Dating and Marriage in Afghanistan

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In Afghanistan, the process of dating, engagement, and marriage are three very organized circumstances. A lot of planning from the parents of each the bride and groom-to-be goes into the union of the two children. The planning can begin as early as when the child is ten years old, which is when the parents sometimes begin looking for appropriate suitors for their child. When they believe they have found the one, they get approval from both families, and that is when the two are brought together, or “engaged.” The families then plan the wedding, and it is then that the two are legally bounded to each other and are married.
Dating is a very rare situation in Afghanistan, in fact it is almost completely unheard of. Young people typically don’t get a chance to go on “dates” with people they know, due to the fact that they have gender separated schools. Another factor that makes dating almost impossible is the strict law that forbids them from going outside of their home past a certain time; 7:00 PM for the women and 11:00 PM for the men. They are also not allowed to meet without a responsible chaperone-like adult watching over them. These factors make dating a very complex situation, which is why it almost never happens. Rather than dating, most boys and girls are “introduced to each other by their families after their matrimonial union is already settled” (Crawford, “Dating Customs Around the World”). Some Afghan unions are arranged when the child is as young as ten years old, not even giving the child a chance to date. When the women of the family believe they have found a fitting groom for the young girl, they ask for opinions from the men of the family. If the men agree with the women, then the pair becomes “engaged.”
In Afghan...

... middle of paper ...

...ether it be the family finding a suitable significant other for their child, or the child “dating” which is incredibly unlikely, to the engagement of the two, to the wedding that officializes their union. It takes a lot to legally pair two people together in Afghanistan, and it is very different than marriage in any other country, which makes it is a very unique, special situation for everyone involved.

Works Cited

Muzaffary, Fazl R. "Afghan-Muslim Wedding." Afghan Muslim Wedding. N.p., 17 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Crawford, Colleen. "Dating Customs Around the World." Dating Customs Around the World. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
"Afghan Weddings." Afghan Weddings. Web.
13 Jan. 2014.
"Traditional Wedding in Afghanistan." Traditional Wedding in Afghanistan. Web.
13 Jan. 2014.
Monsutti, Alessandro. "Culture of Afghanistan." Culture of Afghanistan. Web.
11 Jan. 2014.

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