Decorating bride cars with feathers now tradition in Nimroz

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Many families in northweste Nimroz province use chicken feathers to decorate bride’s and groom’s cars as they consider it a good omen for demanding snow that has eluded the province for the last six years.

Residents said children under seven years of age had not seen a snowfall. Humayun, 20, a resident of Zaranj city, the provincial capital, has recently married. “I married four days ago. I decorated my wife’s car with chicken feathers.”

He called the decoration with feathers an iovation and said most men in Nimroz liked their brides to be carried in such cars.

“All my wedding guests liked my bride’s car. It is also considered a good omen to demand snowfall in our province,” he said.

Nasrin, 22, who married some three months ago, said it was her wish that her car should be decorated with feathers and her husband made her dream come true.

Gul Ahmad, a florist in Zaranj, said a number of youth were interested to decorate their brides’ vehicles with feathers.

He decorated up to five bride cars in a week. “It takes four hours to decorate one car with feathers and costs 4,000 afghanis,” he added.

mds/ma