These celebrations used to take place under a black goat skin tent, but these are very expensive, so are less often used in modern weddings. Usually the bride only met the groom when he came to fetch her after the celebrations. In modern society it is easy to forget this customs, especially as modern weddings following this form could cost a great deal of money that could be used to buy a house or educate the children. It’s nice to remember these traditions and the community celebrations even if we use only part of the tradition in our modern weddings.
A)- Read the text and answer these questions.
1- The text is about……………….
a. men and women in the Emirates
b. traditional dances in the UAE.
Pupil’s Name: ___________________________________ Section: ……..
Traditional Emirati Weddings
A couple getting married is called for such celebration in the UAE. It was an old custom that women from the families of the bride and the groom walked from house to house in the neighborhood to invite all the families to attend the wedding. The ceremony was a chance for the whole district to celebrate the wedding and they were all involved in someway to help get things ready for the feast. While the preparations are made, the Al Ayyala traditional band performed music in front of the bride’s house. The bride was usually hidden for the public for 40 days. Weddings were usually very long events. Celebrations went on for days where guests were served breakfast, lunch and dinner. Traditionally, the men performed Al Radha or dance, and the women from the bride family displayed the Zihba. A Traditional gift was the giving of money, the Nuphoor. This present was meant to bring good luck for the couple, so that they could start their marriage well. Another symbol of good luck was the bride Hennah; painting on her hands and feet. At the celebrations Men and women were seated separately. These celebrations used to take place under a black goat skin tent, but these are very expensive, so are less often used in modern weddings. Usually the bride only met the groom when he came to fetch her after the celebrations. In modern society it is easy to forget this customs, especially as modern weddings following this form could cost a great deal of money that could be used to buy a house or educate the children. It’s nice to remember these traditions and the community celebrations even if we use only part of the tradition in our modern weddings.
A)- Read the text and answer these questions.
1- The text is about……………….
a. men and women in the Emirates
b. traditional dances in the UAE.