The broom has both symbolic and spiritual importance in the African culture. The ritual itself was created by our ancestors during slavery. Because slaves could not legally marry, they created their own rituals to honor their unions. Some say broom jumping comes from an African tribal marriage ritual of placing sticks on the ground representing the couple’s new home.
The straws of the broom represent family; the handle represents the Almighty; the ribbon represents the tie that binds the couple together.
This broom ceremony represents the joining of two families, it’s showing respect and pays homage to those who came before us and paved the way. Therefore it should be practiced with honor for your ancestors and the beauty of our rich heritage. During the slave “transitions” we were not allowed to practice many of the traditional rituals of our past therefore, much of our heritage was lost during this time. However, a few were considered harmless and allowed.
Today “Broom Jumping” is a ritual, handed down from generation to generation to remind us of a time when our vows were not legally sanctioned. During slavery, our ancestors sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of domesticity. For our ancestors, this small ritual was a legal and bonding act connecting them with the heritage of the home land and giving legitimacy,dignity and strength to their unions. In their eyes this union was now sanctioned by “the almighty” .
