Traditions: Jumping the Broom

One tradition that we want to include in our wedding to celebrate the Mr.'s heritage is jumping the broom. When he first brought it up in a wedding related conversation, I didn't know what he was talking about. It was a tradition that I had never heard of and was really happy to have him suggest.

Here the is the description from theknot.com:
"This tradition most likely originated with an African ritual in which a broom is used to demonstrate that all past problems have been swept away. During slave days, African-Americans were forbidden to marry and live together, so jumping over a broom was a formal and public declaration of the couple's commitment. Today, it has become very popular for African-American couples to follow suit at the conclusion of their wedding ceremony. The broom, often handmade and beautifully decorated, can be displayed in the couple's home after the wedding."

Now that I know the significance of this tradition, I'm excited to incorporate it into our ceremony.

There's a great description here from Dana on Jumping the Broom blog.