![]() If either the bride or groom refused to jump the broom, they were often designated a witch. In Wales, the jumping of the broom ceremony symbolized a married couple’s defiance of witches and evil spirits. Brooms were often considered an item used by witches. The belief that the ritual was intended to ward off evil spirits, however, is the same. It is widely argued that the concept of jumping the broom actually began in Wales. When ring marriages were established as normal and legal, jumping the broom became a small portion of the marriage ceremony, if it was included at all. Because these non-traditional marriages still weren’t completely legitimate by law, the tradition faded over time. Jumping the broom remained an important part of these ceremonies and, in many cases, the land owner would actually obtain a special broom for the occasion. Once slavery was abolished, it wasn’t uncommon for land owners to throw elaborate weddings for their former slaves. While “unofficial,” they still held great meaning for the couples and love ones who participated in the ritual. ![]() ![]() Before emancipation, slave marriages were often conducted via broom jumping ceremonies. Since many slaves weren’t allowed to marry in traditional ways, they looked for other means to perform a marriage. With them came the tradition of jumping the broom. Jumping over the broom at a wedding signified the woman’s desire to keep the home clean, the man’s commitment to the household, and their joined wish for happiness as a couple moving forward.ĭuring the Atlantic slave trade, many people were taken from Africa and brought to the United States. The use of a handmade broom symbolized sweeping away past wrongs and it also warded off evil spirits. It’s believed by some that handmade brooms were thought to hold spiritual properties. While reports vary, some sources date jumping the broom to the early 1600s in Ghana, Africa. Before you dash to the store to purchase a new broom, however, take some time to read through the history behind this tradition. Amidst the cheers of close family and friends, this addition to your recessional can be quite exceptional. This is often done to symbolize sweeping away the old in preparation for the new. Someone from the bridal party, or a close family member, places the broom in front of the pair and, as they proceed back up the aisle, the two jump over the broom. Jumping the broom is most frequently done as a newly married couple exits the wedding ceremony. While there are plenty of stories as to what the ritual signifies, you can easy apply your own thoughts and meaning if you choose to add this tradition to your big day. Jumping the broom has been used by couples for hundreds of years though its origins are somewhat obscure. Most times, at the end of the marriage ceremony, couples would jump the broom, representing a new beginning.Are you and your fiancé looking for an interesting tradition to include in your upcoming wedding? Consider incorporating “jumping the broom” into your ceremony! As you prepare for your special day, it’s always important to keep tradition in mind. Brooms were also used in marriage ceremonies where they waved over marrying couples, serving as a way to remove evil spirits and/or sweep off past wrongs in order to start anew. The areas occupied by the Asante ethnic group were reportedly well kept, due to the extreme use of local customized brooms. Some scholars speculate that cultural significance of the broom dates back to a region in West Africa that is now called Ghana. The earliest use of the phrase is in the 1764 English edition of a French work: the French text described an elopement by a runaway couple hastily making un mariage sur la croix de l’épée (literally ‘marriage on the cross of the sword’), an expression the English translator freely renders as ‘performed the marriage ceremony by leaping over a broomstick.’ References to “broomstick marriages” emerged in England in the mid-to-late 18th century, always to describe a wedding ceremony of doubtful validity. The origins of broom jumping are highly debated.
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