It all started when I was pregnant and craved kebabs.

Very little stops a pregnant woman hunting down her desire, so a weekly kebab became the norm for several months.  As regulars we became friends with the owners who insisted we give up on the kebab lark, and come over to their place for some “real” food.

It was the beginning of a long and warm friendship between us and an extended Iraqi/Syrian family who are devout Christians, and are Assyrian by race.  Just to fill in any gaps, Assyrians hail from the ancient Mesopotamia which is roughly Iraqi, Syria and Jordan and are some of the oldest Christian followers.  They now form a diaspora across the globe and New Zealand, especially Wellington, is now home to many of these generous people.

We have shared food (lots of it!), family parties and this last weekend we went to a wedding of a close family member.

As it was the second Assyrian wedding we had been to, we had some idea what to expect.  However, I never cease to wonder at the combination of glamour, energy, festivity and sacredness which comes together for these events.

I arrived at the house to drop off our gift an hour in advance of the ceremony, but instead of everyone rushing around getting ready, there was a full-scale party going on.  I was whisked in to it, and 3pm on a Saturday afternoon I was whirling and twirling around a Miramar house with no alcohol inducement at all!  Mind you, my whirling and twirling was hardly up to their standard!

What also impresses is the way the women change into princesses with the elaborate hair, incredible makeup and long gowns.  If you have ever seen a Middle Eastern music video you will know what I mean.  They are a good looking bunch, but when they dress up there is nothing a Kiwi gal can do to try and keep up!

With dancing in full swing I did enquire about the chances of getting to the church on time.  The reply was that they had rung the church to say they would be an hour late.  Try doing that at Old St Pauls!

The ceremony at the church was a very serious event, and I was asked to cover my hair which I did.  The chanting, unaccompanied by music, is a beautiful and sacred experience.  Before too long the ceremony had concluded and we were to meet that evening at 8.30pm.

The reception in the evening is a colourful extravaganza.  In a nutshell, it begins and ends with dancing which is performed with everyone in a large circle.  The timing is well beyond me, and despite my best efforts I couldn’t quite get the steps.  Food arrived at midnight which really only marks the half way point.  I have no doubts that they danced until dawn.

We departed around 1.30pm feeling like we had been privy to something out of the Arabian Nights.

I have included a photo of the bridal party dancing.

I am so proud to be their friend;  there is so much one can learn from others in the community.  With my Assyrian friends, they remind me that life is to be lived and celebrated right now.  Not bad coming from people who have left behind lives and families in a war zone.

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Jennifer Looman is the director of Wild About Wellington Limited http://www.wildaboutwellington.co.nz a tour company specialising in themed tours of the city for local and international guests. Her great loves are Wellington, exploring other cultures, presenting ideas and information with a passion and her family. Her background includes 20 years in IT but tourism is the vocation of her dreams!