Jordanian Сulture, Hospitality and Wedding
So many things in life happen because of people. The presence of the right person turns our ordinary weeks into stories worth telling.
Two of my friends — a Russian bride and a Jordanian groom — got engaged in Moscow in the autumn of 2024. He was finishing an MA program and after graduation they chose to start their life together in Jordan. Saying goodbye was very hard. And then, in May, a message lit up my phone: an invitation to their wedding in Amman. We did the only reasonable thing — said yes, booked tickets, and travelled to Jordan in June 2025.
Airport
To be honest, the start of our journey didn't start as we planned: travelling as a group of friends, we almost missed the flight. We rushed through the traffic to make it to the gate. After landing in Amman we spent an extra couple of hours at the border and had an additional stress at immigration. Because some of us were international students and the fact that we all travelled from Russia was suspicious to detain and question us. Our documents were in order, and eventually we were waved through without further problems
Tip — Jordan Pass:
At the time of our trip (June 2025), Russian citizens needed a tourist visa for Jordan. But we got a Jordan pass. Jordan pass is not a visa, but if you buy it before arrival and stay at least two nights (three days), it waives the visa fee and includes a free pass to the main attractions and sights in Jordan. Don't forget to print it and show the paper at immigration and at the sites.
Note:
In August 2025 Jordan and Russia signed a mutual visa-free agreement (up to 30 days). Check the current rules before you fly.
The hot air hit us the moment we stepped outside. Our friends met us at the airport, and you can guess our first stop: of course shawarma. Only after sampling what we declared the best food in the world — wallahi — did we finally check into our apartment. We were already full, and that was only the beginning.
First Day in Amman: 2 Days before the Wedding
Spice stalls, the call to prayer, the music of Arabic, heat and delicious smells — that’s Amman, Jordan’s capital.
The next morning we decided to meet at the groom`s family house, planning to stop by a currency exchange and then have breakfast at a favourite spot. When I was waiting for the couple to come downstairs, I met the groom's mother and sister.
Hospitality, kindness and readiness to help are the main features of Jordanian families! They were incredibly generous and during our talk mother offered me to try olives from their own garden. I said yes, of course, and she served me a bowl of zaytoun (olives in Arabic), both green and black. A minute later she remembered that they have local homemade jams and insisted that I should definitely try apricot and kumquat. And obviously I said yes. In a second she was already looking for hummus and pita in a cupboard and set out a big generous plate of more fruit preserves, hummus and pitas, labneh (traditional sour thick, tangy yoghurt), and makdous (baby eggplants stuffed with nuts and garlic), and different kinds of nuts. Smiling, she kept urging me to eat — “Yalla, habibti”. Surrounded by everything I could imagine I noticed her making coffee. She poured me a couple of tiny cups (or maybe a couple of dozens)...
She explained to me that qahwa (Arabic coffee) is traditionally served in finjāns (miniature cups). Offering Arabic coffee to a visitor or guest reflects good manners, expresses respect and welcome. Also it's a symbol of unity. Families and friends use the ritual of drinking coffee to bring people together, negotiate and even solve problems and conflicts.
Now imagine my friends coming down the stairs, finding me completely full and coffee overdosed… and asking, “Are you ready for breakfast?”. What could I say? I said “yes”, and crawled to the car.
Jordanian Cuisine
Jordanian cooking sits within the wider Levantine family: lamb and beef, flatbreads, lots of spices, steamed vegetables and loads of herbs and beans, nuts and rice.
