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Africa is rich in
cultural traditions, especially wedding and marriage rituals. The people
of Africa celebrate the bonding of a woman and a man in a variety of
ways, from being courted by cousins to kidnapping the bride-to-be.
Explore the many ways Africans celebrate marriage
Ethiopia
Karo
The Karo people
of Ethiopia celebrate a young bride’s puberty with scarification. Cuts
are made on her abdomen, and ashes are then massaged into the scars in
order to promote healing. The wounds are supposed to enhance the bride’s
desirability.
Source: National Geographic Magazine, November 1999, Volume 196, No. 5
Kenya
Swahili
Marriages are
arranged in the Swahili tribe of Kenya. Before the ceremony, a number of
rituals intended to enhance the bride’s attraction are performed. She is
bathed in oils and sandalwood, and has henna designs temporarily
tattooed on her limbs. A somo, an elder woman of the tribe, instructs
the bride how to please her husband, and may even hide under the bed in
case there is a problem consummating the marriage.
Masai
Marriages are
also arranged among the Masai of Kenya, and often the brides are matched
with older men that they do not know. The father of the bride spits his
blessing for the couple on the bride’s head and breasts, and as she
departs, she does not look back, fearing the myth that she will turn to
stone. One Masai custom is for female relatives of the groom to insult
the bride in order to ward off bad luck
Namibia
Himba
Among the Himba,
the groom and members of his family kidnap the bride before the
ceremony, and decorate her in an ekori, a marriage headdress made of
leather. When the bride arrives at her husband’s new home, his relatives
tell her what her responsibilities as his wife will be, and they show
her their acceptance into their family by anointing her with butterfat
from cows.
Niger
Wodaabe
Their cousins,
who wear what they consider to be their most powerful amulet to heighten
their charm for the bride to be, typically court women of the Wodaabe
tribe of Niger. Often, male cousins who are close to one another are
attracted to the same girl. Once the bride-to-be selects her mate, the
cousin who was not chosen is still welcomed into their home, and if the
bride consents, their bed.
South Africa
Ndebele
Weddings of the
Ndebele of South African are celebrated in three stages, the end of
which can take several years. The first stage is negotiation of the
wedding is payment for the bride, or lobola, and is paid in installments
of money and livestock. A two-week sequestration of the bride is the
second stage, during which time other women teach the bride how to be a
good wife. The third stage is completed only when the bride has her
first child.
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Cultural Traditions
