KUWAIT: People from various cultures take marriage rituals very seriously to the point that centuries-old traditions survive till this day. Though Kuwaiti society upgraded its approach to marriage with flashy wedding celebrations and lavish banquets, there are essential marriage rituals and protocols that appears to surpass time and space bringing the past and the present together. In contrast with many societies around the globe, the concept of dating between men and women seems to be almost nonexistent in old Kuwaiti society with courtship and matchmaking being more dominant till modern times.

After finding a suitable woman to marry, the marriage process begins with "Al-Dazah", basically a celebration involving the family of the bridegroom delivering the dowry and other presents to the family of the bride.

The most important part of marriage is something called "Al-Melcha", an event in which the husband and the bride's guardian sign the Islamic marriage contract or more commonly known in Arabic as "Aked Al-Nekah".

The event is usually celebrated at the Diwan of the bridegroom or at the mosque after "Isha" evening prayers during mostly a Thursday.

A wedding proceeding is usually optional; however, most choose to put on a celebration for this glorious occasion usually attended by members of both families, friends, and the public.

After the celebrations are done, the husband spends about a week at the house of the bride. After the seventh day, the family of the bride celebrates the occasion with "Al-Tehwaal", which is the process in which the woman would finally head to her husband's house.

What follows after the marriage is mostly visits by the family members of the bride, usually the mother, to the house of the husband's family to make sure everything is fine.

Despite some aspects of Kuwaiti marriage rituals disappearing, the process mostly remains intact during our modern era, giving the proverb "old habits die hard" a whole new meaning. - KUNA