Wedding Customs - Celebrating a Joyous Occasion
In Algeria, as in all Arab countries, society revolves around religion and the religious customs of Islam. Marriage in Algeria is taken very seriously and is considered by most as a sign of maturity. According to the Qur'an, marriage must be based upon love. Algeria's wedding customs amongst those following the Muslim religion are much the same as in other practicing Muslim communities.
Algerian men and women are free to marry whomever they wish as long as the marriage partner is approved by the family. Parents have a more realistic view and can give their children practical guidance in selecting the appropriate marriage mate. Typically a man will express his love for a woman to his mother who will in turn "investigate" the family of the woman as to suitability. If she is approved the family will approached the woman's family to propose the union. A date will be chosen to visit the mosque so as to begin the engagement.
Much preparation takes place from the time of engagement. The family will begin purchasing clothing, household goods, wool and gold. This is referred to as shoura. The couple will spend time together getting to know each other well, sharing opinions and preparing a home. In Islamic culture, husbands and wives are to make mutual decisions and have equal claims in the marriage, it is therefore vital that the couple know each other well and recognize the roles they will take on before marriage.
Algerians believe that the more money that is spent on the wedding, the more proud the family can be. Weeks before the actual wedding, women begin gathering at the bride's house to prepare desserts such as makroud and baklava. The wedding meal will include couscous, meat and vegetables. The bigger the meal, the more generous the family is said to be.
Following the party, the bride is driven to the groom's home. Beautifully adorned in an intricate wedding gown, with make-up, excessive jewelry, and henna designs painted on her hands and feet, she is seated on a decorated chair in his house. All the guests dance and join in great reverie as they prepare to say farewell. The groom will then approach his bride and from that point forward they walk out as husband and wife. The newlywed couple is always surrounded by cheering family members and friends.
Algerian wedding customs may vary slightly depending how orthodox the family is and if the people follow other religions. Algerian weddings are truly an explosion of emotion and color. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to see a wedding procession during your holiday.
User Comments & Reviews
2010-03-02 16:19:29
Kat, Obviously you have not read my answer to Lisa explaining what happened in my situation. It would take nothing less than a miracle for your guy to obtain a Visa to come to the U.S.A.. unless you file for a Fiance Visa (in which case you must know him for 2 years) and have proof of this ---- letters, e-mails, photographs of both of you and him together so you will have to go to Algeria to meet with him and take these pictures.
2010-03-02 01:46:30
I have an algerian boyfriend whom I am madly in love with. I live in the United States and I really would like him to get a visa to come here. How can I do get started? Any help would be greatly appreciated. my email is katvoncullen@live.com
2010-02-23 22:52:43
Hello Ria , I cannot e-mail you as you did not give me an e-mail address. My guy tried to get Visitor Visa last month and they turned him down. Any help you can give me would be so very much appreciated. How can I contact you?
2010-02-23 01:23:56
Joyce, it is easier to get married here in the Us then doing it in Algeria, getting married is easy but if you want him to be with you sooner, he needs a visitor visa for the Us once he gets here you get a marriage license, get married file for immigration it so easy! email me if you need more information i can help you get the right forms. been there before, i know few tricks!
2010-02-21 05:00:19
Khaled you are so wrong about the religion allowing for wives... yes the religion allows it but the man can never get a second wife without his 1st wifes approval and he has to treat all his wives the same, which is humanly impossible. The four wives thing took place because men were dying in the war back then and there were not enough men to have only one wife, so they would have 2,3,or 4 wives to beable to support the women and her children.
2010-02-16 22:25:02
Lisa, if you plan to marry him -- you are going to have to go to Algeria to accomplish this and then file for a Spouse Visa to get him to the United States. I am also an American and I have been dating my Algerian guy for over 2 1/2 years over the net. I wear his rings which he sent to me and finally last month he went for his interview for a Visa to come to the U.S.A. and was denied the Visa. I had sent him a Certificate of Invitation, helped him fill out two forms -- the DS-156 and the DS-157 and even had my local Congressman send an e-mail on his behalf. All of this meant nothing. I hope to hear back from you.
2010-02-16 05:38:09
Hi, I am american and have been dating an algerian over the net for over a year now. He want to visit me here in america and we do plan to get married. He asked me to send him an invitation but I have no clue as to how or what to do. Can anyone help me please. asap. I am so ready for him to come but dont know what to do. Please email me with some answers. mslisab03@yahoo.com
2010-02-15 07:37:24
Joyce, please visit the Algeria.com forums, as there are a number of posts regarding this topic there. You will also find the members to be extremely helpful.
2010-02-12 14:07:00
I guess no one has an answer for me or chooses not to answer me. I wish someone could give me the answer I am looking for. How long must I stay in Algeria before we can be married?
2010-01-08 16:23:46
Hi Malaika, Good wishes on your upcomimg marriage. How did you meet your Algerian husband to be? Can you tell me something about marriage in Algeria? I have heard that it takes quite awhile before the marriage can take place. Also, where will you stay when you arrive? I cannot stay at my guy's home because man and woman who are not married cannot be alone in house and his mother would never allow me to be there with him alone. There would be no privacy for us while we were waiting for marriage to take place. I must bring him here to U.S.A. but it is very difficult.
2010-01-07 18:22:28
I am an American ---- I want to go to Algeria to marry my guy and bring him to U.S.A. How long must I live in Algeria before the marriage can take place? Please answer A.S.A.P.
2010-01-03 21:21:11
Hi rose i am algerian ,your husband need your permition to mrry another women by tradition and religion but he can get married without no written permition
2010-01-03 18:14:17
yes he can marry her without your permission cause our religion allow us to marry 4 wifes but with some conditions... the first one is equity between his wifes
2009-12-31 02:12:27
Hi, iam canadian marrying an Algerian, i am going to algeria to marry him. I cant wait to be his wife we love each other very much! An Algerian wedding will be the event of my life!!
2009-12-12 16:46:31
well im british married to an algerian for 18 years this nov he married a second wife i live in london he lives with her in algeria can he marry her without my written permission
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