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Culture Vulture - Wedding Party Tradition | My Traditional Wedding

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oasiskp
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2 years agoSteemit7 min read

Culture Vulture - Wedding Party Tradition | My Traditional Wedding By @oasiskp

Intro

Greetings to you all dear fellow travellers in the Steemit Travel community as well as other friends on the steemit platform. Hope I meet you all well, and if so, glory be the giver of life and good health in the highest.

This contest topic is a lovely and interesting one. This is because marriage cut across international borders. As a matter of fact, love is one thing that have no boundaries, and as it unite peoples together, it helps us to see how life should be lived through culture which is a way of life of the people.

What Is Marriage?

Depending on the country, region and culture, the agreed definition of marriage may differ, but in a general concept of it, I will say that "marriage is the coming together of two individuals (male and female, female and female and or male and male) who have agreed to live together, share mutual consent, feeling and emotions, procreate and contribute in expanding the borders of humanity as long as they both shall live."

Aside from the inclusions of human philosophy as to what marriage is, the creator of humans instituted the first marriage arrangement thousands of years ago in the garden of Eden by joking a man and a woman together in holy matrimony and said they are no more two but one. Therefore, irrespective of culture and modern concept inclusion in marriage, the main idea is to joke a man and a woman together for procreation to continue.

##Types of Marriage ##
Ofcourse there are different types of marriage that is being contracted today such as: white wedding, court marriage, traditional marriage or wedding, palour marriage, and the list goes on.
But streamlining it to the contest topic: wedding party tradition, I will like to use my traditional wedding as a case study.

My Traditional Wedding

This is a type of marriage arrangement were all traditional formalities of the given community culture is observed. The varieties involve include the food, clothings, dance, cultural display, gift items, family rituals/incantations and a lot more.

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In my case, it all happens when I made up my mind to quit bachelorhood. As practice here in Nigeria were I am, in Ibibio culture of Akwa Ibom State, the bride to be will first inform her parent of her intentions to marry the man she loved who have ask her hand in marriage, then a day is fix for the groom to visit the family of the bride for what is called "Nkong udok" in Ibibio otherwise known as "door opening or familiarization visit". In the course of the visit, few members of my family accompanied me, usually, father, mother, uncles aunties and the families head.
Once we arrived we were welcome and ushered into the compound by members of her family who were waiting to receive us. Once sitted, we were official welcome with some gin and other hard wine along with colanut presented to us. After the introduction of both family members, the floor is open for me and my family to declare our intentions for coming. My family spoke person then greeted the family for welcoming us into their home, thereafter inform them of our intention which is to have the access of plugging off the lovely flower that they find in the compound. This is said in a proverbial manner. They will ask, which of the flower? The response is to mention the name of the girl in particular. This is followed by presenting hot wines depending on how wealthy you are. Thereafter, we eat and drink and then a day is fix to visit again for what is called " Mboup" which is officially asking the lady's hand in marriage in front of boh parents.

In my next visit, I went with wines of some sort as well as colanut accompanied with other family members. On this day, the relationship of both family is more solidify because, my wife to be has in front of both parent accepted my proposal, which is sealed with prayer from an elderly person in the family. It is after this that the family then informed me of the day I will come to collect my marriage list.

In the day of the collection of the marriage list, it was not like other days were eating and drinking makes up the agenda. I only went with my uncle with a bottle of gin.

Now that I have collected the list, I will notify them when to come for what is called "Nfahag", which is to argue the contents of the list and finally come to a logical agreement and conclusion. This ofcourse depend in how wealthy the groom is, you may decide to provide all the items on the list. Depending on the tradition of the locality, the contents of the list do run up to a million naira or more.

After we have met and agreed on the list issue, the date for the traditional marriage is then fixed by me after consulting with my wife to be, looking at my pocket and the available favourable circumstances.

The day finally arrived, 25th November, 2017, at Itak Ikot Akap, Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Members of both family, friends, neighbours, colleages, villagers, alluni, wellwishers and those known and unknown from far and near who have arrived from their respective locations converge and the occasion began in a colourful grand style.

The guest were all treated with different traditional delicacies, palm wine, gin, red wine and ither varieties. The DJ entertain the crowd with different traditional and high life music, the dancers dance in their different style, the MC entertain the people with rid cracking jokes, all these took place before the couples entry.

As the traditional practice, the groom will be invited and along with his troops will be ucher in and introduce to the crowd, and then the bride.

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By the time I was call to make my entry, I was shocked to my marrow by the mamount crowd that have filled my in-laws compound. I dance round waving to the people, greeting those on the service tables, the villagers, different groups and the likes. After some cross examinations by the master of ceremony which usually add beautyb to the ocassion, I was then ask to take my seat which have been decorated alongside with that of my wife.

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While I was being ecamine

Then it was the turn of my wife, she was uchered in by the troops of her friends and family, with traditional music tk accompanied her dance step. She dance round and greeted all in attendance and finally was ask to sit by my side. Then the marriage rites begins.

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My wife presenting drink to her dad introducing me to him

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Presenting drink to my dad introducing my wife to him

After all rites have been observed, prayers offered, gift recived, it was time to take my wife home to commence the family proper.

I am inviting @manuelhook, @umoh88 and @edisave to join in the contest.

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