What are your thoughts on Jumping the Broom?

You may want to edit your title and remove " black brides" to avoid confrontation here.

But I thought about it. I like the idea of it but FH thinks its silly lol He said he would do it if I wanted to.

Good point

We decided not to do it. We just don't feel it is for us. If it was a family tradition we would have done it for sure. But no one on either side has any ties to this tradition. I do think the symbolism behind it is beautiful and if it means something to you then do it.

I was actually just thinking about this yesterday. Since it's not really a tradition my family follows (Jamaican, whereas this is more of a African American tradition), and my FH isn't familiar either (he's Italian/Puerto Rican), we decided to not do it.

I think if it's something that is common in your family, or that you and FH have strong feelings about and want to connect with your ancestry, go ahead.

Had my FH or FH's family had any ties to this, I would have done this for them... although the sentiment that I would then be deemed responsible for all the cleaning rubs me the wrong way.

We are doing it. We love the symbolism behind it and want to start a family tradition of our own.

I love the idea of Jumping the Broom.

We have decided not to do it only because there are so many other things that we are incorporating from his (FH) Nigerian background.

I love the symbolism behind jumping the broom. I had a brief courthouse ceremony but had I had a more formal ceremony, I absolutely would've done it. I haven't been to a wedding in my family where they haven't done it. Both of my sisters did it when they got married.

@Library that's not the tradition behind it.

We're doing it. But at this point the FH agrees to everything.

Haha @ Ariel mine too!

It is actually a lesser-known Celtic tradition as well. I am Wiccan and FH is very Irish so we are including it in ours as part of our hodgepodge of different traditions. I think it beautiful and even if it isn't a tradition in your family, you can do it, as it would mean something to you and FS.

We have talked about doing it, as a way of starting a tradition of doing it within our families. I was actually looking online for a broom to use but may have to diy one myself. Which will not be hard to do.

@Jurney- I've actually found some beautiful brooms at renaissance fairs. You may be able to find one still!

I've had a few friends do it and it was a nice touch. I joked with my FH and told him we can add that to our ceremony but because he's white I'd have to jump alone while he stayed on the other side LOL. I say go for it and get a nice wicker broom that you can decorate and save

Makes me think of the slave days and Roots the movie how terrible slavery was and still is if any country is still doing it. I wouldn't do it I think that is a long ago practice

@sheric there are a lot of prictices that everyone still participates in even though they are old. Jumping the broom is actual a symbol in the black community. We were stripped of all of our African culture and jumping the broom was our symbol of marriage during slavery.

I will most defiantly be jumping the broom I feel like it is the only cultural thing as an African American I can participate in that has ties in my actual African roots.

I'll be jumping the broom at my wedding in a couple weeks and I'm really excited! It's a tradition that I have seen at a couple weddings over the years in my family, but we really wanted to do it because of the symbolism of jumping into our new life together as a team and sweeping away the past to start this new journey. We also liked that the jumping the broom tradition crosses different cultures since we are also incorporating a Celtic Handfasting. We liked the symbolism of that for a unity ceremony and FH is part Irish. @Jurney @ SarahM I definitely agree I've seen such pretty brooms at Renaissance fairs! I went to one last year but it wasn't coming around again until after our wedding. I was able to get a really beautiful affordable broom on Etsy from RomancingJuliet. They can be customized.

@sheri jumping the broom has nothing to do with slavery. It is an African tradition that slaves used to do because they are African. It didn't start in America. It is important to some as it honors traditions of our ancestors. I am aware it's a Celtic tradition as well.

FMIL has asked that we use the broom she and her late hubby used when they got married, so we will absolutely oblige.

We've done it in both an African American setting and a Celtic setting. (with different readings....)

I think it's really up to you.