The following topics I want to discuss in this article are: Music, Clothing and Traditional Omani Cuisine, without which it is not missing from any important event such as marriage, religious holidays and funerals.
Music without it, the party can't take place.
The first article will start with the music that is important at any event that takes place for the first time at a bride getting married. Music is not missing at the engagement or at the wedding.
In Oman, musical performances are wonderful opportunities to enjoy the wonderful rhythms of Arabic music, combined with the rhythms of Africa and the Omani passion for dance. After all, due to its location in the Arabian Peninsula, Oman has been influenced by varieties of cultures from India, Portugal, Yemen, Iran, and even Tanzania.
Music plays a major role in Oman and is a vital part of all important events in life, such as the birth, marriage and death of a person. Unlike other Arab countries, all Omani people participate in music regardless of age or gender. On national holidays, each region and government prepares its own celebration of Oman's culture.
There are over 130 known forms of traditional music in the country. Different regions of the country have their own famous musical cultures. Most of Oman's traditional music is accompanied by dancing and reciting poetry, although styles differ from region to region. But I will talk about traditional dances in Oman on other occasions.
At the engagement and wedding, Arabic music is danced and listened to. Women have fun and dance separately, where access to men is forbidden. That he is at the bride's house or at the party hall. Women lower their abbeys to show off their outfits and jewelry. In the old days it wasn't like that, it was very simple and without music like these days. The younger generations listen and dance to modern music, combining with Arabic music. Married women and young girls dance until the bride arrives and after the bride enters the hall. The dances stop after the groom enters the hall. But here I will talk in the next article about the wedding.
Traditional Omani clothing.
I thought of talking about the traditional Omani clothing, which today is famous for its color, embroidery and the fabrics of the clothes were related to the tradition of each tribe, although this is only the case.
Before His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said came to the throne in 1970, a variety of clothing styles were worn by both men and women. The main reason for this variation was the ever-changing borders between Oman and its neighbors, as well as their nomadic people. In the current national and regional borders of Oman, clothing styles often overlap these borders. As a result, several regions may share a number of clothing styles.
Beginning in 1970, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos initiated a series of changes in Oman to unite the people and lead the country. One of her first directives was on the theme of the Omani dress where a new national dress for men and women was declared. This initiative was not intended to replace existing regional styles, but only to choose a style that would become the nation's clothing identity for the first time in Oman.
I will talk about the men's outfit that reflects the modesty and, at the same time, the pride of the people of Oman, the characteristics of this costume, related to the environmental conditions, comfort and tradition, make it different from the costumes used in other Gulf countries.
The women wore their embroidered dazzles, and the men in their long dresses smiled kindly as they drove. The traditional dress of the country is both intriguing and functional, and in Oman it is a unique culture that has mixed many regional influences in its folds.
What men wear every day, long white dresses, called in Arabic dishdasha, at holidays and weddings, wear new, white dishdasha (or sometimes called Kandura) is a piece of cloth that stretches from the shoulder to the ankle, which makes up the natural dress of men in the Gulf countries. The variation in humans has some unique features and innovations in terms of tradition and environmental factor. It is also called the canvas of modesty.
Another object of the ceremony that the man uses at weddings, ceremonies and holidays is the Khanjar (ceremonial dagger), it is considered a symbol of heritage, identity, manhood and pride. In ancient times, the khanjar was used as a weapon against the attack of wild animals or enemies in the desert. It has become a symbolic weapon worn by men who reach adulthood.
In his hand, the man wears Assa (Walking Stick), made of bamboo or Khaiseran and Meez, from the Musandam or Jebel Akhdar mountains. Omani men use it for many purposes, to scratch their backs or knock on someone's door and it is also used as an accessory for traditional dances. It is also used in riding a camel or a horse, or beats goats or sheep.
The Omani man will take care of his hair and beard all the time. It is the most valuable hairstyle in the Middle East. Before the ceremony or marriage, the man will go to the men's salon and style his hair and beard.
The Omani hairstyle is the most distinctive of the traditional caps of the Gulf and is the most delicate product. It consists of two parts: the turban called mussar and inside it the cap called kummah. This national symbol of identity fully reflects the unique, simple and traditional spirit of the people of Oman.
The last thing on the kit is the shoes he buys to use for the wedding. The Omani man wears this kit for an engagement or wedding.
Women's clothing.
The traditional Omani dress is identified in women belonging to one community to another. Distinctions can be as simple as the length of the dress or the color of the headdress at the time of embroidery.
As Oman is a Muslim country, it is common for women to cover their heads. The hairstyle for Omani women called lihaf covers the head, neck of women and can even be wrapped around the face, although in Oman, it is not necessary for women to do so. In fact, the sultan forbade women to hold public office and cover their faces. Although some hairstyles are simple, most hairstyles can be found embellished with sequins and embroidery that make them quite amazing.
