Algerian Wedding | Al Jazeera World

[Music] Algeria the largest Arab country in the world and the biggest on the African continent beaches and some tourism but not always the most open of countries or the easiest in which to find out about its people this film goes inside a part of Algerian family life that has survived the centuries [Music] rich in tradition spectacle and celebration welcome to the traditional Algerian wedding yeah yeah yeah yeah you can a family mom with a nice whip all along the canal [Music] [Music] we're going to see three weddings the preparations and the ceremonies and food will play a very big part at all of them [Music] there's Khadija and of the demands a huge event in Clemson in a higher venue an extravagant display of tradition dance and noise Sabrina had a cot and alleys and mascara in her home and Ronnie Abraxas in Clemson Yaya is to marry Sophie on in his home also entrance and the preparation started months previously with Rania and her mother looking back at her wedding photos years before she flies keifa at the cake dojo give me 10 mm shoes come on helix in height the carriage bit to see how much room definitely narrow so should our financial and military our sector can't be Naha usually our humble after to your desk okay many women might be sent parental interference these days including Algerians but Clemson is a conservative city and in the brac see family piranhas mother will play a big part in the preparations for the wedding with her daughter's blessing today Rania is getting ready for the family of her intended to come and ask for her hand in marriage so she has to look her best [Music] Hospital do al arabiya like a mr. Bostick led be safe Acosta fishes that area semantics tired of being mahat an omen idml arrows of hate analyze a Lhari zero handle arrow speedometer bow in Hammond our home uber say it doesn't many more it's windy milk nee with mana and ha ha beta the female members of Sophie Anne's family arrived at Donna's house dressed in costumes decorated with silk and with gifts of algerian traditional almond and honey cakes [Music] [Applause] [Music] Sophie Anne's mother sisters and other female relatives are visiting Donna's family to meet them formally but also to check out Ronnie a close-up camera wedgie bet ya Eddie yeah half it'll be our family man I'd be eight in yen hell yeah I'm here and I started out come yay critical service announcement hey Jamie knocks not sure for now Rosa Bonheur Anya enters everyone greets her with high-pitched you lations or you use for short [Music] Rhonda's future mother-in-law formalizes the engagement by offering her a ring [Music] she also presents Rania with a series of gifts ancient jewelry embroidery and traditional costumes that represent the influence of the Spanish region of Andalusia on the culture of the algerian city of clemson [Music] Ronnie's family responds by serving their guests a host of delicacies made with almonds and other nuts flavored with rose water and citrus milk a symbol of purity and good luck is also on the menu and finally the women bless the Prophet Muhammad committing both families to the engagement [Music] mascara 200 kilometers east of Clemson and the birthplace of Emir Abdullah the leader of Algerian resistance to French colonial rule in the 1800s mascara has its own traditions in heritage but it's weddings are not unlike those in other parts of Algeria it is also home to the haricot family and their daughter Sabrina is about to imagine what about Bennett men and come witness if well ahem there this has in the library manaman i before him would be finally my burke my man named Angulo handle to myself would not fail Regina now Molina let Shira lotta potential and completely and then so will show fools and she look a bar by the Omaha Wow given a little beanie and shoe for how bad another last one he not free Mukesh get Sabrina's mother calls her to join the meeting of the two mothers right [Music] she's quite shy but like Rania kisses her future mother-in-law as a token of respect a tradition inherited from her own grandmother's badly Tamino African Maria whether Israel love with Manila will it's fair MOBA she's you were resolving bad I don't well it's a movement daddy Janaki young boy in the canoe Sahara the Algerian marriage process differs from other cultures and faiths in that it can take anything between a month and a year the Fatiha is a meeting between the men of the two families in which they agreed the couple will marry when ready this gives them God's blessing and is effectively their religious ceremony [Music] after the Fatah and to celebrate the union between the two families the men drink milk from pottery cups decorated with designs coming from a Mizzou the culture of the Berber people of Algeria the milk represents purity and is served with dates a symbol of sweetness [Music] [Applause] [Music] you're going to see a lot of food in this film here the men enjoy dishes like olive tagine with grilled chicken and couscous with almonds and nuts [Applause] [Music] then there's prune tagine with honey decorated with pineapples and toasted almonds and the fatwa ends with an assortment of traditional Algerian delicacies served with tea as the aroma of sweetness and light fills the air as you can tell food accompanies every stage of the marriage process [Music] so both families in our first two weddings have met and the two engagements formalized the next preparation phase is a series of shopping expeditions in many Western countries the bride and groom often send their guests a list of gifts they'd like to receive butts in a traditional