Winter in Pakistan means weddings. There are many weddings.
Millions of people attend weddings each week during the cool weather from November to February. Expatriate Pakistanis return from all over the world during this season, filling airport arrival halls and five-star hotels.
They even have a name for it: “Decencalist.”
“December is the time when everyone, regardless of their income level, has an excuse to pause their worries,” said Hizra Munir, a Karachi-based communications consultant.
“Everyone is on the same page about how we live in the moment. It's a great time to have a reunion, and it's a great excuse to get dressed up.”
Weddings are one of the few occasions when people can socialize and party in this Muslim-majority country. So it's no wonder people pull them out a bit.
A typical Pakistani wedding means at least three events and often more. There is a gathering where friends and family members apply turmeric paste on the bride's hands and face as a ritual for engagement, preglam, and another party where henna is applied on the bride's hands. And legs – of course, that means more music and dancing. The bride forms a procession. The same goes for the groom.
Then there's the cost of all those parties. A wedding in a luxury banquet hall can cost more than 1 million rupees ($3,576), in a country with a per capita annual gross domestic product (GDP) of just over $1,500 and a very high rate of inflation. That's expensive. A wealthy family can easily spend Rs 10 million to Rs 20 million on a party.
Banks provide loans and other wedding funds up to Rs 3 million. Welfare agencies, including the government of Pakistan, help people from disadvantaged backgrounds and low-income households pay for weddings.
But despite the strain on wallets and wardrobes, people still look forward to wedding season.
By March, Pakistanis will begin to return to warmer weather and dealing with daily hardships, including bills for all political parties.
But for now, it's still Decemberistan.