Arabian Party Time!

Glitz, glamour and gorgeous women blend to make an unbelievable engagement party.  While I thought I was going to a wedding, in actuality, it was the public splashy commitment of both families who endorsed the arranged coming together of two young lovers.

Unlike Cinderella, Arabian parties start rockin’ after midnight. The party started at 11:00 p.m. and went until daybreak. Six women with only their voices and hand drums sang as the women danced a traditional Yemen dance. Their feet took teeny tiny steps while their hands swayed and their necks moved in a different direction than the rest of their body.

What a kaleidoscope of colour, collection of jewels, sensual dark eyes accented with beautiful make-up and sculpted hair! Short dresses, silky, long, trains, lacy, strapless, halter, princess cut, figure fitting, jewelled, velvet and oh the shoes, the shoes that matched!! I was privy to this ballroom blitz because only women descended to the closed basement, no men allowed! Bye bye abaya.



each individual chair  and table was so elegantly decorated



Aside from the dancing, the ongoing gifts and treats were fun and entertaining. Arabian coffee, (unlike no other coffee), steeped black tea, silver boats of multi-coloured wrapped candies and platters of colourful foil wrapped tiny rolled sandwiches seemed to be the first custom. Some of our Arabian staff members knew exactly what to do! Following several sips, (definitely no chance of any shut eye after that), and tasting savoury and sweet, came a very cold foil wrapped chocolate. It was a chocolate with ice-cream inside. More dancing and singing followed by a large glass of cool mango, strawberry or banana smoothy! Yummy, mango is my favourite.



gifts from the groom

 

Following the drinks and eats to cool the vibrant dancers down, came the gifts. Every guest received one diamond ring that weighs in at about 20 carats and a bottle of traditional Arabian fragrance presented in small heart shaped box with potpourri flowers. The bride-to-be had a table full of gifts that arrived before she did. Those were compliments from her soon to be husband. Several bottles of perfume, a jewellery box, money, flower vase, silver Qaran cover and more.



my new Arabian diamond

At 2:00 a.m., the lights dim and drumming and singing cease. The local women know what comes next. They start their high shrilled pitch and prepare for the engagement ceremony. A big screen comes to life and the image of the bride-to-be is illuminated. She stands like a Barbie on the carpeted stairs in her pink lace gown with a train three times as long as she is tall.

She descends one step about every two minutes and stands while the women from afar cheer for her. After about seven steps, her father and mother and two brothers join her. Her finance comes up the stairs to greet her and take her from her family. Enthusiastic cheers erupt when he gives her a peck on each cheek and a kiss on the hand! Together they continue the very slow descend down the other seven steps.

Once into the buffet room, still cordoned off from the other women, they place the rings onto each other’s fingers. When they are engaged, they wear the ring on the right hand. Once married, the ring moves to their left finger. She gets a very glittery bracelet and he receives a fine watch. After the rings and gifts to each other, they cut their engagement cake. Similar to North America, they feed each other a piece of cake. Following feeding each other with different arrangements of forks, they drank fruit juice together from a gigantic glass goblet.

 

Next they separated; she came into the women’s room, he went to get guy congratulations. She walks through the door to an ovation of cheers, clapping and waving. Slowly down she comes three more steps, taking another six minutes! She moves to a decorated landing and stands for more time. Oh no, more steps – what a long time she takes to make her way to the front of the room. She inches her way to the raised walkway which had served as the dancing platform. There is a tremendous sense of joy on her momma’s face as her daughter moves up the walkway. Once she has finished her entrance, friends and family congratulate the newly engaged princess.

At 3:00 the buffet opens!! What am I doing eating prawns, rice, smoked salmon and other delicious things at 3:00 a.m.??

the fruit platter!

Hallas, the Arabian engagement party is over for this working girl. Is crawling into bed for one hour of sleep better than no sleep? What does it matter? I feel very fortunate to have been invited to attend a party which clearly demonstrates Arabian women really know how to put on the glitz and ritz!