I am very attracted to the music in Israel of Yemenite origin. I hold the humble opinion that what we see in the Yemenite Israeli faces are the faces of our earliest ancestors.
There is no jewish community left in Yemen, thus joining a long list of Muslim or Arab countries that got rid of their jewish population.
It is a little known fact that nearly One million Jews from Arab countries were thrown out their millenial long residences after the establishment of the State of Israel and they are all well integrated into Israel, to which the majority went (there are no Jewish refugee camps in Israel) or France (Most Algerian Jews went to France, thus gave us Jacques Derrida, Attali etc).
Today a good friend of mine from Iran sent me photos of the wedding of her niece and was nice to note that the symbolism had pre-islamic Zoroastrian origins.
Sofreh Aghd (wedding table)
There is a very elaborate floor spread set up for Aghd, including several kinds of food and decorations, this is called Sofreh Aghd (Persian: سفره عقد). Items in the table include:
- The Herbs: Khashkhash (poppy seeds), Berenj (rice), Sabzi Khoshk (Angelica), salt, Raziyane (Nigella seeds), Cha'i (black tea leaves) and Kondor (Frankincense).
- The Pastries: Noghl, Baklava, Toot (Iranian marzipan), Naan-e Bereneji (rice cookies), Naan-e Badami (almond cookies) and Naan-Nokhodchi (chickpea cookie) are placed on the spread and traditionally served to the guests after the ceremony.
- Mirror of Fate and two candelabras, symbols of light and fire. When the bride enters the room she has her veil covering her face. Once the bride sits beside the bridegroom she removes her veil and the first thing that the bridegroom sees in the mirror should be the reflection of his wife-to-be.
- The Blessed Bread: A specially baked bread with calligraphy written on it.
- "Naan-o Paneer-o Sabzi": Bread, feta cheese, and greens are also placed on the spread to symbolize the basic food that is needed to sustain life. They are traditionally served to guests after the ceremony.
- Symbols of Fertility: decorated eggs, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.
- The Heavenly Fruits: pomegranates, grapes, apples.
- Coins: A bowl of gold or silver coins representing wealth and prosperity.
- The Sacred Text: The Avesta, Qur'an, Bible, or Torah is placed in front of the couple on the spread. Some families also add a poetry book such as Rumi's Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, Hafez's Divan, or the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi.
- Prayer Rug: A prayer rug (Jaa-ye Namaaz) or a traditional Iranian Termeh is placed in the center of the wedding spread. The spreadprayer rug, open in the Aghd-cloth is to remind the couple of the importance of prayer to God. The prayer carpet also includes a small cube of clay with prayers written on it (Mohr) and a rosary (Tasbih). Non-Muslim families may or may not omit the prayer kit.
I was drawn to the white cloth held over the heads of the bride and groom. Reminded me of the Chuppah under which a Jewish bride and groom stand during the ceremony.
A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric is held over the bride and bridegroom's heads (who are sitting by the Sofreh) by a few unmarried female relatives (bridesmaids). Two sugar cones made out of hardened sugar are used during the ceremony. These sugar cones are softly ground together above the bride and bridegroom's heads by a happily married female relative (and/or maid of honor) throughout the ceremony to shower them in sweetness. The sugar drops in the held fabric, not on their heads.
My friend informed me that it is called
SOFRE GHANDSAB
So it is time to be happy , celebrating this young couples wedding in Iran and also to remember various customs of the people around the world, celebrating happiness
MAZEL TOV
