TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE RITES OF THE IGBOS

Ndi Igbo!
Ekenem Unu!!

Hello Steemians, its the second week of the igbo-tales contest. Thanks to @cwen for providing this means which igbos and others alike can share with the world about our rich and diverse cultural rites and heritage. let me tell you about the rites that are performed in Igbo land.

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lets get started.......

When the future groom finds a lady he intends on marrying, he informs his parents first. He is then accompanied by his parents, siblings and close family members to contact the family of the bride-to-be. After that, a date is set between both families to meet. In which the groom-to-be father states their intentions during the meeting.
Then another meeting will be set to know the answer from the bride's parents. Before the meeting both families normally carryout investigations on each other to know if the families are of good character and conduct and also moral standings in the society. On this return meeting/visit, the grooms parent gets either a positive or a negative answer. Items that are presented during this return visit includes palm wine, dry gin, kola nuts and soft drinks.
If the bride-to-be family accepts the marriage proposal by the groom's family, the bride's family the compiles a list of items that the groom's family will bring to the wedding ceremony as demanded by their custom and traditions. the list may comprise of the following items:

1. 1 goat
2. Tubers of yams
3. Jewelries ( for the brides mum)
4. Bundles of George/Hollandis wrappers ( for the brides mum)
5. Cash gifts
6. Bags of Rice
7. Gallons of Palm wine
8. kola nuts; e.t.c.

During the the final stage of the rites, the groom will go to the bride-to-be house with his immediate and extended family with all the items listed above. The host family that which is that of the bride will entertain their guest with different kinds of local/indigenous dishes. Then an elder from the grooms village will open the occasion by introducing everyone from the groom's family to the brides parents. He will also state their purpose of coming once again and also presenting the items listed by the bride-to-be family to the the bride's parents one by one.
When the elder is done talking, the brides parents will now call for their daughter to verify if she knows their purpose of coming for formality sake.

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If she agrees, a cup of palm wine is the given to her to give to her husband to be among the visitors. She is to present this cup of palm wine to the groom while kneeling down. It is important for the groom to drink all the palm wine from the cup when presented to him by the bride as a sign of acceptance. He then stands up and takes his wife-to-be to the bride-to-be parents and then the elders and older ones for blessings and prayers for a successful marriage.

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Finally, both the groom and bride's family together with members of the community will dance together as the husband carries his newly wedded wife home.
Marriages in igboland are usually long and expensive, but they are worth every penny spent!

igbo kwenu!
igbo kwezuonu!!