After the birth of a child, the mother has a period of rest for 40 days, when all household chores are done by the other women of house. The mother receives female visitors every afternoon and sits on an elvated bed clad in specially beautiful clothes . Boys are usually circumcised on the 7th day, a happy occasion for the father who slaughters a sheep and invites his friends . Female circumcision is not practiced except in certain parts of the Tihama. Birthday are not celebrated.
Marriage is the next important event in person s life .
In villages, the boy s mother begins by looking for a suitable wife for her son, and once a family has been identified , the marriage is negotiated by the father. Due to strict segregation between the sexes and the practice of veiling , men are unable to find their own brides . Only in big cities are young people left to choose their own mates. Early marriage is still common, but among the educated elite the trend is to marry in one s twenties after completing one s education. A typical wedding celebration lasts three days and often involves over 200 guests.