Dress

• Unlike most Islamic societies, Tuareg men wear veils and women do not. The men first wear the veil at 18 and it is considered the rite of passage into adulthood and signifies that the man is old enough to marry. The veiling ceremony is a religious event, performed by a Koranic scholar, known as a marabout, who reads Koranic verses during the veiling. Tuareg men position the veil at different heights for different social interaction and wear it covering their nose and mouth to show respect to a social superior.
  
  

Family

• The Tuareg live in clans and children keep closer personal ties with the mother's side of the family. Fathers are disciplinarians and their relatives provide financial support, rather than emotional. The Tuareg prefer to marry close relatives, usually cousins, and newlyweds often spend the first two to three years of marriage living with the bride's family. Most Tuareg practice monogamous marriage, but men of higher social status sometimes practice polygamy.
  
  

Religion

• The vast majority of Tuareg are Muslim, although their religious beliefs also include elements that predate Islam. The Tuareg believe in spirits, including evil spirits and some practice fortune telling. The Tuareg differ from more traditional Islamic societies in several ways. Women are not required to remain virgins before marriage and they can initiate a divorce. Although Koranic scholars oversee most religious ceremonies, the smiths, traditional craftsmen, are also involved in many important ceremonies and negotiate dowries.
  
  

Important Days

• The Tuareg celebrate all Islamic holy days and also the secular holidays of their home country. The name day celebration is an important event that occurs one week after a birth. The baby receives two names, a secret name from female relatives the day before the ceremony and an Arabic name on the name day. On the name day, the marabout sacrifices a ram and the clan celebrates the event with camel races, dancing and a feast. Weddings last seven days and include feasts, camel races and singing and dancing.
  
  

Arts

• Art, music and craftsmanship are all important elements of Tuareg culture. Smiths create embroidered leather items, make silver jewelry and carve decorative spoons, ladles and saddles. Music is used during courtship, as is poetry and the Tuareg create both religious and secular music. Music and dance also represent social classes, with each group having its own style.