Marriage in Morocco



Marriage in Morocco – By Omar Errouch
Marriage is Morocco’s richest traditional event which is closely connected to ancestral traditions and customs. A joyful celebration and a welcome opportunity for a social gathering, marriage is celebrated for days. The wedding practices evolve around the beauty of the bride, the unity of the family of the two spouses and the life within community.
Despite the western style of life that gains ground in our society, young Moroccans have a strong nostalgia and high esteem for ancestral traditions and customs that have deeply marked the life of our country,” says historian and member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Professor Abdelhadi Tazi.
Young generations cherish and cling on to genuine Moroccan traditions. We feel a desire to revive the ancestral Moroccan traditions, which reflects our multifaceted history and cultural heritage,” he says.
Though marriage ceremonies vary from one region to another, they all share many common aspects. The marriage process starts with the engagement meeting, called Khetba. At this stage, the groom’s family asks for the hand of the bride. Once the bride and her parents accept, the united families start discussions about the wedding ceremony. These discussions revolve around the bride’s dowry and the date and cost of the ceremony. During Khetba period, the groom offers some gifts, notably jewelry and clothes, to the bride.
After the engagement, there is a private ceremony, attended by the closest relatives and friends, to seal the marriage certificate. An Adoul, a religious man certified by the government, manually draws up this certificate and the two spouses sign the necessary documents. According to the Islamic religion, two witnesses should accompany the Adoul, who also attests that the spouses and families have agreed. Even though the legal marriage has taken place, the spouses cannot live together until other matrimonial steps have been completed.
After this ceremony, it is time for the Big Night, called “Eers”, this ceremony is one of Morocco’s proudest rituals, as it involves the finest cuisine, traditional outfits, music, and a lot more.
A traditional Moroccan wedding starts with the ceremony of Hammam day, where the bride goes to the traditional, public bath with the closest women of her family. This ceremonial milk bath is meant to purify the bride. The whole ceremony is accompanied by songs and ululations.
After the Hammam, the bride wears a traditional dress, usually green, and has her hands and feet painted with fascinating designs of henna. It is the Henna ritual supervised by the “Nekacha”, a talented woman that the bride’s family hires to decorate their daughter with henna. Other members of the family have a finger or hand done with henna as well. This ceremony is attended only by women who are connected to the bride in some way. Everyone sings joyfully for the bride while dancing. This ritual symbolizes prosperity.


Moroccan clothes are traditionally rich and varied - variety of fabrics, shapes and colors expressing a certain art of draping - Moroccan costume for man or woman comes by local cultures of each region or each social group.

Two major trends emerge, namely the urban dress and country dress,  in both cases the use of various devices is used to enhance the look and divert the attention of potential weaknesses of the body.
The constant among men is wearing a Djellaba which is a loose clothing. Woolen fabric or lightweight, it is equipped with long wide sleeves and a hood
Moroccan clothes for women are also diverse.
The Haik, a sort of cloak of fine cloth large and white, is the rule especially in rural areas, and in certain regions. When you leave the city, you will see increasingly rural women in the female version of the djellaba.
They usually wear the Qmis(long jacket) underneath, a lightweight fabric covering a seroual (baggy pants).