Expert advice, cultural insights, and practical guides to help you plan an unforgettable celebration.
Deep dives into the meaning and history of cultural traditions.
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.
