During slavery, our ancestors sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of domesticity. For our ancestors, this small ritual was a legal and bonding act connecting them with the heritage of the home land and giving legitimacy,dignity and strength to their unions.
In their eyes this union was now sanctioned by "the almighty" It is said that broom jumping comes from an African Tribal Marriage Ritual of placing sticks on the ground representing the couple's new home together, I have also heard it said that the spray of the broom represents all of us scattered and the handle represents the almighty who holds us together You decide Today's ceremony can be performed at the wedding, after the minister pronounces the couple man and wife or at the reception, just after the bridal party enters the reception area.
Should you decide to incorporate this wonderful tradition in you wedding remember to do it with the honor and dignity it represents. The ever popular cowrie shell has many uses and meanings.
It has shown up in the form of money, jewelry, and even religious accessories in almost every part of the world. The cowrie shell soon gained popularity throughout much of ancient Africa. Today excavations have found some of the money in the form of brass and silver cowrie shells. Wherever the cowrie shells were found, it seems as if they were thought of as wealth. Spiritually, according to African legend if you are attracted to cowrie shells you could be family to an ocean spirit of wealth and earth.
It also represents Goddess protection. Throughout Africa, and South and North America, the cowrie symbolized the power of destiny and prosperity.
However you interpret these tiny white shells they are a fascinating, unique addition to your wardrobe. Whether in jewelry, or in crafts, or in any other use you can imagine these shells are sure to add an exotic feel of Africa and make an excellent, one of a kind, fashion statement. Read what our customers are saying about our work. For more information on jumping the broom and adding culture to your wedding try this wonderful book Our traditions are rich with respect and reverence for our ancestors and those who have passed on.
It also represented the determination of who ran the household. Whoever jumped highest over the broom could be the decision-maker of the household usually the man. The jumping of the broom does not add up to taking a "leap of faith. The irony is that the practice of jumping the broom was largely discarded after Emancipation in America which was consistent with the eventual fall of the Ashanti Confederacy in Ghana in and the coming of British customs.
Jumping the Broom did survive in the Americas, especially in the United States, among slaves brought from the Asante area. This particular Akan practice of jumping the broom was picked up by other African ethnic groups in the Americas and used to strengthen marriages during slavery among their communities.
Jumping the broom was not a custom of slavery, but is a part of African culture that survived American slavery like the Voodoo religion of the Fon and Ewe ethnic groups or the ring shout ceremony of the BaKongo and Mbundu ethnic groups.
With slavery over and superficial hints of racial integration allowed, African Americans could now have European-style marriages. Dundes credits Alex Haley's book and miniseries "Roots" for the resurgence of the marriage ritual. It's featured in a scene in Haley's story.
It's part of a larger conversation about broom-jumping and marriage rituals that was taking place among black writers in the s, according to Parry. The "Roots" miniseries, in particular, sparked a lot of interest in the black community in America at large. In the s and s, Ebony and Jet magazines often wrote about the tradition. Many writers believe the myth — promoted in Green's book — that some form of jumping the broom was practiced in Africa, particularly by the ruling tribes in Ghana, and came to America with the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
But there are no recorded instances of jumping the broom in Africa prior to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, according to Dundes. Parry, who's done more recent scholarly work on West African wedding traditions, agrees.
The oldest records we have of jumping over a broom being used as a marriage rite dates to around , in Wales. Some people — particularly Roma, commonly known as "gypsies" — had marriages that weren't recognized by the church.
They were married through non-church rituals. One of these rituals, practiced widely in Wales, was a "Besom Wedding," a besom being a type of broom. In a Besom Wedding, a broom was placed aslant in a doorway for a couple to jump over. The couple had to jump over the broom without touching it to be married, according to the folklore scholar C.
Sullivan III. The marriage could also be annulled if the couple jumped over the broom again — but backwards. By the beginning of the 18th century, broomstick weddings were widespread in Wales. Stepping over an object was, in fact, widespread throughout much of England. For the African American community, one of the best ways to celebrate the journey of single life to marriage is through the tradition of jumping the broom.
According to the African American Registry , the significance of the broom is deeply rooted in African American heritage. Its history originates in the West African country of Ghana, which was ruled by the Asante or Ashanti confederacy, where everyday brooms were a symbol in spiritual life.
The tradition came to the Americas along with the Asante people during the slave trade , and played a role in solidifying partnerships during a time where enslaved people were forbidden from getting married. The plotline follows the journey of Kunta Kinte, a West African warrior sold into slavery, and shows him jumping the broom with his wife, Bell.
From then on, the custom has been considered a staple in wedding ceremonies by many to honor their ancestors. Here's how it works: Once a couple has said their vows and kissed, before walking back down the aisle, they jump over the broom to leave their past behind and solidify their entrance into a safe, happy marriage.
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