In many parts of Oman, in the country and very far from the city, Omani women met Kuhl. Its origin comes from Ancient Egypt. Worn by queens and noble women, it is used as eye protection against harsh radiation from the sun.
Kuhl is a paste obtained by burning an aromatic resin (fragments) and almond shells. This mixture is placed on a piece of cloth, normally cotton, and soaked in oil to preserve its properties. The authentic Kuhl has a black produndy color and a creamy consistency and feels cool when applied.
The Kuhl is too soft to keep as a pencil and therefore needs a stick for application. The modern container is made of silver.
The applicator is immersed and the kuhl is dragged to the inner edge of the eye. The shape of the eyes can be exaggerated by drawing a shape around them. But not only women but also men apply kuhl on the eyes.
Women love to be dressed in jewelry, from silver to gold. Oman has a very rich and distinctive tradition in jewelry. Due to the long history of the nations of navigation and trade, many influences of other cultures can be seen in local jewelry. Ancient trading partners such as India have a visible influence to this day. From head to toe, the feminine outfit includes silverware, especially among Bedouins. Traditionally, it is the family's savings account. If a family needs money, the woman may decide to sell some of her clothes.
In different regions of Oman, there are several styles of traditional dresses found throughout the sultanate, each region having unique characteristics. Distinctions are determined by the details of beauty, size or length, ornamentation, yarn type, fabrics and fashion.
Another important thing that the Omani woman can't help but wear to special events, weddings, holidays and why not for hand beautification, is henna. A temporary tattoo applied to the skin in various designs. The paste is prepared using henna leaf powder.
2 days before the wedding, the bride applies henna on her hands and feet, the henna dries and becomes dark in color.
In the past, women who could not afford jewelry began to adorn their hands and other body parts with henna ink to reproduce the shapes of bracelets and hanging jewelry. Depending on the body parts and the thickness of the skin, the heena stain represents different results permanently.
The bride can choose what to wear to the wedding, in a white wedding dress or in a traditional Omani dress. Nowadays, young girls choose to wear a wedding dress, rather than dressing as their mothers or grandmothers used to dress in traditional Omani dresses. But today many women with limited financial means dress in traditional Omani dresses.
In the past, Omani women traditionally wore wooden platform shoes under their long tunics, but nowadays it is not uncommon to wear flat sandals and shoes instead.
Traditional Omani cuisine.
Before telling what is served at the wedding and the traditional Omani engagement. I would like to talk briefly about traditional Omani cuisine. Omani cuisine is influenced by Arabic, Iranian, Indian, Asian, Eastern Mediterranean and African cuisine, reflecting Oman's position as a vast trading empire at the intersection of traditional spice trade routes. The dishes are often based on chicken, fish and lamb, as well as rice. Most Omani dishes tend to contain a rich mix of spices, herbs and marinades.
An integral part of Omani culture is qahwa, it is the perfect representation of the famous Omani hospitality, with a full course that reflects the exceptional, warm and welcoming essence of the Omani heritage.
Qahwa is not absent from the homes of locals, from weddings, engagements, funerals, holidays and special events. When guests are expected at the engagement or wedding, there are also waits with Omani coffee, a variety of Omani dates, fresh and dried fruit, Omani halwa along with other baked and roasted goodies. The Qahwa offering is almost ritualistic and is a direct representation of the warm and welcoming nature of the locals in Oman.
If the engagement and the wedding takes place at home it is all simple compared to the engagement and the wedding in the local (local party hall). Depending on the budget of each family, it can range from simple to extravagant.
As she said in the engagement article, before the bride comes to the gym, she offers Omani coffee and fresh fruit, halwa, water and all kinds of sweets and cakes. When the bride comes at 21.00, appetizers are given, it can be rice with chicken, lamb or it can be snacks, Mishakak, pies (sambosa) with vegetables and meat and other sandwiches can be engaged. Very simple, it can be at a wedding.
Now I want to tell you what kind of food was at my wedding. My wedding was at a hotel restaurant. If you are in a lobby, you must order food from a catering company. The caterers offer you all the services related to cutlery, but also to people to put on the table and gather from the table.
At my wedding all the snacks were put in the restaurant lobby. After we arrived at 21:00, in the hall all the guests were invited to taste the tasty food that was served.
Before my wedding took place, I chose the room where the wedding took place and how much we were offered to choose the menu for the wedding. At the restaurant in the Hotel, we were lucky to have a room as well as food, and we chose ornaments for the room.
I made a very rich menu of Arabic food and some European food. It was delicious and spicy. The choice is very big in Arabic cuisine.
