Getting married to the love of your life is a beautiful feeling. It’s the intermingling of two lives, and you become exposed to your partner’s upbringing, culture, and family. And the best way to commemorate your love on your special day is to mix each other’s cultures and have a memorable wedding.

If you’re marrying an Israeli, we’ve got you covered! Here are Israeli wedding norms and cultures you can learn about to know what you would like to incorporate in your future wedding.

The Party Begins Days Before The Wedding

Sad about only getting one day to celebrate your big day? Well, Israelis have cracked the code with their week-long wedding celebrations! Of course, it’s entirely up to the couple and their families, but here’s what you can expect.

In Israeli culture, days before the wedding, the family celebrates the colorful tradition of “Henna”. This event involves applying rich and colorful henna on the bride’s hand to celebrate love, wealth, and fertility. You’ll also be surrounded by music, laughter, and dance as family members rejoice in your soon-to-be-married life!

Mikvah Bathing Ritual

Planning a spa day with the girls before your wedding? There’s a Jewish tradition for that! Well, it’s more of a purification ritual for brides where they submerge themselves in a Mikvah pool filled with rainwater!

While this ritual is more old-school, it’s still celebrated by Jews worldwide. Of course, the new-day brides have decided to make it more fun and have the Mikvah in a swimming pool and make a fun day out of it with the girls!

Fasting

Your wedding day is one where you feel most connected to your partner. And in Israeli tradition, many couples go the extra step and fast together on their wedding day.

Much like they do on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the wedding day fast is done to ask for forgiveness and blessing from God. The couple’s fast is traditionally broken when they have their first meal together as a couple. What a romantic start to married life!

Want to surprise your beau by learning their cultural language? We’ve got you covered. At Ulpan-Or, we provide Hebrew language learning courses online. They’re convenient, easy to follow, and yield excellent results! Be fluent in Hebrew and impress your in-laws today. Contact us for more information.