Algerian wedding the groom provides dairy and the house for the couple to live in so the bride's and her family have to furnish the house and that means hours and a lot of money spend selecting colorful fabrics and furniture there are plenty of markets and stores for bites to be and their mothers to visit in their quest for furnishings uttaman style curtains cushions covers sheets and blankets are all on their shopping list [Music] the bride pays particular attention to furnishing of the bedroom she has to strike the right balance between tradition and practicality sabrina is also looking at things to wear at the Turkish baths and abilities that have big deal bunkin ha ha ha Feldman deal hava the zero arrows hmmm look engineer but the most time is spent choosing the bride's many outfits for the day itself Ronnie's mother makes all the key decisions for her daughter how was Africa be it had an OK in metal shabbiha will you Gaddafi diet and no Wesley that's better ham the man and a la Rosa squat pulse knock on alarm oh here to Adele headless annularis class I'm Scott Pelley Hodgkin death hey LaBeouf revoir it's cool medically literally her dad's gone better Christel : Alba salad Daphne returns a little bit earlier a little zero there's an amazing array and mix of styles from the kérékou from Algiers a two-piece suit embroidered with gold and silver and worn with the traditional Arab trouser to the gun Duda from Constantine a long velvet gown embroidered with gold thread two costumes from other regions of Algeria all these embroidered dresses show the pride that Algerians taken their cultural identity and ancestral heritage Kadel KIAC magnificent NBF just too tight Amidala beautiful telomere stability camasta been more or series access well it's a little bit similar errors Buzzelli elephant elephant and Vista business model Alwyn LRO's silicon intelligent sterile Lu analytical and when fed her and when lit up in the Farah with the feral little her medical a litter so much a little confer here felon take a leaf bahadin Sawalha article aris o allah article Hadassah neon no eleris labuda and Jakob be Sheikh Muhammed an Aloha wait for a twirl and yet fella has a man Ryan I love Iran a minute Mittal Peru our palapa real on she bad she bad this Matheny a NASA but as our the header so me at balloon sobriety una Kalmykia unical hamza al consonant hurdler and Zia and Anna Maria and taffeta homina lying where your halogen cocoon liliani at the hub a certain phenomenal akira the homo can live for holiday jewelry is another key part of the bride's look and algerian gold jewelry is heavily influenced by islamic and endo lucien designs like these armbands with different shapes inlaid with precious stones [Music] or the set of seven bracelets [Music] the musculus and of course earrings are all essential items [Music] another traditional touch is a long necklace with the large oval pendant called a crevasse mallanna [Music] and these dazzling gold rings [Music] door door yessuh it will carry Trans Am real easy finish when we though we have Lemkin oh well and deal with shimmer hysteria whenever man will have [Applause] [Music] the next stage on the weights Sabrina's wedding in mascara is the henna party this is an all women event at Sabrina's house at sunset on the eve of the wedding day the groom's female relatives arrived carrying Atma a decorated handmade basket containing expensive gifts outfits perfumes and jewelry the contents are displayed before the guests amid more you use and popular wedding songs [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hannah is a symbol of joy and happiness and rosewater a symbol of love and kindness mixed together they double the bride's good luck in the heightened atmosphere Sabrina's mother-in-law puts the newly crushed Hannah mixture into the bride's palm witnessed by the female guests it has to be freshly crushed Hannah [Applause] [Music] [Music] Alys mother then shows up the gold jewelry she's brought for her daughter-in-law as a token of generosity and respect the more money gifted at a wedding the powder and happier both families will be generosity is an important feature of Algerian society it matters and a wedding is a full expression of this aspect of the people in their culture after the henna party surprise surprise more food [Music] Sabrina's family serves roast lamb with couscous and sauce whoosh the wedding's tomorrow so no one's going hungry in muscat Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] the more conservative Clemson Ronnie as Hanna party is also in full swing the tradition here is for the mother-in-law to put a gold coin with henna in the bride's hand covered with an embroidered white gloves [Music] then she puts the algerian jewel ephedra on Ranas forehead [Music] the name means the thread of the soul and this one studded with gold and precious stones this is a more upmarket celebration than Sabrina's and mascara more restrained maybe but Rania her sister and the rest of the girls are still up for a gentle rhythmical dance lots of smiles on Rania looks both radiant and happy [Music] in a moment we'll finally get to wedding day the groom's will have their hand up parties armed horsemen will charge and fire volleys in the air and will top up the night with Khadija and Abdul Rahman's amazing extravaganza [Music] Sabrina halaqaat is marrying Ali in mascara and western Algeria Nonya black sea is marrying sophie on in Clemson the families have agreed to both marriages and the Fatah effectively their religious ceremony has taken place weeks sometimes months before the evening before the big day the girls