Expert advice, cultural insights, and practical guides to help you plan an unforgettable celebration.
Deep dives into the meaning and history of cultural traditions.
On September 11, 2026, Ethiopia enters the year 2019. Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, means "gift of jewels" and marks the end of the rainy season with yellow flowers, doro wot feasts, and coffee ceremonies that fill the house with frankincense smoke. Here's how the 200,000+ Ethiopian-Americans in the DC area and communities nationwide keep the tradition alive.
A Nigerian child doesn't fully arrive until they've been named before the community, blessed by elders, and tasted honey, salt, and kola nut for the first time. Here's how to plan a naming ceremony in the US: the seven symbolic items and what each prayer means, the naming order, the food spread, and how diaspora families adapt the eighth-day tradition to American work schedules.
The black cake has been soaking in rum since you got engaged, your auntie claimed the curry goat, and your DJ knows if he doesn't play "Is This Love" at least once your grandmother will unplug his speakers. Here's how to plan a Jamaican wedding in the US: the cake procession, the money dance, the music arc from reggae to dancehall, and why the party doesn't end until Tun T'anks Sunday.
The drums are pounding, the dabke dancers are in formation, and your groom is being carried on someone's shoulders through the hotel lobby while your uncle tries to keep the flaming sword away from the ceiling tiles. Here's how to plan a Levantine Arab wedding in the US: the zaffe entrance, the dabke that goes for 45 minutes, and a feast that could feed a small army.
It's not a one-day event. It's a 72-hour transformation: the telosh gift ceremony on Friday, the church crowning and reception on Saturday, and the melsi on Sunday where everything shifts to habesha kemis, braided hair, eskista dancing, and coffee poured from a jebena. Here's how diaspora families make every stage work in the US.
Your mom vaguely remembers her own tea ceremony from the '80s and your grandma's instructions are all in rapid-fire Cantonese. Here's exactly how to do it right: who gets served first, what tea and symbolic ingredients to use, where to buy the Double Happiness set, and the red envelope amounts nobody tells you about.
The haldi is supposed to be the fun one, until the turmeric stains your aunt's marble countertop and the paste runs out halfway through. Here's how to pull off the most photogenic pre-wedding event: the right paste recipe, a stain prevention strategy, $100-to-$400 DIY decor that actually looks good, and the photography tips that capture the golden chaos.
Your coworker just invited you, handed you an aso ebi color swatch, and casually mentioned something about "spraying." Here's everything a first-timer needs to know about attending a Nigerian traditional wedding, from the alaga's comedy routine to the palm wine search to how many singles to bring for the dance floor.
The frankincense is lit, the green beans are roasting, and for 30 minutes nobody in the room is checking their phone. Here's exactly how to set up a traditional jebena buna ceremony at your wedding or celebration, from sourcing the clay pot and green beans to handling venue fire codes.
