The Wedding

I attended a protestant wedding yesterday. We were told there would be a small ceremony and that’s it. We were given invitations and a pink slip for admittance into Ambassador Park. Early that morning we chartered a taxi to the house of the groom (we are friends of the groom). It was actually a small compound with several houses clustered together. We entered a small house made of mud. They are called ‘natural homes’ by Ethiopians. Natural home are made of mud and straw, ppl I spoke to said they are like cement. They pack the mud and straw together, some are made with sticks standing vertically with mud in between. Some are painted, some are not. The house we were in was painted inside and out. Decorations were put up all over the house which consisted of 2 rooms. The room we were sitting in and a small adjacent kitchen. The room we sat in had several chair in it a bed against the wall on the right of the door and a couch against the wall across from the door. The lights were on and there were a few religious posters up. The groom’s family is orthodox Christian. We learned that we were in the home of the groom’s grandmother: the Matriarch. I hear tell she’s been saying she’s 85 for several years now, she has certainly been around much longer. We sat down on the couch chit-chatting with the groom’s uncle. The groom was getting dressed in his house, beside that of the grandmother. The uncle went to get the grandmother who was in another house. She came inside and we all stood and gave greetings, she gives wonderful kisses. She holds your face and kisses you on both cheeks twice, alternating as is tradition. She then motioned for us to sit and we did. We had had a bite to eat before leaving so our stomachs were not empty. More family members came and sat in the chairs, all of a sudden it became very busy. Ppl were going and coming and we were offered something to eat. ‘no thank you we are fine’ are you sure really? Tinesh (little, not to be confused with ‘dinitch’ - potato) have a little.’ Really that’s ok. ‘you sure? ok’ about 3 times they came back and offered so we finally relented and said ok, tinesh. ‘yes of course, tinesh’.

we should have known better.

One person came out with a bowl and a pitcher of water. With them we washed our right hands. And out came the injerra. We all took some and some wat came out. This was of a dark red color with lamb in it. Oh this is nice, tinesh, amasakenalo (thank you). ‘ishi’ We began eating, then some more food came out, it looked like curry to me, potatoes, carrots, lamb. We figured that that was it. After that, rice came out and soon we each had a large plate of food. More ppl came and ate and we struggled to finish the food. ‘anything to drink?’ some ppl had a light homemade beer (T’ala) others had juice or chai (tea). The pitcher, bowl and a bar of soap came out and we all cleaned our hands.
Shortly thereafter we heard men singing and clapping from the groom’s house. The groom and his friends came out, singing and clapping, ppl came out of the neighbouring houses and clapped along. The women made that lo-lo-lo-lo sound. The men made their way to grandmother’s house. They and the ppl already inside made a semi-circle around the groom, grandmother and the groom’s uncle and his cousin, who were seated. Everyone else was standing and clapping and singing. A particularly energetic man who was leading the song went around a spritzed perfume on everyone, starting with grandmother. After a while the groom kissed grandmother on both cheeks and went outside, each person in the room (which was packed) did this and mad either way outside to the compound, all the while singing. After a little bit the crowd quieted down while the man leading (I’ll just call him the best man from now on) prayed. Amin. Everyone proceeded outside the compound where there were more ppl waiting outside, neighbours were looking on curiously. The groom boarded a brightly decorated car, then ppl entered their cars and we proceeded to the bride’s house. Ppl put on their hazard lights, beeped their horns all the (long) way to the bride’s house. The cars parked at a small village, where neighours were looking on. Ppl came out of the cars and resumed singing and clapping. We stood outside of her house, men singing, women clapping. This time however, singing could be heard from inside the bride’s home. The voices were of women however. So men were singing outside and women singing inside. Then the men went inside and the 2 groups met. As many ppl as could fit into the small natural home went. The 2 met and sat on a couch. Ppl took pictures and sang. They took pictures of them. Then someone else led everyone in prayer.

Singing and clapping again as the bride and groom made their way into the wedding carriage. Everyone now, bride’s family and friends and groom’s family and friends made their way in their cars, horns beeping, hazard lights blinking all the way to Ambassador Park.

Kemetian
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check it out:
www.natureworksforyou.co
m

"Pour libation for your father
and mother who rest in the
valley of the dead. God will
witness your action and
accept it. Do not forget to
do this