The repercussions of the economic crisis in Egypt were not limited only to the rise in prices and bank interest rates, but also extended to the well-established habits of the people of Upper Egypt and the Delta .

On top of these customs, which began to be abandoned by the residents of the north and south, are the wedding celebrations and preparations that the rich and simple in these regions used to celebrate.

In the governorate of Menoufia, in the Nile Delta, villagers used to celebrate the "Henna" day, which preceded the wedding ceremony. Those who are about to get married on that day gather their friends and relatives to celebrate the marriage and end by putting henna on the feet and hands of the groom.

Henna day is held in a marquee made of colorful fabrics, in which a cow or buffalo is slaughtered to prepare food and serve various drinks to the attendees.

It also includes bringing an artistic band or speakers to sing and dance, provided that the groom and his family cover the costs.

However, this habit began to disappear, according to what the young engineer, Muhammad Shadid, said in his hometown of Quesna and the surrounding villages.

Shadid explains, "The celebration of Henna Day is very low... We used to attribute the reason to Corona at first, but then people collided with economic conditions."

The Egyptian economy has recently been suffering from the repercussions of the Covid pandemic, as well as the impact of the war in Ukraine, as Russia and Ukraine are the main sources from which Egypt imports wheat, and they are an essential source for tourists visiting the Nile countries.

Egyptians suffer from inflation of 33.9 percent, exacerbated by a continuous decline in the exchange rate of the Egyptian pound, which lost 50 percent of its value.

Since 2017, Egypt has received four loans from the International Monetary Fund to address the dollar shortage and support the budget, but indicators of recovery from the economic crisis remain negative.

In Nubia, in the far south of the country, Omar Mughrabi, a 43-year-old Nubian language teacher, told AFP, "Because of the high price, our joys or condolences are no longer what they used to be."

"The situation has become difficult, and homes now need what we used to spend before on our habits," he continues.

The Nubians' weddings used to extend over three days, or even a week for the rich, according to a Moroccan, who invited all the villagers "with breakfast, lunch and dinner provided to them over the entire specified period."

However, the high costs of weddings due to the low exchange rate of the Egyptian pound against the dollar, as well as food prices in a country that imports most of its food needs, made sticking to this habit difficult.

"A few months ago, the Nubian villages agreed to reduce wedding expenses," Mughrabi added. "The wedding is now limited to a light dinner."

He added, "Even gold... when the price was affordable, the groom was required to have a certain weight, but now it may end up with a small ring."

Also, the Egyptian Dar Al Iftaa published on its official website a short while ago a fatwa stating that jewelry made of gold can be replaced with other jewelry that is less expensive than silver, "to facilitate and encourage marriage."

"Everyone in the village used to take out trays of food during funerals to console the family of the deceased" before the harsh economic conditions, former parliamentarian Mohamed Refaat Abdel-Aal told AFP from his village in Qena, in the south of the country.

Now, "the matter has become confined to family members close to the family of the deceased," says Abdel-Al, the 68-year-old doctor, and adds, "families suggest that condolence be limited to the funeral to avoid costs."

According to official statistics, the poor represent about 30% of the total population of about 105 million people.
And while everyone reduced the consumption of meat, chicken and sweets on major occasions, bread is still widespread.

However, the high prices of commodities such as flour and oil led to the diminishing of an important and vital habit in the villages of Upper Egypt, which is baking bread in homes, according to Abdel-Al.

Maintaining subsidies in state bakeries has led to a demand for grain purchases from them.

"It was a shame for villagers in Upper Egypt in the past to buy bread from the tabouneh (bakery), because that indicates laziness and laziness inside the house," he explains.

"Now everyone is racing to the tabouneh because of the low price of bread and the speed of its preparation," he added.