Anywhere in the world, marriage is a significant life milestone for couples and a significant family event. Today, we’ll go to my second home country, Ethiopia, where we’ll learn about the many unique traditions that are part of traditional Ethiopian weddings. Normal Ethiopian weddings last three days, so fasten your seatbelt. According to Ethiopian tradition, when a young man is ready for marriage, his parents must begin looking for a bride. When the male reaches the age of 18, his family may begin looking for the ideal spouse. The bride must remain virgin until her marriage, according to Ethiopian tradition. The family will feel ashamed if she doesn’t. In a typical Ethiopian wedding, the husbands are always older than the wives because of this. A mediator contacts the parents of the chosen woman to inform them that the man’s family is interested in them once the parents of a young man have found the ideal match for their son. The lady’s parents set forth restrictions and requirements that the young man’s family must follow if they accept the proposal. The mediator returns to the man’s parents, informs them of the situation, and then sets up a meeting time for the two families. After they meet and discover common ground, the young people get engaged, and the two families decide on a date for the wedding. All of the food, drinks, and other things needed for the event will be paid for by the families of the groom and bride. Long before the wedding day, the families start the festivities. The festivities start a few days prior to the wedding and last for several weeks, months, and, on rare occasions, an entire year. Ethiopia’s population is extremely diverse, consisting of over 80 different ethnic groups. Every ethnic group has unique marriage customs and traditions. As an example, in the Tigre cultural context, the women from the bride’s family get together to celebrate the forthcoming wedding by making Genfo, a dish that is well recognized as being from Ethiopia.