have held their hand up parties and on the same night it's all Eastern his Hana party isn't his own home with the older women in the family close by and the younger ones in the background [Music] the celebrations are based on Algerian tribal war dances [Music] Ali's mother uses some of the Hana remaining from Sabrina's Hana party to put in her son's hand [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Sabrina and Ali's wedding in mascara is relatively modest but there are a lot of guests which means they all have to be fed food is a really important part of the events and the hospitality the groom's family hosts this meal during the wedding day either at their home or at a hired venue while in the kitchen all kinds of exotic dishes are cooking from al-hadeed ah a local spicy meat and vegetable dish - roasted meat and minced meatballs dessert is sweet prune tagine with dried currants and roasted almonds [Music] accepting an invitation to this meal is a way for friends and relatives to show their respect to the groom and his family Phillipa di M canal our soldiers at least about a yahoo Sabella le duele colobus Li la la da la da Serie A or quadrant after study honest [Music] the next step for the happy couple is more of a public appearance than the kind of ceremony you'd see in other cultures and religions it takes place at Sabrina's house and starts with the entrance of the bride and groom to the accompaniment of drums and of cuttable music even it's a relatively modest wedding celebration the bride might wear as many as seven or eight different outfits [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] to start with Sabrina where is the traditional dress from the eastern city of Constantine the gondola for Gani a long black velvet gown embroidered with gold thread [Music] and then they come back dressed in white symbolizing chastity and purity the closest equivalent of a Christian or Western wedding dress [Music] this is a moment of true celebration the bride and groom in wedding clothes sitting together as a sign of their new union with the female members of their families sharing in their joy in dance [Music] next the moment the bride ceremonially leaves her parents house a statement of the couple's new married status funky I lost my Lilly daddy bah ha ha habido and he let him to study ha had to buy that man at her and no a Yamaha cole Haans Alaska Nevada enough add a beard leha [Music] come on hang in octopus tanyao and here through her turf or the stock or with pesto LED meet a man at her and no family and no a Yamaha ma Zeus hawlucha I did't else did that cool cool ha hello and Saleh [Music] for a family in mascara hosting a traditional wedding observing tradition is important and the Fantas your performance on horseback is part of that [Music] a group of armed horsemen in full battle dress charged in formation also called the game of gunpowder it's based on the military traditions of the Berber and Arab desert horsemen who many undo undo double Kabira here are hey fellas he could had him oversee Mejia when up with the config ooh room when the booty confit borrowed the Rasul Allah mohamet aesthetic well if enough salat oh oh man and if you feel the urge to whom Italian is what I would you convey borrowed and if you have to suffer flowers and Tara and iris channel and he borrowed hodja hodja and in an illusion that they could be had [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the couple are taken on a car parade through the streets and neighborhoods stopping at specific locations for souvenir photos to express their feelings toward their history and identity Sabrina and Allie make a stop at the Statue of Aamir Abdelkader a symbol of Algerian resistance against colonialism and founder of the modern algerian state [Music] they also stop for a photo opportunity under the dead data tree the place where the people of mascara first swore allegiance to Amitabh the father in 1832 at sunset they arrived at Ali's house so that Sabrina can be welcomed by her mother-in-law with dates and milk these traditions are deeply rooted in the mascota region the whites of the milk and the sweet taste of dates are considered a good omen for the couple and a sign of affection and welcome for the bride Sabrina soaks up the atmosphere in the warmth of the moment surrounded by members of her new family rocks Hagia Sophia Flores para start a club today Macau and La Russa and Lara's York zoo oh c'mon Aloha Aleppo on the copper example a raucous hula life yes Victor food wasted Martha oh but that man's me Roxas Mahara light Oh had German intelligence exactly what Oxford is Allah who has a new home in our College is the area with the Lila Teleca and who had the rock Assad hirokazu to Pretoria Hagia Sofia del filibuster - I did in Iraq his or her life yell best ABBA Alfred father master one for father oh I want some more sir well in Libya and the a new bureaucracy can obstruct Ferris who live in Thompson Ronnie a ceremonial exit from her parents houses altogether more extravagant event of time we should let them send EF elastance an IPSec Aguada wolf Atlanta back Ravenna no Hadar certain sentimental Alizee and a hotel berserk of time after laguna de Beauvoir oh it's Conchetta we're at old house heaven hey and it's horse bharatiya we'll hike from san javier baja wanna travel ours to be the Sirat musical Wachtel Aoife be mafia shark Abu Musa pal Andalusia Jamil Coniston Fe have arised in Maharaja Oh kids of courage with a look of - Dora be have you bled and Haslam sample huh [Music] sannyas is a slightly more upmarket wedding and she leaves wearing the local beautiful