5 WEIRD WEDDING TRADITIONS IN AFRICA
5 Weird Wedding Traditions in Africa In some areas, there are marriage customs that are
brought to a level that can be considered ‘crazy’.
Beliefs, culture and history have produced very
different types of traditions when it comes to marriage.
For example, in Mauritania brides are often forced
to eat to be fatter on their wedding day because a fat wife signifies prosperity in a marriage.
1. A ‘servant’ hides under a bed In Swahili culture, a bride who marries because of
an arranged marriage has a ‘marriage mentor (somo)’ during their first night.
The ‘marriage mentor’ will be under the bed,
while the newlyweds will perfect their marriage.
This is done to ensure that the bride is doing their
first night well and the ‘mentor’ is the witness.
2. High leg kicks to prove virginity  At the Zulu wedding, at the height of the
wedding ceremony, the bride performed a dance that at a certain point, they kicked her legs up high to show her mother that she was still a virgin.
3. Smeared with cow fat In Namibia, the wedding ceremony is usually
followed by a visit to the bride’s father’s house.
There, he was told by the family about his
responsibilities as a wife.
After that, he was anointed with butter fat
from a cow, symbolizing that he was part of a new family and had been accepted into it.
4. ‘Emergency’ situation In Shona culture, the wedding night tradition
begins even before the wedding.
The
bride decides when the wedding ceremony will be and she will dress in white from head to toe to the house of her future husband.
5. Blood on the sheets In Tunisia, some old traditions regarding the first night of marriage are still
practiced, such as a new pangantin displaying blood on their sheets to prove that the bride remains a virgin until marriage.
In some areas, there are marriage customs that are brought to a level that can be
considered ‘crazy’.
Beliefs, culture and history have produced very different types of traditions when
it comes to marriage.
For example, in Mauritania pegantians are often forced to eat to get fatter on
their wedding day because a fat wife signifies prosperity in a marriage.
The following are some strange traditions in several regions of Africa:
1. A ‘servant’ hides under a bed In Swahili culture, a bride who marries because of
an arranged marriage has a ‘marriage mentor (somo)’ during their first night.
The ‘marriage mentor’ will be under the bed,
while the newlyweds will perfect their marriage.
This is done to ensure that the bride is doing their
first night well and the ‘mentor’ is the witness.
2. High leg kicks to prove virginity  At the Zulu wedding, at the height of the
wedding ceremony, the bride performed a dance that at a certain point, they kicked her legs up high to show her mother that she was still a virgin.
3. Smeared with cow fat In Namibia, the wedding ceremony is usually
followed by a visit to the bride’s father’s house.
There, he was told by the family about his
responsibilities as a wife.
After that, he was anointed with butter fat from a
cow, symbolizing that he was part of a new family and had been accepted into it.
4. ‘Emergency’ situation In Shona culture, the wedding night tradition
begins even before the wedding.
The
bride decides when the wedding ceremony will be and she will dress in white from head to toe to the house of her future husband.
5. Blood on the sheets  In Tunisia, some old traditions regarding the
first night of marriage are still practiced, such as a new pangantin displaying blood on their sheets to prove that the bride remains a virgin until marriage.
So These are the african marriage traditions and customs