Engagement Party

This is the engagement party that we attended although it seemed more like a wedding reception in many ways.
The engagement party started at 5 pm but as the Garden doesn't close until 5:30 we never arrived at the party until approx 6:30 pm. We drove across 'the border' from Israel in to Palestine to a hotel in a suburb of Bethlehem. I can't remember the exact name but it would be like Richmond or Burnaby is to Vancouver.
The men were ushered to one room and we were led to the room where all the loud music was playing. As we entered we saw that the groom to be was giving his bride to be the jewerley she is wearing in the picture and placing rings on her fingers. People did turn to see us when we came in and we were looking for a table to sit at when the grooms mother came to get us and showed us to a table right at the front. At that moment is when it was time to cut the cake so I was able to get a few pictures. I was encouraged by the groom's mother to take pictures and even had her son and future daughter in law look directly to me so I could get a picture. After that I was approached by another lady wearing the scarves over her head (no ones face was covered), who said please no more pictures as some of the ladies were not wearing their scarves and so that would not be honoring to them if any of the men saw their picture. Once this part was over they started dancing, first just the groom and bride and then others joined in. The groom came towards us to say hi and welcome and then pulled us on to the dance floor. None of us knew what we were to do, but it seemed like we were to dance in honor of the bride. There were a couple of other Palestinian ladies on the floor too so we just tried to follow them. When we saw other ladies come on to the floor we made our way back to our chairs.
We were then given glasses of orange juice and some of the cake that had been cut.
After that for the next hour and half there was continous dancing with different people coming on to the dance floor to dance with the bride. There was a DJ and it seemed like he would announce something and then different people would get up and dance. We were also pulled up to the dance floor a couple more times for whatever reason, and again followed the other women as to what to do. The groom also stayed most of the time and would often jump on one of the tables or chairs and dance up there. He did go at one time to visit with the men.
Now Don says in 'his room' all they did was sit at a table and talk. There was no music. He said when they entered the room all the men stopped talking and looked at them. Sammy came and got them and ushered them as well to the front of the room. He then brought three 2 litre bottles of coke, a couple 2 litre bottles of sprite, a couple bottles of a strawberry/banana drink all for 5 men to share. Palestinians do not drink alcohol so none of that was served; but most of the men smoke so it was a smoke filled room. Don did take his puffer so had to use that a couple times on the way home!!
So it sounds to me like we had the better party, although my ears were ringing when we finally left around 8:15 pm!!!
The first couple pictures are of them cutting the cake. Notice what they are cutting it with. A VERY LONG SWORD!

He is holding the sword waving it over his head! She is not moving away, she is dancing!

Sharing wine together! They also fed each other a piece of the cake like we do in Canada.

Two cute little girls on the dance floor. It was so cute watching them as they were also moving their hands and hips to the music.

It was a great evening and we were back in our apartment by 9 pm as the party ended at 830pm. We left around 8pm and by then most of the women had left. Don said the men were wondering when did they know when their wife was ready to leave. Then they watched and saw the men would receive a text message, get up and leave!! Who says the woman doesn't have some control!!!

As we were about to leave, Sammy's wife asked a friend to take a picture of her with us. I also asked the friend if she would take a picture with my camera and Sammy's wife said no because she wasn't wearing her scarfs.

I asked Sammy on Saturday, what happens now. He says now that they are offically engaged they can see each other in private without a chaperone and can now touch each other in public. On July 8 they will have the wedding ceremony, but it is not held in a church, it is just a ceremony to say that they are now married. If Sammy's son wants to talk to his fiance now he must first talk to her father who will give him permission, but after the official wedding if the father wants to talk to his daughter he must ask Sammy's son first.

Sorry for the delay in getting this blog posted, but we had Saturday off so went to spend the day in Tel Aviv on the beach of the Mediterranean; then spent most of Sunday feeling miserable as I have finally got the cold that has been circulating around the staff. Also Sunday was a stormy rainy day with thunder and lightning, and huge wind gusts. We stayed indoors all day, listened to Pastor Robert's message from the previous Sunday, read, did cross stitch, and watched a couple of movies that we had brought from home. It was a very relaxing day.

Till next time...

Shalom

Don and Glenda