SARI PUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Around 200 grooms and brides tied the knot at a mass wedding event in northern Afghanistan's Sari Pul province on Friday, the provincial information and culture department said in a statement on Saturday.
The ceremony was funded by a wealthy individual, and each newlywed received household appliances valued at about 600 U.S. dollars, the statement added.
Unemployment, the economic crisis, the high cost of lavish dowries and expensive gifts often force young people to wait for years to hold their wedding ceremonies in the impoverished country.
The Afghan caretaker government has called on people to prevent irrational marriage customs and avoid wasting money on wedding ceremonies. ■
