Parallel Brides
A berdel, or double marriage, is the marriage of a brother and a sister to another brother and sister. It is a very elaborate matchmaking process which involves two families essentially swapping daughters to marry each others sons. It requires several meetings of both families to discuss many marriage details like when and where the daughters shall meet to switch families and be brought back to their new homes to be wed. It is a very intricate and stressful procedure and if not followed correctly, could end up in the cancellation of both marriages.
One of the advantages of the berdel is avoiding the mandatory donation of a bride price. A bride price is a certain amount of money from the groom's family or highly valued property or possession, given to the bride's family for the loss of a daughter, a worker and a member of the family and community. A bride price today may range from $2,000 to upwards of $7,000. The bride price will compensate for the loss of......
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