This post originally started off as an entry explaining about wedding traditions and superstitions. It was going to be about the usual stuff that we probably have all heard or experienced: something old and something new for brides, the couple will have bad luck in their marriage if the groom sees the bride before the ceremony, the next single lady to snag the bouquet will be the next to get married, etc.
As a kid had, I had only attended one or two weddings. I don't know if it was because my twin brother and I were just too young and would be a hassle or people around my way just didn't get married, but I had always heard of unique tradition among African Americans. It was called "Jumping the Broom". I just assumed it was a cliché for marriage much like "Getting the Ball and Chain" or "Tying the Knot". It wasn't until I was old enough to comprehend what marriage was that I realized that Jumping the Broom is an actual tradition practiced by many people through out the world.
The first time that I ever saw this custom preformed was in the mini-series based on the book by Alex Haley called Roots. Watch. (clip begins at 5:55-6:55)
"It's original purpose and significance has been lost over the years because of the association with slavery." The tradition originated in the African American community during the times of slavery. Slave couples were not legally permitted to wed, so "Jumping the Broom" was a symbol of holy matrimony. "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 there eyes this union was now sanctioned by 'the almighty'."
Jumping the broom is a symbol of a man and woman to start their new lives together. There are other superstitions involved brooms too. My mother always told me not to step over a broom lying down because it was bad luck. If a woman did this, she would be a mother before a wife. I was always taught to never hit someone with a broom handle. Through some research, I found an old African superstition explaining it. They believed that if a man was hit by a broom handle, unless he knocked on the handle several times, he would be impotent! Needless to say, I never hit my brothers, or anyone for that nature, with a broom. The superstition of Jumping the Broom still lives on today despite it's close ties to slavery. I now pronounce you Man and Wife. You may jump the broom!
4 comments:
Jumping the broom. Iv never heard of that superstition. I also didnt know that slaves wernt alowed to get married. Thank you for the information it is good information because it relates to history. I look forward to reading more about superstitions.
It was a very creative post, I've never heared of a supersition like jumping the broom. It was very informative because you added videos to go with it. I watched the last video with the real Bride and Groom doing the actualy ritual and it was very interesting to me. Coming from a very tradition family we've many supersitions of our own like three days before the wedding the bride doesn't leave the house, males are not allowed to meet her (excluding her father and brother ofcoure) so that on the wedding day she looks pure and fresh. This is not very common anymore but some parts of it is still practiced like wearing all yellow and trying to avoid as much possible to leave the house. Overall keep it up and I look forward to reading your next blog. :)
Sehrish
Roots is one of my favorite books. I read it for the first time when I was 13 and just recently again last year. I often reread books, it's kinda like visiting an old friend.
I remember the jumpin the broom part. In the book, Toby (Kunta Kinte) hated this practice as it deviated so far from his culture. An interesting note is that, in the book, his intended, Belle, made him pratice jumping with her before the ceremony because it was extreme bad luck to touch the broom in anyway while jumping over it in the ceremony.
Superstitions in families ofter have a ring of truth in them if you read between the lines. I am sure at one time there was a boy who got whacked in the wrong place with a broom handle and had guy issues.
In my family, my mother used to tell us that a woman should not hang up clothes on a clothesline when pregnant because it would strangle the baby. If you think about that it superstition it leads to two conclusions. One, some pregnant woman was tired and didn't want to do this chore and two, a baby was born with the cord wrapped around its neck and somewhere there had to be a reason because it would be a extremly had thing to accept.
In response to you Louise, I think that you are absolutely right when you said that superstition have some truths. I just finished up a Western Civilization class, and my professor explained that most religions, customs, and traditions all stemed from humans trying to explain things in nature or unnatural occurances. Superstitions develope this way. When my wife was pregnant, the doctors would tell her not to do any heavy lifting or lifting things over her head for that particual reason.
Sehrish, very interesting superstion about the all yellow. I have never heard that one. Just when you think you have heard them all, there is always someone who tells you another one.
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