We ate a lot! Everything was so good that it honestly deserves a separate article. I’ve already mentioned a few must-tries, but here are more classics you should definitely try while in Jordan:
1) Fattoush — my favorite salad: very fresh and sour, with chopped cucumber, tomato and some other crunchy vegetables. The secret are fried crispy pita bread and a lemon-sumac dressing
2) Baba ghanoush — absolutely perfect dip. Smoky roasted mashed eggplants, a lot of lemon (obviously), olive oil and garlic. Goes perfect with warm pita
3) Muhammara — another spread, made from fresh and dried peppers mixed with olive oil, spices, nuts and dry breadcrumbs
4) Tabbouleh — a classic salad based on chopped parsley, tomatoes mixed with bulgur and olive oil. For original taste don't forget to squeeze as much lemon as possible
5) Dolma — stuffed vegetables with minced meat and rice rolled into grape leaves. Lemony and addictive
6) Kebab/kofta — minced lamb or beef mixed with herbs and spices, shaped on skewers and grilled
7) Falafel — spiced ground chickpeas formed into balls or fritters and deep-fried
Also don't forget about manakish with za'atar — a Middle Eastern traditional flatbread dish topped with a fragrant thyme-sesame-sumac mix. topped with a fragrant thyme-sesame-sumac mix. That morning we had it for breakfast at a great place downtown, where the very owner served us. (photo)
Mansaf
If there is one dish most closely associated with Jordan, it’s mansaf — a celebratory Bedouin dish many call the country’s national meal.
Traditionally it’s lamb simmered in a sauce of jameed — fermented, dried yoghurt reconstituted to a tangy, savoury broth — and served over a big plate of rice laid on thin shrak bread. The platter is finished with clarified butter and a scatter of toasted almond leaves.
It's usually eaten together: guests gather around the large communal tray, the left hand stays behind the back, and only the right hand is used. You press a little rice with sauce and a shred of meat into a compact bite — a luqma — and lift it neatly to your mouth without the fingers touching your lips. It’s a small choreography of hospitality, order and care.
We went to a special place known for its mansaf, and for me the ritual felt new (maybe even odd). Not just the “eat with your hands” thing surprised me, but shaping the food with your whole palm, pressing it till it turns into a perfect sphere made me uncomfortable…
The dish itself struck me as comforting and homely flavour — mild, tangy, nothing strange — but the tactile way of eating was the real threshold. Our hosts were patient and coached me through this experience. But if you’re not ready for the full ritual, that’s completely fine: in many restaurants you can use cutleries.
Even if you don’t fall in love with it at first bite, it’s worth trying once to glimpse that culture from the inside.
The Day before the Wedding: The Women’s Henna Night
The day before the wedding, the couple spend the evening apart. The men part of the family and guests gather at home for a relaxed sahra, smoking shisha, talking and dancing. While the women spend the whole evening celebrating henna night.
A henna party is a pre-wedding celebration for women. During this party guests dance a lot and bride’s and guests’ hands are covered with intricate henna designs. The henna itself symbolises joy, protection and good fortune for the new household.
The bride gave us instructions on how to prepare in advance: we had to wear something traditional and special.
On this occasion, women might choose a thobe, a kaftan or an abaya. The first two options are typically very vibrant, vivid and heavily embroidered, all colours and beadwork. We went to a local market to choose an option for our outfits. Usually most women dress bright, colourful, celebratory. But I wanted to stay true to myself and picked a beige abaya over my beige dress. It felt exactly right.
After we got ready we arrived at a beautiful hall filled with every female relative and friend. And right from the beginning everyone began to dance! Of course every international guest was shy and hesitated to step to the dance floor. I was also nervous, but curiosity won. And I also wanted to show gratitude for being included. I stood up for our shy little group and walked into the circle. An older woman kindly took my hands and taught me a few steps.
All guests traditionally were given small sweet gifts — little chocolates, natural fruit marmalades and endless coffee. In Jordan, Arabic coffee appears everywhere: in every house, restaurant and even in beauty salons. It’s often scented with cardamom, which gives it a warm and rich taste. Some families also add a touch of saffron, cinnamon or cloves. Small sips, many refills, and the room stitched together by that aroma.
Everyone was so happy seeing us try Jordanian culture and having fun. Henna drawing covering our wrists, laughter and the language of dance — a night was pure magic.
Wedding day: an Arab-style makeover
Minimalism isn’t made for Arab women. On big occasions women prefer being special and extra — gala dresses and heavy bright make-up.
On big occasions women go full glamour — gala dresses, hair styling, statement jewellery, and high-shine make-up.
On the morning of the wedding day the bride and I headed to a beauty salon to get ready for the ceremony. My dress was fairly classic, which is why my girlfriends convinced me to try a full Arab-style makeover.
