Historians agree that the thought of the shabka, a gift given to a bride from the bridegroom, often jewelry and particularly engagement and wedding ceremony rings, dates again to the traditional Egyptians. The drawings on the partitions of some historic Egyptian temples are proof.

The concept of the marriage ring got here from the idea that the circle of a hoop is a logo of everlasting love. A bride’s ring was often fabricated from reeds or papyrus, as was the customized of the traditional Egyptians. Different historic cultures imitated the thought, however with alterations to go well with them.

The Romans used the custom to point the love between a married couple, arising with the thought of a marriage ring constructed from silver or gold. Within the Center Ages and the Renaissance period in Europe, new particulars had been added, equivalent to totally different designs or inscriptions and treasured stones.

Nonetheless, gold rings like different items of gold jewelry have been changing into increasingly costly lately, threatening the continuation of this historic customized. The liberalisation of the foreign money change market and the floating of the Egyptian pound in 2016 have contributed to the rise within the worth of gold.

Costs recorded a 37 per cent improve from 2016 to 2020, as the value of a gram of 21 carat gold rose from LE500 to about LE685. From 2020 to early 2022, gold costs elevated by 31.4 per cent, after the value of a gram elevated to about LE900.

Costs went up additional to start with of June, rising 37.7 per cent with the value of a gram of 21 carat gold leaping to about LE1,240.

This month, the value of a gram is about LE1,650 and the value of a kg about LE1,423,375 after the second devaluation of the Egyptian pound. The greenback is now at round LE24.6 to the pound, and this too has had an impact on the value of gold, making it increasingly tough for the normal shabka wedding ceremony presents to be offered to Egyptian brides.

Professor of jurisprudence on the Faculty of Islamic and Arab Research at Al-Azhar College in Cairo Ahmed Karima informed Shabbek information that marriage presents are a part of the tradition of individuals internationally and aren’t simply confined to Arabs or Muslims.

After the appearance of Islam, the customized was to current a present to the bride, Karima mentioned, although this was not jewelry or gold. Some grooms used to supply garments or perfumes. Gold may very well be a present or a part of a bride’s dowry as some Egyptians do immediately. 

“I used to purchase gold, however now I don’t purchase it for myself as a result of it’s so costly. I purchase gold presents for my kin, however I’ve to avoid wasting up for months to purchase a small piece like a gold earring for a new child child lady,” commented Marwa, a lawyer residing in Faisal Metropolis.

“I purchase gold cash as a lot as I can, as it’s a manner of investing cash as a result of the value of gold at all times will increase,” mentioned Hadya, a resident of Mohandessin in Cairo. 

“A few of my kin might afford to purchase a shabka present for LE100,000, whereas others might solely purchase a gold ring for his or her brides as a result of that was all they might afford,” mentioned Amal who lives in Giza and was purchasing within the Mashabek space. 

“All of it is dependent upon the funds you could have.” 

It is because of this that initiatives are being launched immediately to assist younger males contemplating marriage to marry both with out shabkas of gold or to purchase symbolic presents as an alternative for his or her brides.  

MARRIAGE WITHOUT GOLD: Galal Rabie is without doubt one of the co-founders of Zawag Bidoun Dahab, or “Marriage with out Gold”, which goals at selling marriage with out growing monetary burdens.

“The concept emerged in 2016 after I was speaking to colleagues at work about marriage. I used to be shocked that the value of a gram of gold had reached LE430 and was nonetheless going up. I used to be much more shocked on the extravagance that exhausts younger individuals, given the excessive costs of dowries,” Rabie mentioned.

“I needed to succeed in out to the mother and father of those younger individuals, so I got here up with the thought of the initiative which was first referred to as “A Burden-less Marriage with out Gold”. 

Rabie coordinates the initiative from his dwelling in Beni Sweif governorate, the thought being to ease the burden on the shoulders of younger individuals at a time when the phenomenon of the reluctance to marry has turn into noticeable in lots of societies. 

“One of many causes is the younger man’s lack of accountability and need for higher freedom away from marital obligations. In Western societies, some individuals choose to dwell with their companion outdoors marriage. This isn’t acceptable in Jap societies,” Rabie mentioned. 

