The "Jumping the Broom" is a ceremony in which the bride and groom,
either at the ceremony or at the reception, signify their
entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically
"sweeping away" their former single lives, former problems and concerns, and
jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband.
Jumping the broom or in some cases jumping over an imaginary line is an
African ritual, or tradition still being practiced in some parts
of West Africa. Jumping the broom is not associated with slavery. Enslaved
Africans, as an affirmation of their cultural heritage
practiced it during slavery in North America. This "leap" into a new life
(marriage as wife and husband is performed in the presence of families and
friends. The broom has both symbolic and spiritual importance in the African
culture. The ritual itself was created by our ancestors during slavery. Because
slaves could not legally marry, they created their own rituals to honor their
unions. Some say The Jumping the Broom Wedding Ceremony comes
from an African tribal marriage ritual of placing sticks on the ground
representing the couple's new home.
The straws of the broom represent family; the handle represents the Almighty;
the ribbon represents the tie that binds the couple together. At the conclusion
of the ceremony, after the kiss and presentation of the couple to their guests,
one of the attendants produces the broom or a special person from the
audience brings the broom and places it in the path of the wedding couple.
They then jump over the broom on their way to the recessional.
either at the ceremony or at the reception, signify their
entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically
"sweeping away" their former single lives, former problems and concerns, and
jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband.
Jumping the broom or in some cases jumping over an imaginary line is an
African ritual, or tradition still being practiced in some parts
of West Africa. Jumping the broom is not associated with slavery. Enslaved
Africans, as an affirmation of their cultural heritage
practiced it during slavery in North America. This "leap" into a new life
(marriage as wife and husband is performed in the presence of families and
friends. The broom has both symbolic and spiritual importance in the African
culture. The ritual itself was created by our ancestors during slavery. Because
slaves could not legally marry, they created their own rituals to honor their
unions. Some say The Jumping the Broom Wedding Ceremony comes
from an African tribal marriage ritual of placing sticks on the ground
representing the couple's new home.
The straws of the broom represent family; the handle represents the Almighty;
the ribbon represents the tie that binds the couple together. At the conclusion
of the ceremony, after the kiss and presentation of the couple to their guests,
one of the attendants produces the broom or a special person from the
audience brings the broom and places it in the path of the wedding couple.
They then jump over the broom on their way to the recessional.
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| Los Angeles Beach Weddings, Inc. |
Jumping the Broom Ceremony
| Los Angeles Beach Weddings, Inc. |
| 1-800-My-LA-Wedding |
(800-695-2933)
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