(18 Jul 1998) Arabic/Nat
Forty-four couples have been married in a mass wedding in Amman - the biggest such marriage ceremony that Jordan has ever seen.
Four-thousand guests attended the mass wedding, which was held in a school courtyard in the Jordanian capital on Friday.
The mass ceremony, which included music, singing and folk dancing, was organised by the Moslem Virtue Association, which claimed the event would save couples both time and money.
The 44 bridegrooms-to-be dance away their last night of bachelorhood on the eve of Jordan's biggest ever mass wedding.
Dancing to the sound of bagpipes - a legacy of Jordan's colonial past - the all-male gathering partied late into the night.
The following day, the prospective bridegrooms met again for a traditional lunch party before being married en masse.
As the bridegrooms lined up in their dark suits, the brides began arriving in their white dresses, their faces covered by veils.
Many of the couples saw the event as a more affordable way to get married, but they were also happy to be part of such a large and unique celebration.
SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"It's something new and different, and it's very interesting to be one of (about) 40 grooms. It's something new, special and attracts attention. It also saves a lot of money for the group."
SUPER CAPTION: Mohammed Dahshan, Bridegroom
Verses from the Koran, the Moslem holy book, were read by the Moslem clergyman, and the ceremony was conducted by a marriage official, according to Moslem rituals.
More than 50 Jordanian firms and institutions contributed, sending money, gifts, flowers, sweets and soft drinks for the wedding celebration.
The mass wedding was organised by the Moslem Virtue Association and held in a school courtyard in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The charity belongs to the Islamic Action Front - a political party representing Moslem fundamentalists in Jordan.
SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"What is special about this party is that it was arranged by the charity. We even gave the couples presents. The wedding was organised to help families financially. These couples would not be able to afford to get married otherwise."
SUPER CAPTION: Mufid al-Sarahan, Mass wedding organiser
Moslem clerics and government officials have been worried about the increasing number of unmarried Jordanians in their mid-to-late twenties.
Social affairs experts attribute declining marriage rates to the pressures of poverty, the high cost of living, unemployment, taxes and soaring marriage expenses.
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