bridal costume and enveloped in a white silk hire the wedding procession moves off towards the family home of her new husband Sophia and their fantasy horsemen go with them [Music] [Music] Sophy ancestors and his recently married relatives welcome rania dancing to look at kabul music all wearing the shadow a [Music] Fantasia starts the public celebrations the horsemen attract crowds so what better way of announcing your marriage to the world as with Sabrina and mascara Rania and Clemson is welcomed with milk and dates a way to wish her a white and bright future with her new family [Music] [Music] in another ritual Ronnie's mother-in-law offers her a key so that Allah may open every door for her [Music] you know ascetic little hiked high Sutro ha literally hilarious at Imola music area okay now MIDI who led Haider Ali Haider Ali ha new year ahead hood holiday time in her locker and went ahead and had a clue at the Ramsey who Schumer will man Aras Nash manager at the kill order who had to clean nicotine L beta D for home and his merits fit jacket we had to attack order double header will manage Santa Claus will mine arrows Nikesh manner or image attack award of better [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Rony annsofi ons wedding celebrations continued into the night don't forget he has yet to meet his bride on his wedding day but that's about to change dressed in a white silk bullnose the groom mounts a horse and sets off to meet his new wife accompanied by Fantasia horseman and another ritual handed down over the generations Sufyan gets ready to throw his bull nose to his friends amid the gunfire and more years his mother sends him off with the hand of Fatima necklace to protect him from the evil I dressed in a beautiful shed done his sister wipes the sweat from his brow then he makes the trip on horseback to his home to meet his bride and then covers her face in the presence of guests and family [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] then it's photo time for the family album [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] pischedda the banana is wearing that jeomsun bridal costume is so highly prized that UNESCO has put it on its list of intangible cultural heritage [Applause] it used to be worn by princesses and notables of the Viennese Kingdom it is made of several layers of silk and accessories of velvet caftan embroidered with both threads plus the pointed cap and long earrings [Music] this is a great scene with the ride and all the female guests in their traditional costumes and mixed company with the groom just gradually dancing the night away [Music] [Music] [Applause] miss Tammy had lela lela Dara le heights and a lot of the totally local net i'm large as yet Khulna started the slipstitch d doubt riot outreach research the dow hog down that little melon dealer you can how many have deafness dr. souviron new Maha Maha Maha Maha earlier in the day rania did her test Dida a kind of bridal fashion show this is Rania and her Carriacou the wedding outfit of Algiers although many of the rituals and costumes are common to all traditional marriages there are variations depending on wealth region and social status [Music] in another part of tramps in our third groom of the Batman is getting ready for the biggest day in his life with his mates at the barbershop new life new haircut [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Abdul Rahman's wedding to Felicia will be bigger than the other two we've seen and held at a special venue [Music] khadijah is escorted by armed horsemen and she arrives at the venue completely covered by a white Hayek with her mother and close friends [Music] algeria is a modern country but ritual runs deep and wedding celebrations here the recently married female relatives surround Khadija holding the hayek while underneath another woman draws the red circles with white spots on her cheeks [Music] and when she's unveiled she's wearing the shedder the Clemson Riedel costume covered in heavy jewelry and hundreds of curls [Music] [Music] everything at this wedding seems bigger more resplendent in extravagant than Sabrina and Rania celebrations [Music] then Prince Charming arrives on his white steed qumar you use mum welcomes him and Khadija gets a kiss on the forehead [Music] and then the two of them get carried shoulder-high and decorated thrones called the food [Applause] [Music] there will be food after the ceremony plenty of it probably but for now it's hard to imagine a bigger noisier or full-on event [Music] well there you have it the whole gamut of traditional wedding festivities in Algeria in one family celebration the richness of Algerian customs and heritage clothing and costumes art music and food all rooted in history but still very much alive among families like these in cities like Clemson and mascara today you

Channel: Al Jazeera English

Views: 5,827,691

Keywords: al jazeera algerian wedding, algerian wedding al jazeera, العرس الجزائري, algerian wedding, algerian marriage, افراح جزائرية, algeria documentary, Mariage algérien, algerian people and culture, algerian people, algerian wedding entrance, العرس الجزائري التقليدي, algerian, الاعراس الجزائرية, Algeria, algerian wedding shooting, al Jazeera, اعراس الجزائر, algerian people talking, aljazeera english, algerian wedding traditions, algerian culture

Id: i-DibXXjW4g

Length: 47min 4sec (2824 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 25 2014

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A rare glimpse at people's daily lives in western Algeria as we go behind the scenes at three different weddings.