Swaying through the culture

Sri Lankan traditional bridal is called “Kandyan Bride”. The dress is called Kandyan Saree. Includes a very elegant set of ornaments with the Kandyan saree. This set of jewellery is made up of over 20 pieces with a unique and exquisite design. Similar to Indian jewellery, these pieces of jewellery was popular among women belonging to the royal families in ancient times, during the periods of Sri Lankan kings. Kandyan jewellery comes from the hill capital of Sri Lanka. This set of jewellery is handmade and designed especially for royal families. It carries symbols of wealth, prosperity, strength, wellbeing, virtue, passion, and eternity. At the periods of kings, these pieces of jewellery are made using real gems and gold with red and pink rubies, Sapphires, emeralds, and pearls. As time passed by it became the main accessories to be worn on their wedding day as a tradition and was given the name “Udarata Abharana Kaatalaya”. There are seven necklaces included in this jewellery set. Th

Even though I am Somali I don’t know much about the history of the wedding culture how it has changed over the years. Before covid hit, I remember going to at least 4 weddings a year. Some might find this to be a crazy amount but for a Somali girl and especially in my family that’s not a lot. I have a very large family, seriously it's ridiculous. Let me put it this way both my mother and father have 10+ siblings each and their children have now had children. I’m also part of a large tribe so someone is always getting married. Even though I’ve been to many Somali weddings I don’t know what steps the bride and groom must go through and what rules and customs they have to follow. While I was doing the research for this article I was able to sit down and talk to the women in my family and ask about our history and what traditions do we follow and what has changed over the years.  To give you some background information Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa. The country is nick

Somali women have always made it a priority to take care of their beauty. Skincare has always been important especially when they are going to an event or a bride before her wedding. It was both a beauty and cultural practice. Qasil Growing up I would see my mother making a homemade green mask as a weekly self-care ritual or when there was a special occasion. The women in my family would get together and apply different homemade treatments/remedies and It was a bonding experience Qasil powder has been applied by Somali women for centuries to achieve clear, smooth, and brighter skin. Qasil powder is derived from the leaves of a tree native to Somalia. Its scientific name is ziziphus jujube. The leaves are collected then dried and crushed into fine powder to then use. This magic powder can be used as a cleanser to wash and clean the skin. it can fight bacteria and prevent bacterial infections from forming on the skin like acne. It also has antioxidant properties to help the skin fight su

Fashion has changed for Pakistani brides in the past few decades. Brides would wear more traditional outfits but nowadays brides follow whatever trends are most popular. Their outfits are less traditional, and they follow more international/western trends and make a blend with the local trends. This is a short essay pointing out what trends have changed for brides from the ’70s till now. The actual wedding routine and ritual have remained the same. All Pakistani weddings follow this routine where they start with the Mehndi (henna) event. They wear yellow or green dresses with simple looks, then you have the Nikkah, wedding day following that is the Walima that happens on the next day. This is when the groom invites his friends and family to lunch or dinner. Overall, Brides in Pakistan wear red colors, but after a huge entry of fashion designers in the 1990s that has changed. Brides still prefer red or shades of red or combination with red. The brides are the most prominent person at th

Marriage is a ritual that has been practiced since the creation of mankind when Adam took Eve as his wife. Although marriage rituals change over time, the beauty preparations of brides from skincare routines to makeup on the D-day remain unchanged, though done differently depending on one’s culture and heritage. Every modern-day Nigerian bride undergoes a double wedding; first, the traditional wedding which is known as “igba nkwu” in the Igbo language, followed by the white wedding which was adopted so that the marriage can be officially ordained by a priest, a pastor, or an imam. While the groom and male relatives of both the bride and the groom are busy with the preparations for the ceremony, the bride's mother, female relatives, and bridesmaids prepare the bride physically and mentally for the ceremony. The bride's most important task is to look the most beautiful among all maidens because she is being given in marriage to another family and should be the center of attention