I agreed to hair and make-up—and here’s what “light make-up” means in an Amman salon.
I showed a reference picture and, via a translator, begged for something soft and natural. The word “soft” was unfamiliar for the ladies there. The artists lovingly added more foundation, suggested a bold glitter eye, and (several times) offered to thread our upper lips. We laughed, politely declined (we love our little moustaches), and negotiated. I barely defended my right to skip false lashes, but I couldn’t escape vivid blusher and serious “backing”.
Honestly, the look felt unfamiliar to me — but it was beautiful and bullet-proof. My hair held all night, and the make-up didn’t budge through hours of hugs and dancing. Ten out of ten. If you’re travelling in Jordan, even without a formal invitation, treat yourself once: book a salon, do the full glam, get dressed up and go out to dinner. It’s part of the fun.
Zaffeh and Zaghareet
By around 5 p.m. everyone had gathered at the groom’s family home, and one of the night’s brightest traditions began — the zaffeh.
Zaffah is the entrance procession with drums and singing. The drummers led the beat; amid shouts and clapping the groom escorted the bride outside, the rhythm rolling from the stairwell onto the street.
Another highlight before the ceremony was the zaghareet — celebratory ululations (traditionally voiced by women). We tried our best, and I think it became my favourite custom of the whole wedding: primal, freeing, and wildly joyful.
The ceremony itself was held outdoors, beyond the city. We piled into cars and drove to a dedicated wedding courtyard, where we found our tables and settled in for the evening.
Small Cultural Surprises
I’d heard plenty of facts about Arab weddings (for example, gender-segregated seating). Ours was fairly secular and mixed, but I still noticed a few small cultural surprises:
1) Late start times.
We reached the groom’s home around 17:00 and didn’t arrive at the venue until 19:00. Timelines are flexible — heat, golden-hour photos and family logistics all play a role
2) No alcohol.
The wedding was alcohol-free, which I loved: it felt safe, warm and genuinely social. (Yes, some younger guests may lowkey bend the rule)
3) The couple don’t sit.
Unlike many Russian or Caucasian weddings I’ve seen, where the newlyweds sit at a head table, here the bride and groom were on the dancefloor with everyone else almost nonstop.
4) Cash over presents.
Gifts are typically envelopes of money, given discreetly before or after the ceremony — usually to a family elder or the couple in a quiet moment
5) Food comes late.
There was no food on the tables at first, which confused me, until I realised we’d be dancing for a while. Snacks and the main meal appear later in the evening
Dabke all night long
If you want to do an Arab wedding right, start with shoes you can actually dance in — you’ll be on your feet for hours. And most importantly: learn the basics of dabke.
Dabke (also spelled dabkeh/dabka) is a Levantine line or circle dance led by a leader. Everyone links hands or shoulders, the leader sets the steps, and the whole line moves together to drum-heavy music. There are many local styles across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine: sometimes men dance with misbaha (prayer beads) or scarves, sometimes the dance is loose and bouncy, sometimes tight and athletic with high hops and air-kicks.
How to join in (and not overthink it):
1) Look at the person on your left and mirror them (most circles moves gently to the right)
2) Keep steps small and knees soft
3) Feel the beat as “one-two-three — hop” and repeat it
4) Smile, make eye contact, let the leader pull you along and remember: the energy matters more than precision
You’ll see fancier variations, but to be a great guest you only need the basics, a good mood, and the willingness to join the circle. The rest arrives with the rhythm.
The End of the Wedding Party
You definitely can survive every party if you survive an Arabian wedding! So: carry a small envelope, wear shoes you can dance in, drink water to stay hydrated, and don’t be surprised if the schedule flows more like a festival than a timetable.
We danced for hours. Later a buffet appeared, and we all took plates for another round of Jordanian favourites. I was so captivated by the flow of the evening that I didn’t want to leave. After a late supper we took photos, said our goodbyes and drove home — somehow closer to people we’d met only a few hours earlier.
Speaking from the heart, it felt like a privilege to be part of the ritual. I can’t show you everything, but I tried to share the moments that are going to stay with me forever.
Shared by
Vasilisa Yasakova
