Skip to main content

Cash-strapped young Egyptians forgo popular wedding traditions

As their cost of living gets higher, Egyptian couples are being forced to go without the traditional, more expensive wedding festivities.
A bride and groom have their photos taken in front of the tomb of late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and the Unknown Soldier monument, near a pro-Mursi protest camp in Rabaa Adawiya Square in Nasr City, east of Cairo August 11, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY) - RTX12HG5

In a small town in the Nile Delta governorate of Damietta, an imam has been calling upon people there to keep wedding costs as low as possible to make life easier for themselves and their offspring. The residents, whose purchasing powers have declined under deteriorating economic conditions, are convinced that their imam is right.

Traditionally, bridegrooms have to buy their brides gold engagement jewelry and pay dowries. It is also customary across the country to hold a henna party before the wedding, in which artists use a paste made from dried henna leaves to paint intricate patterns on the hands of the bride.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.