Wedding News
Jumping The Broom
History:
Broom jumping is most famous in the United States as an African American wedding custom. During the antebellum period in the United States, slave marriages were not recognized as legal or binding. The broom jumping ritual was a symbolic act within slave communities for marriage. Many African American couples are taking back this custom and incorporating it as part of their modern ceremony. Broom jumping was not done only by slaves. Poor whites in the South and in New England, as well as Gypsies also used this marriage ritual. The jumping of the broom is of Welsh and Celtic origin. In the Celtic ritual, it is a symbol of fertility. Several couples interested in history or pagan ritual also are now adopting this custom in their weddings.
Modern Meanings:
Done as an act of remembrance and to honor the ancestors of the past. Compared to the Jewish wedding ritual of crushing a glass for the destruction of the temple. A broom itself represents cleanliness, the hearth and family. It can also represent
fertility. The jumping of the broom is a leap of faith into marriage. In some parts of Africa, ceremonial brooms are used to sweep away evil.
The Actual Ceremony:
The broom jumping typically takes place after the rest of the wedding ceremony, before the bride and groom exit down the aisle. Alternatively, some choose to do it during the reception. A designated broom person (a very honored job, usually a woman) takes the broom and places it on the floor in front of you. Choose someone to explain to the guests what it stands for and why you are doing it. You may ask the guests to count out loud or not and then you hold hands and jump over it! This ritual varies from couple to couple; it is up to you to find a way to make it most meaningful.
In addition to including a mention of broom jumping in your African American wedding invitation wording, you'll want to include further explanation of the ritual in your wedding program.
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Relationship Tips
Take Pride in Yourself
Every relationship goes through down time. Just because the flame has become a mild flicker, that does not mean you have lost the love for each other, it just means you need to add a little fuel to the fire. When couples have been together for a long time, the makeup comes off, the nice clothes turn into oversized sweats and tee shirts, and instead of cuddling on the sofa or floor, one sits on the couch and the other in the recliner. Step back in time and start getting dressed up more on the weekends, invite your mate to sit with you on the couch, dance together in your living room to some music, or take a walk, hand in hand. It is important not to let yourself go, even when your relationship reaches a "comfortable" state. By taking pride in yourself means that you take pride in your relationship.
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