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Nigerian Wedding

Nigerian marriage traditions vary between tribes but often involve bride prices or dowries that make the marriage contingent on the groom's family meeting financial obligations. Traditional ceremonies also emphasize respect for elders and family lineage as well as tests of endurance, with some tribes historically lashing grooms before marriage. Modern weddings typically incorporate both traditional cultural elements like color-coordinated outfits as well as Western customs like white wedding dresses, though some couples opt for fully traditional attire.

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Stravander “WEEBISH GAMER”
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751 views2 pages

Nigerian Wedding

Nigerian marriage traditions vary between tribes but often involve bride prices or dowries that make the marriage contingent on the groom's family meeting financial obligations. Traditional ceremonies also emphasize respect for elders and family lineage as well as tests of endurance, with some tribes historically lashing grooms before marriage. Modern weddings typically incorporate both traditional cultural elements like color-coordinated outfits as well as Western customs like white wedding dresses, though some couples opt for fully traditional attire.

Uploaded by

Stravander “WEEBISH GAMER”
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Nigerian Marriage Traditions: Explores the customs, attire, and ceremonial practices unique to Nigerian weddings focusing on the traditions from different tribes.

Nigerian Marriage-

Family Introductions-
The groom must fulfill them before they allow him to marry the girl.
The list varies from tribe to tribe or family’s culture.
The bride price becomes more expensive if she holds a degree or doctorate.

According to the traditional Igbo wedding customs, the dowry determines if the
groom is ready to marry or not.
The women from the bride’s family receive the required bridal gifts and give the
final answer to the men.

Dowry in Nigeria is expensive, many grooms who cannot afford it have to end the
relationship.
Wedding planning begins immediately the full bride price is paid. This still
happens in a modern wedding.

Older Siblings-
Nigerian marriage traditions require that an older sibling marry before the younger
one.
For some tribes, this is for men only while others ladies are also part of it.

The younger siblings will postpone their weddings until their older siblings have
married.
Should they choose to proceed to marriage, they will not receive the family
blessing which is paramount in this culture.
This culture is partly followed in today’s marriages.

Testing the groom’s endurance-


Hausa and Fulani tribes test the man’s courage and endurance by lashing them…..
The groom receives 100 lashes before they can claim their bride to prove their love
for them.

If the man winces, cries or shows any signs of pain, the wedding does not go on.
The lashing no longer happens in today’s weddings unless it’s happening deep in the
village.

Showing respect-
Yoruba traditions demand that the groom and his friends lie prostrate on the
ground. This is to show respect to the bride’s family.

They perform this ritual four times during the traditional wedding ceremony. Today,
they do not lie prostrate they bend as a sign of respect.

Color coordinated outfits-


In the whole of Africa, Nigeria and Ghana are the best when it comes to wedding
outfits.
The ritual of family wedding clothes is Asoebi.

The bride and groom chooses the fabric and color of the wedding clothes. These are
for their family members, bridesmaids and groomsmen.
It is easy to distinguish the guests from different sides on the wedding day.

The wedding ceremony-


Nigerian couples have two weddings, twice the fun! A traditional Nigerian wedding
is the first one followed by the religious ceremony.
Both ceremonies are days or weeks apart.

The bridal party wear their color coordinated outfits.


The traditional Igbo tribe wedding attire for a Nigerian bride is special.
It includes a lace blouse, bright kaftan like skirt matching coral beads and head
tie for the bride.

Brides wear bold and bright colored makeup and accessories to brighten them for the
big day.
The couple wears traditional wedding attires for their cultural weddings.

The religious wedding is a normal white wedding in a white dress.


The couple adorns the Western countries attires – a white wedding dress for the
bride and a suit for the groom.
Modern couples opt to adorn their traditional attires for the religious weddings.

After the vows-


The newlyweds move to the dance floor for their first dance. Tradition requires the
groom to carry his bride to the dance floor to show his strength to take care of
her.

The money rain-


As the newlyweds dance, the guests join them and begin to rain money on the bride.
This is a long standing wide spread culture that is still popular in today’s
weddings.

The bridesmaids collect the money for safekeeping handing it to the couple later.
Nigerian wedding traditions view weddings as lively events.
Dances are common with some like Azonto, kukere and skelewu being the most popular
ones.

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