For that reason alone, it was essential to make life simpler for younger males contemplating marriage and to work in opposition to the phenomenon of younger individuals dropping the thought of marriage altogether with a purpose to dodge the monetary burdens that include it. 

“The influence of the financial features and the shortcoming of younger males to satisfy the calls for of the bride’s household because of the excessive dowry are among the many causes that result in their reluctance to marry,” he mentioned. 

In accordance with Central Company for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) figures, in 2019 marriage charges in Egypt decreased by 25 per cent earlier than barely recovering in 2021.

“The intention of our initiative is to speak in regards to the need of younger individuals to marry in inexpensive circumstances,” Rabie mentioned, including that they discuss to folks and the residents of each city and alley they’ll discover. Additionally they need to right the misconceived notions of the mother and father of a bride who might want an extravagant and opulent shabka that’s past a median younger man’s funds.

“Simply 5 or 6 days after the marketing campaign began, I obtained many encouraging messages. Individuals began speaking about it, and step-by-step we’ll discover a answer,” Rabie mentioned, including that his group now works within the Beni Sweif, Minya, Daqahliya, Sharqiya, Giza, Alexandria, Qena, Assiut, Sohag, Gharbiya, and Arish governorates.

“Some 23 conferences have been organised in several governorates, and greater than 27 marriages have been formalised solely because of the initiative,” he mentioned.  

An answer to the monetary burdens suffered by younger males doesn’t imply that the rights of younger ladies are ignored. “We’re preserving a bride’s proper to write down down the quantity of gold agreed upon within the marriage certificates, whereas accepting a small present from the groom earlier than marriage. On the identical time, the bride’s household reduces the remainder of the prices,” he added.

It is usually not only a male-oriented initiative. There are a whole lot of ladies within the initiative, usually chosen by means of social media. They even select ladies as coordinators for every governorate they work in, Rabie mentioned.

“I hope that we succeed for the sake of younger individuals who want to marry, however are unable to fulfil the exaggerated marriage necessities that burden them. The concept of the initiative is to ease the burden on every younger man who needs to marry,” he mentioned. 

“Given the present monetary circumstances of most younger individuals, I believe that initiatives like ‘Marriage with out Gold’ are doing a great job when it comes to elevating individuals’s consciousness about being affordable on the subject of dowries and presents for brides. Some individuals ask for 3 jewelry units for his or her daughters, which is an excessive amount of actually,” mentioned Nada, the mom of two boys residing in Giza.

“We plan to proceed our campaigning from metropolis to metropolis, from village to village, and from home to deal with to make marriage simpler for everybody,” Rabie concluded. 

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: “These days clients largely purchase gold bars,” mentioned Mohamed Gamal, a gold store proprietor in Giza. “In some instances, they purchase outdated gold items which can be cheaper for his or her private use or simply to maintain them. They often search the items that weigh the least,” he added.

“Prospects from totally different monetary backgrounds purchase gold. Anybody who has cash buys gold to hedge in opposition to fluctuations within the worth of cash.”

Gamal mentioned that some {couples} purchase massive quantities of gold, “however the individuals who purchase shabka largely purchase wedding ceremony rings and different rings for the bride. Solely round one per cent purchase full jewelry units.”

“Half my clients search jewelry that may protect its worth and improve in worth with time,” he added. Prospects from rural areas choose 21 carat gold, whereas these in city areas choose 18 carat gold. Individuals from the upper-middle class and above choose diamonds. 

The answer for the excessive costs in Gamal’s opinion is “a steady greenback change price that can give a steady worth for gold.” He mentioned the excessive demand for gold cash and bars can also be growing the value of gold. 

“The value of a gram of gold is meant to be LE1,250 as an alternative of LE1,650, as an illustration, the primary being the official worth introduced by the Central Financial institution of Egypt. We need to deal on the official worth, not the one related to the US greenback. Individuals really feel that the worth of the foreign money is lowering, and so they’re shopping for gold as a hedge,” Gamal concluded.

*A model of this text seems in print within the 15 December, 2022 version of Al-Ahram Weekly

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