Bridal trousseau tradition at odds with rising Algerian prices

2009-10-16

Despite the high cost, Algerian families adhere to tradition when it comes to selecting their daughters' bridal trousseaux.

By Hayam El Hadi for Magharebia in Algiers – 16/10/09

[File] Mothers and daughters often disagree about bridal trousseaux items.

Creating the perfect bridal trousseau is a time-honoured ritual in Algeria and involves all the women in the family. Despite the cost, mothers feel compelled to gather as much as they can, from bed linens to apparel, to give their daughters the best start in married life.

Since Algerian tradition demands that a daughter have a complete bridal trousseau ready to go by the time she is 18, preparations begin early.

Mothers begin hiring women to embroider tablecloths, bed linens and other household items when the future bride is still a little girl.

In the past, young women gave in to all the whims of their mothers, aunts and grandmothers. Today, however, many are rebelling, preferring to buy their own trousseau items.

''All these embroidered and cross-stitch sheets are so old-fashioned; I really don’t like them," Hayet, a young white-collar worker, tells Magharebia. "My mother and grandmother ordered a number of them for me in pink, mauve and yellow. They've forced me to take them, even though I know I'll never use them. I prefer the latest colours, and sparkly motifs."

Her mother, Hakima, however, feels that Hayet's favourites would create the "wrong sort of impression in front of the in-laws".

A suitable trousseau "absolutely has to contain traditional linens; otherwise, this brings shame on the family in the eyes of the husband's family", Hakima asserts, adding, "I'm not going to back down on the essential items she absolutely must have."

"I've got nothing against modernity, but I'm very attached to our customs," she proclaims.

Lakhdar keeps a shop in one of Algiers' oldest districts, on what has been nicknamed "Bridal Street". He has seen first-hand how habits and tastes have changed over the years.

In the past, the girls were never consulted, he explains. "In my shop, I'd see the mothers, grandmothers and aunts. They were the ones who chose the material, the sheets, the bath towels and even the lingerie. The young brides weren't allowed to speak."

"Today, I see things that really make me laugh," Lakhdar continues. "The girls disagree with their mothers on the choice of design or colour. They want to choose more modern things. They're not very keen on pink, which makes the mothers livid, because they think a worthy trousseau must basically consist of pastel-coloured bed linens."

The reason why the trousseau has such great importance is Taalak. This very special Algerian tradition, a reference to placing new clothes on hangers, comes three days before the wedding. The bride's family brings the whole trousseau to her future home. The aunts and cousins then have to arrange it all in the wardrobe, under the appraising eyes of in-laws.

[FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images] Algerian families begin preparing for weddings years in advance.

"Often it's on the basis of what's in the trousseau that the girl is either respected or run down," notes Malika, who is in her sixties. "As you can imagine, the contents of the trousseau are gone over with a fine-tooth comb by the in-laws, hence the importance of getting it right."

The tradition, however, can place a heavy burden on the financial resources of young couples, very few of whom manage to get away with not observing it to the letter.

The trousseau has to include sheets, but also quilts, blankets and even mattresses. The future brides must also prepare suits, shoes and bags, which all have to match. The better-off families also buy crockery for their daughters. Others will think of the tiniest details, going so far as to give their daughters spice jars and electrical appliances. These are luxuries that less-affluent families cannot afford.

"I was only just starting work; I had the bare minimum," Amel tells us. "I didn't want my mother to display my trousseau. I really had to fight for them not to observe this ritual. My aunts were angry. For a long time they refused to speak to my mother."

In Tlemcen, where weddings can cost up to half a million dinars, young brides must prepare dozens of cases and at least five mattresses. The in-laws are also said to be very exacting, going through the bridal trousseau in minute detail.

Faced with this strong societal pressure, many Algerian families preparing to marry off a daughter have found a coping strategy.

They go for quantity over quality.

"There is just one thing on people's minds: filling the cases as much as possible so that they look good in front of the in-laws," says Mohamed, who keeps a shop in the Rue de la Lyre in Algiers. "In the past, the mothers were very particular. They would feel the material and demand the best for their daughters. Today, things are radically different."

For the parents of new brides – unless cost is no object – the need to assemble a large trousseau means they must forego the very best.

"Quilts from China, Pakistan and India sell better than those from Europe," Mohamed tells Magharebia. "The price difference can be as much as 5,000 dinars, and you need at least two for each trousseau, not to mention the bedding sets, of which there must be eight, the tablecloths, the bath towels and bathrobes."

Saida has been embroidering sheets for over 20 years. She inherited the craft from her mother, "who learned the trade from her mother", she tells us with pride. But as expectations for ever-larger quantities of bridal accoutrements have grown, so have the parents' expenses.

"I've always worked with families preparing their daughters' trousseaux, and in the past I never had any trouble with getting payment," Saida reminisces.

These days, she has to allow customers to pay by instalments. "It's only through offering this payment facility that I've been able to hold onto my work," she adds.

"It's a case of keeping up appearances, a kind of competition to outdo others by making everything bigger, better and more expensive," new bride Lila told Magharebia. "That's still the most exciting part of wedding preparations. People enjoy buying all these things."