Wedding celebrations in Egypt are rites of passage into adulthood. The three stages in a rite of passage as suggested by Frenchman Arnold van Genned are separation, liminality, and reaggregation. (Turner 1982: 202) But in this wedding celebration are the males and females of the society going through a similar “initiation” into the adult married world? No, they are not because even though the couple is going through the wedding rite of passage at the same time, the bride has a different experience than the groom. This is due to Egyptian societies high practice of the traditional Arabic wedding over the more modern Christian love based wedding. (Mordecai 1999: 48) Egypt 's strongly enforced gender roles highly correlate with the groom's significance to the wedding celebration over the bride's.
The first step to the Egyptian wedding rite of passage occurs when the bride and groom are separated not only from one another but basically from their entire opposite sex. At this stage of the wedding the distinction between the males role in the celebration compared to the females becomes apparent. “The parents have a right to force a daughter into marriage ( haqq al-jabr ) to a man she does not like and to prevent her from marrying the man she loves.” (Barakat 1993: 109) The terms of the marriage are agreed upon with only the males of both families, giving little to no say for the women in the decision making process. (Kader 1987: 39) After the “bride price” has been set by the groom and the bride's father the daughter finally has a chance to voice her opinion in the matter. (Kader 1987: 39) She may be able to demand a larger amount for her dowry based up her appearance, talent, or property ownership. (Kader 1987: 40) However, the groom clearly has the most control over the situation, distinguishing the role of the male as more significant then the role of the female when composing the bridal contract.
The signing of the contract at the wedding celebration begins the second stage of the rite of passage, liminality. (Turner 1987: 202) During this middle stage the Bridegroom signs the contract or “yekteb ketaboh” with the bride's father in front of each family member at the wedding. (Hanaa Fawzy, Personal Communication, 2004) The actual presentation of the contract parallels the “communication of the sacra,” which is the part of the rite of passage where an important object to the celebration is displayed. (Turner 1987: 202) In Egyptian culture when the groom partakes in yekteb ketaboh he becomes responsible for the cost of the wedding. (Hanaa Fawzy, Personal Communication, 2004) The traditional Egyptian mindset that a groom should pay for the celebration differs from American weddings where the bride's family covers the expenses. This cultural reverse again enforces the male dominance in Egypt . Therefore, while the groom takes time to signature the papers, the bride must sit in another room, again removed from a vital part of the celebration. (Mordecai 1999: 48) At this point of the ceremony the bride and groom are beginning to experience their new roles towards society once the wedding celebration has ended. Given the responsibility of signing the contract, the groom learns to take charge and be in command, while the bride partakes in her role as the more subservient partner in the relationship. (Bibars c2001: 115) However, in the next step of the Egyptian wedding rite of passage the bride and groom will reunite and for one segment both will share an identical level of involvement in the celebration.
“Fostering of communitas” is the only part of the celebration where the bride and groom equally participate. (Turner 1987: 202) During the Zeffa, a spirited parade that welcomes the bride and groom to the reception, the recently married couple shares similar feelings of excitement for their new roles in society. ( http://www.touregypt.net ) However, the couple has not yet rejoined the rest of the wedding party and is still separated from family and friends throughout the duration of the “wedding march.” (Mordecai 1999: 48) The main celebration which follows will conclude the rites of passage for the now married couple, but will not leave the male and female with the same status to the public.
The wedding reception following the Zeffa rejoins the bride and groom with the rest of the wedding party. This part of the celebration corresponds with the reaggregation stage, because the two are being welcomed back to the community and feasting and rejoicing takes place. (Turner 1987: 2002) In rural areas some families hold separate celebrations for the bride and groom because they are celebrating different new roles in society. (Mordecai 1999: 48) In either case, the mother of the bride travels to the newly weds' residence to fill their fridge and cabinets with home cooked food to complete the celebration. (Hanaa Fawzy, Personal Communication, 2004) By assigning the task of cooking to the bride's mother, Egypt 's stereotypical cultural belief that women should be domestic is revealed. With the completion of the celebration and preparation of their new home, the two married adults are officially joined in matrimony. However they remain separated by their gender roles. (Bibars c2001: 115) The groom celebrates his recently acclaimed title as “the sole breadwinner” and family provider, while the bride now must acknowledge her title as caregiver to husband and potential children. (Bibars c2001: 115)
Egyptian weddings are thrown for the purpose of celebrating a new couple's marriage, but are also used as a means of encouraging and supporting the strictly enforced gender roles seen in the nation. As a rite of passage celebration, an Egyptian wedding follows the three major stages of separation, liminality, and reaggregation, but has very strong gender implications. “Marriage has been directly related to the segregation of the sexes and the conception of marriage as a family or communal affair.” (Barakat 1993: 109) Since Egyptians practice a traditional wedding, which highlights the separation of gender, the bride and groom share feelings of communitas only because they are both progressing on to the next stage of their lives. The bride and groom go through the wedding day celebration rituals together, but in fact are having totally different experiences. As friends and family gather for the wedding celebration the rite of passage is completed and the gender roles are cemented. The groom learns and accepts his recently acclaimed role as an Egyptian husband, while the woman accepts her more submissive role as an Egyptian wife.