חתונה ועיסוקי הנשים

When my brother got married, my father made a seven day and seven night (celebration) for him. Dancing and singing and…he made him the most beautiful wedding. He made him a wedding that lasted for seven days and seven nights, like (in) Iraq. He celebrated for him here as they used to do in Iraq. (My father said) “This is my eldest. I will do for him as they did for us in Iraq, we will do (the same) for him here.” He did not do the same for the rest (of his children). He only did it like that for his eldest child. The neighbours and family would come, all of them would gather, and they would do the sheva brakhot for him. They would drink, and dance, and eat, and go home at night. And the next day they would return one more time. They would do (this) for seven nights. When the bride immerses herself (in the mikva), she would stay home the next day, not leaving the house, so that no man would see her. They used to say that no man was allowed to see her until the wedding, when she (was) wearing the white dress. And during the ceremony, they woul also wed the groom…(and then) everyone (would) see her. The women would sit at home. Each woman had her own job. Seamstress, embroidery…what do they call it? Washing (laundry), and…wraps, they would make wraps. And then men (would) go outside and work…outside. The women would not go outside of the house. In the […] all the women would go out, outside. Each (women) would bring a plate, (with) whatever there was…fruit, cookies and that. They would sit, laugh, talk and converse and that, until the men would come home from work, and every woman would go into her house.