Wedding and engagement parties take a hiatus during Ramadan as families spend their time focused on fasting and sharing iftar in the evenings. Since summer is usually wedding season (like springtime in the US), there was a noticeable rush before the start of Ramadan. Similarly, there was an immediate resumption after the end of Ramadan. Engagement parties are a big deal here because they are held after the "katab le-kitab" or the signing of the marriage contract which is the Islamic recognition of marriage. After the signing, the bride and groom are technically married according to Islam, but culturally, they aren't seen as married until after the wedding party which usually takes place a few months later. It is during the in-between period when the bride and groom really get to know one another since it is considered proper for them to spend time together with the safeguard of the contract.
I had randomly attended a wedding last summer in Jordan, but I had never attended an engagement party here before. I was lucky enough to attend one at the end of August. The fact that it was for one of my host sisters made it even more special. I had met a majority of the family guests at various Ramadan gatherings this summer and last summer, so it was nice to know a lot of the faces. When I saw one cousin, who is particularly focused on getting me married (she has offered to set me up in the past), she made sure to tell me, "hopefully you will be next, inshah'allah" (God willing). To the few family members who had no idea who I was, my host mother made a point of introducing me as one of her daughters (although that confused them even more).
The party was at my host family's home which is basically two stacked apartments connected by an elevator. The party was separated with the men celebrating on the lower level and the women celebrating on the top level. This allowed for a little more relaxed atmosphere where most of the women felt comfortable taking off their hijabs and their abayas or jilbabs (long overcoats) to party in their fancy dresses. There was even a lady DJ and photographer to enable the women let loose for a few hours. The groom came up pretty early in the evening and, bless his heart, he stayed upstairs and danced with the bride for the majority at the evening. Towards the end of the evening, the remaining men (mainly family members), came up to celebrate and join in the festivities with the remaining women--most of which were family members as well.
There was lots of food and lots of dabke and even more photos!
I had randomly attended a wedding last summer in Jordan, but I had never attended an engagement party here before. I was lucky enough to attend one at the end of August. The fact that it was for one of my host sisters made it even more special. I had met a majority of the family guests at various Ramadan gatherings this summer and last summer, so it was nice to know a lot of the faces. When I saw one cousin, who is particularly focused on getting me married (she has offered to set me up in the past), she made sure to tell me, "hopefully you will be next, inshah'allah" (God willing). To the few family members who had no idea who I was, my host mother made a point of introducing me as one of her daughters (although that confused them even more).
The party was at my host family's home which is basically two stacked apartments connected by an elevator. The party was separated with the men celebrating on the lower level and the women celebrating on the top level. This allowed for a little more relaxed atmosphere where most of the women felt comfortable taking off their hijabs and their abayas or jilbabs (long overcoats) to party in their fancy dresses. There was even a lady DJ and photographer to enable the women let loose for a few hours. The groom came up pretty early in the evening and, bless his heart, he stayed upstairs and danced with the bride for the majority at the evening. Towards the end of the evening, the remaining men (mainly family members), came up to celebrate and join in the festivities with the remaining women--most of which were family members as well.
There was lots of food and lots of dabke and even more photos!
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