Thursday, 4 December 2014

More marriages, less weddings

The average Nigerian wedding today takes four phases basically, which obviously does not mean getting married four different times to four different persons, but to the same person in four different ways, as dictated by religion, culture, tradition, and civil law.


In Yorubaland, the Introduction ceremony (mo min n moo) is the first phase. Families of the intending couple formally meet for acquaintances and assert their consent to the proposed marriage. Some are done in a living room setting with strictly the nuclear or immediate extended families in attendance, and for some others, only the paying of bride price separates this from the proper engagement ceremony. During many Introductions these days, the groom and his friends prostrate severally to the bride’s family (signifying a plea to marry their daughter), intending couple cuts the cake, spokespersons (in Yoruba setting), usually referred to “Alága Ìjókó” representing the bride’s family and “Alága Ìdúró” standing for the groom’s side are used, gifts such as fruits, wine and drinks are exchanged and so on.)


published by Nigerian Tribune.

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