Marriage
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marriage-
Marriages in the Somali culture are often arranged and occur at the age of 15 or 16. Marriage is highly valued in the Somali culture and if a woman is not married by the age of 16 she is often considered flawed and thought to bring bad luck to her family. Marriage in the Somali culture is often viewed as a “rupture and renewal” signifying that the person is moving out of their parents household and starting their own family. Same sex marriages are not allowed by law.
Weddings are perhaps one of the most important aspects of the Somali culture. A wedding denotes not only the union of two souls but the relationship between two families and, more importantly, two tribes. The wedding involves various ceremonies before, on and after the wedding. Gifts are often exchanged between the families in exchange for the brides hand in marriage. On the wedding day a banquet of traditional food is served and a dance takes place after the marriage ceremony.
In northern Somalia, marriages were traditionally between nonrelated families, explicitly to enable the establishment of new alliances. In the south, the favorite spouse is a trilateral parallel cousin, real or classificatory. As a Muslim, each Somali man has the right to be married to four women. The divorce rate is high. In one southern study, half of all rural women in their fifties had been married more than once.
“Although non-arranged marriages have become more common in Somalia (SAPA/AP 30 Oct. 2006; Public Agenda 31 Oct. 2005), sources consulted by the Research Directorate indicate that arranged marriages, including forced marriages, still take place in the country.” Marriage traditions in Somalia indicate that in times when a marriage is arranged without consent of the couple, the woman may refuse the marriage if she gains her mother's support. To avoid this situation, the father or male relative of the woman may try to formalize the union without telling the family. Arranged marriages in Somalia can also take place through the conversation of women between sparring tribes, which is viewed as closing a peace agreement.
American Culture
It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his lover for her hand in marriage. If he agrees, the man will then propose. Most times he tries to make it a surprise in some romantic way. Sometimes, the couple will decide “it’s the right time.” The male usually gives his sweetheart a diamond ring to be placed on her left hand. The engagement can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few years.
http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Somalis-Marriage-and-Family.html
http://www.onepiecetravel.com/CULTURE/Marriage-of-American-Style--American-Culture--Western-Culture_273.html
http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=47ce6d7a2b
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/429952-modern-somali-weddings.html
Marriages in the Somali culture are often arranged and occur at the age of 15 or 16. Marriage is highly valued in the Somali culture and if a woman is not married by the age of 16 she is often considered flawed and thought to bring bad luck to her family. Marriage in the Somali culture is often viewed as a “rupture and renewal” signifying that the person is moving out of their parents household and starting their own family. Same sex marriages are not allowed by law.
Weddings are perhaps one of the most important aspects of the Somali culture. A wedding denotes not only the union of two souls but the relationship between two families and, more importantly, two tribes. The wedding involves various ceremonies before, on and after the wedding. Gifts are often exchanged between the families in exchange for the brides hand in marriage. On the wedding day a banquet of traditional food is served and a dance takes place after the marriage ceremony.
In northern Somalia, marriages were traditionally between nonrelated families, explicitly to enable the establishment of new alliances. In the south, the favorite spouse is a trilateral parallel cousin, real or classificatory. As a Muslim, each Somali man has the right to be married to four women. The divorce rate is high. In one southern study, half of all rural women in their fifties had been married more than once.
“Although non-arranged marriages have become more common in Somalia (SAPA/AP 30 Oct. 2006; Public Agenda 31 Oct. 2005), sources consulted by the Research Directorate indicate that arranged marriages, including forced marriages, still take place in the country.” Marriage traditions in Somalia indicate that in times when a marriage is arranged without consent of the couple, the woman may refuse the marriage if she gains her mother's support. To avoid this situation, the father or male relative of the woman may try to formalize the union without telling the family. Arranged marriages in Somalia can also take place through the conversation of women between sparring tribes, which is viewed as closing a peace agreement.
American Culture
It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his lover for her hand in marriage. If he agrees, the man will then propose. Most times he tries to make it a surprise in some romantic way. Sometimes, the couple will decide “it’s the right time.” The male usually gives his sweetheart a diamond ring to be placed on her left hand. The engagement can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few years.
http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Somalis-Marriage-and-Family.html
http://www.onepiecetravel.com/CULTURE/Marriage-of-American-Style--American-Culture--Western-Culture_273.html
http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=47ce6d7a2b
http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/429952-modern-somali-weddings.html