In Arab culture,[1] the zaffa (Arabic: زفـّـة / ALA-LC: zaffah), or wedding march, is a musical procession with regional and cultural variety. When the procession reaches its destination, there is usually a party, more loud noises, and then dinner.[2]

By region

Zaffah is commonly held as a traditional and celebratory wedding procession in cultures throughout the Arab world, including the Levant such as in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, whereby it symbolizes the start of the wedding festivities. It is a lively and vibrant event that involves music, dancing, and cultural rituals.[citation needed]

Egypt

The Zaffa is also well-documented in many Egyptian movies ever since their start from more than a hundred years ago, which massively helped spread the ancient Egyptian tradition to the whole region.[1][3] An Egyptian zaffa may involve bendir drums, bagpipes, horns, belly dancers and men carrying flaming swords.[4]

Palestine (region)

Outside of a wedding context, Palestinian Christians perform a variety of zaffeh during Easter.[5][6][7]

ِA zaffa for a wedding may incorporate religious aspects such as religious chants.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b Egyptian Wedding Guide, 3 November 2021, retrieved 27 January 2023
  2. ^ Naroditskaya, Inna (23 May 2019). Music in the American Diasporic Wedding. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-04178-4. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  3. ^ "The Zaffa", Kaleela, archived from the original on 30 June 2022, retrieved 20 August 2025, Most believe it's an ancient Egyptian tradition that predates Islam. It's also been very well documented in Egyptian movies since their beginning over 100 years ago.
  4. ^ Dr. Maged El-Bialy, Egypt: Egyptian Weddings, A Feature Tour Egypt Story, retrieved 16 January 2023
  5. ^ "إجراءات إسرائيلية تمنع وصول المسيحيين بحرية إلى كنيسة القيامة لإحياء طقوس سبت النور (صور وفيديو)" [Israeli measures prevent Christians from freely accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Holy Saturday rituals (photos and video)]. An-Nahar (in Arabic). 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Only in Jerusalem: The Zaffeh Procession and the Hajmeh Descent". Jerusalem Story. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  7. ^ Chacar, Henriette (17 April 2020). "How Orthodox Christians are keeping Easter traditions despite lockdown". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  8. ^ "بالفيديو... لإعادة إحياء "عادة خليلية".. "الشيوخي" يزفان من محيط الحرم الإبراهيمي" [In a video... to revive a "Hebron tradition"... "Al-Shuyoukhi" are escorted from the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque]. Wattan News Agency (in Arabic). 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  9. ^ "أول زفة خليلية في الحرم الإبراهيمي منذ 1967" [The first Hebronite wedding procession at the Ibrahimi Mosque since 1967]. The New Arab (in Arabic). 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
Stub icon

This dance-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Stub icon

This Egypt-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.