Every part of Africa has
customs and rituals which have their own significance. In Ethiopia,
puberty of bride to be is celebrated, cuts are made on her abdomen and
then ash is rubbed over it, this is done to be enhance her desirability.
In
Swahili tribe of Kenya, there are lots of rituals which are done to
enhance the beauty of bride. She is massaged with sandalwood and lots
of oils. Henna designs are tattooed on her limbs. Then she is
instructed by older womenfolk how to please her husband.
In Masai tribe, brides are insulted by the older women of groom?s family to ward off bad luck.
In modern society, the celebrations and rituals present more modern way.
Marriage is an auspicious occasion; it is union of two people. It
demands some celebration. It is customary to hold dinners, processions
and parties at this occasion. Guests include friends, relatives and
families of both girl and boy.
There
are lots of other activities which need to be done for the gathering
and rituals which are associated with the marriage. Wedding planners
are made in advance. List of guests is prepared.
Then
next important task is deciding the venue for the big day. Lots of big
and small hotels have nice arrangement for the wedding celebration. The
selection of place of wedding may be according to the number of guest
and budget set for the ceremony.
The
other thing is the selection of menu for the dinner. Lots of cuisines
are available in all the restaurants and hotels. You can pick up from
the wide variety that is offered in the hotels. You can choose
traditional delicacies which will be much liked by your African guests.
Apart from it there are Caribbean and South American dishes to
complement your menu. Local dishes are much preferred because they give
the taste of home cooked food.
Other
important thing is bridal accessories. As it is unique and very special
day for the bride, her attires should be exotic. Lots of wedding
dresses are available in the market. Designers give a unique touch of
elegance to the gowns or frocks which contains frills, bows and beads.
Jewellery
which makes an important part of bridal accessory contains necklace,
earring, rings and bracelets which are worn by the brides. Diamond
studded jewels add to the beauty of the brides.
Bride
maids too dress up beautifully for the occasion. Special dresses for
the bride maids can be purchased from any leading store. Flower baskets
decorated with bows and beads are used to contain petals of red and
pink roses to be showered upon the couple.
Then there are wedding rings that are exchanged between the couple on the big day.
Broom
jumping is one of the important ceremonies of African marriages. It is
associated with the ancient rituals of marriage among slaves. This
ceremony is performed after the minister pronounces the couple man and
woman. A broom can be
purchased from the market or you can use your home?s broom. A broom is
decorated with bells, bows and ribbons to make it beautiful.
Apart
from all these, wedding cakes are cut. Various beautiful cakes in
wonderful shapes can be purchased from the stores.
A
marriage is a moment of happiness and togetherness, music, dance and
excitement has to be there to make it a unique occasion. Various types
of songs like traditional beats and modern pop can be played to set
every foot tap to its tunes.
Reception
is held after the marriage and blessing are showered on the couple for
the bright future of the married life. Gifts and flowers are presented
to the couple to complement them for the occasion.
