In some areas of Egypt, especially the countryside, they force a bride to “de-flower” herself within the presence of her relatives to prove her virginity on the night of the marriage.
They form the bride to lie on the bed within the presence of her mother, her mother-in-law or sister-in-law, and also the groom. A “midwife” may additionally be brought in to assist. They use a white cloth to “take her honor”, a euphemism for breaching the bride’s hymen. The bloodied cloth is then displayed as proof so as for the celebrations of her purity to start.
Despite everything the marriage festivities have died down in an Egyptian wedding, the bride and groom will, of course, proceed to the marital chamber to consummate their marriage. Often, even in our modern-day and age, the fogeys and relatives of the bride and groom will literally sit outside of their bedroom, waiting to listen to if the bride was a virgin.
However, one version of this practice includes a midwife who is charged with following the couple into their room and deflowering the bride herself. She is going to use a white handkerchief to do so, and it’ll then be paraded before all the guests. The mother of the bride will sing in joy, and be joined by all the current women, celebrating the purity of their daughter and friend.
This makes marriage traumatic for my Egyptian brides. Modern couples may forego this ritual but Egyptian women who don’t seem to be virgins at marriage still besmirch their family honor. However, in the past, such a girl may need been killed by her family to expunge the dishonor, but today, the pressure for virginity remains strong.
That is so bad