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Jumping The Broom
Well here it is you might be wearing your mother’s wedding gown and you are now ready to do the jumping the broom.
The congregation has just sung your favorite gospel hymn in the church you were baptized in, the minister who performed the ceremony is the same one who perhaps did the baptizing.
Almost everyone here is someone you grew up with –your neighbors, friends, and cousins. This is your time and they’ve all gathered to see you on your big day .
You are husband and wife now, and you’re about to do the jumping the broom to symbolize your new life together before the two of you head off to the reception for an enjoyable evening. The jumping the broom has had symbolic significance in most African cultures.
The meaning of the broom is the sweeping away of the past as a sign of the willingness to take on the responsibilities of a new family and home, and as an instrument of peace and harmony.
In the time of slavery in this country, African – American couples who were not allowed to marry in the eyes of the law adopted the ritual of the jumping the broom to seal their vows and mark the beginning of their homemaking.
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