Kuwaiti Wedding- "Yalwa"

Last night my family and I attended the Kuwaiti wedding of one of my sisters in-laws. She was a woman in her 50's getting married for the first time so it was a small family event held at one of their houses. There were older women attending so we got to see the dances of old Kuwait which was way cool. There was something new that I had not seen before, all of the brides family were wearing green as was the bride, she sat down in a chair and the women held a green satin spread over her head as they sang a traditional song for her. My sister and I held the spread and it was really nice to be involved with an old tradition. It's called "Yalwa".

 These are some things not seen any more in weddings as the new generation frown on old traditions and prefer more modern venues that involve spending way too much money to prove one's worth. All women try to outdo one another during these celebrations but I really enjoyed the one last night as it felt more like a family situation where the bride interacted with her guests. I really wish I had videos of old wedding traditions. I would love to have those for my daughter to celebrate when it's her turn to walk down the aisle.

Maybe one day I might sit with the older women and write down their stories of old traditions before it's too late. The children of the future generations may never know how things used to be if no one takes the time to teach them the old ways.

You can read about old Kuwaiti traditions here: (link)