A historic account of marriage ceremonies in Bhalil (as documented by Houcein Kaci)
A mixture of rural and urban practices can be found in traditional marriage ceremonies of Bhalil, with evidence of Berber customs that seem to have disappeared elsewhere, but which are still evident in Bhalil's culture (as of 1921). Houcein Kaci provides the Berber custom where after a few months of marriage, a bride will leave her husband and return to her ancestral family home for an entire year. Typically, people from Bhalil marry within the village because the two families will be well known to each other. Contrary to traditional customs, the young man approaches the young woman’s parents (and specifically the father) to ask for his daughter in marriage. In some situations, if the daughter is of a certain age, she is consulted and ultimately allowed to make the decision (however, her father can overrule her if he believes she is making an unwise decision). For the entire engagement, the female fiancée does not leave the house, and likewise for three days prior to the wedding day, the male fiancé remains in an isolated cave with a few select male companions. Henna decorations occur on the second night before the wedding (for both the male and the female – her feet and hands are fully covered, and his hands only are decorated). The male fiancé parades through the city on a highly embellished horse to his future home, where his bride is waiting. Celebrations occur for seven days afterward to celebrate the wedding. The bride cannot leave her bed for seven days after the wedding day, throughout which she is not allowed to see anyone but close family; and the groom continues living in the caves. On the seventh day, a final celebration occurs to mark the end of the wedding and the beginning of their daily life as a married couple. After five months, the wife must leave her husband for a year and return to live in her ancestral home. The husband and wife must not see each other for the entire year; throughout this period, the wife is cloistered, but accompanied by an older woman sent by the bride’s husband. After the year, the husband gives his in-laws a variety of gifts (generally livestock and eggs) and the husband and wife return to their daily lives. The real name of Bahalil is Bahau El-Lail which is the Night's Glory or Night's éclat.The traditional pottery techniques and design patterns of Bhalil
An article written by J. Herber in 1946 Herber, J. « Notes sur les poteries à Bhalil. » Héspéris, T.3. 1946. (who visited the area in 1928, with the intent of studying Moroccan pottery techniques and decoration in rural areas) explores the various techniques used by male and female potters from Bhalil. Herber's examination of two male potters found that both used traditional techniques that were specific to Bhalil and the surrounding area due to the type of earth and clay that could be found in the area near the village. The tools and cooking techniques were likewise area specific, and tools were often made by the potter himself, resulting in fairly straightforward and simple designs. Decorations on the pottery were made with either a very fine tip (in straight lines or diamonds) or pieces of reed/the thumb nail to make crescent shapes (these designs are seen to be reminiscent of Saharan sculptors). The pottery made in this area was designed to be functional, as it would be used on a daily basis. Much of the originality of Bhalil potters lie in the designing of their tools and theReferences
{{Fès-Meknès Populated places in Sefrou Province