Whether deciding to symbolize a new beginning or have small token of your ancestry on your big day, jumping the broom is a wedding tradition that has been around for centuries and is a common practice at Black weddings around the world today!
What is Jumping the Broom and How is it Done?
As previously mentioned, jumping the broom is a tradition that is typically performed at Black weddings. It occurs after the couple exchanges their vows and shares their first kiss. Typically, before proceeding back down the aisle, the officiant will explain the meaning of jumping the broom, read a poem, or say a prayer before someone lays the broom on the ground in front of the couple. Couples may choose to designate a special member of the family to do this task as tradition doesn’t assign the role to anyone. After, the married couple joins hands and jumps over a broom as a symbol of this new journey they are going to begin together.
Now this isn’t your typical household broom, so don’t try and find it in the aisles of your local Target. These brooms are typically made with a wooden handle, and natural bristles, and aren’t usually bigger than three feet. Brides often decorate their brooms with ribbons, lace, and/or flower arrangements that match the bouquets to customize them. You can as always find some great examples on Pinterest as well as shop brooms on Etsy.
Even the broom itself has its own symbolism across different cultures. In Christian ceremonies, starting from the bottom the bristles represent two separate families/lives/path, who are brought together by God (handle) and bound together (ribbon around handle). In pagan ceremonies the handle represents the male phallus, and the bristle are a representation of female energy, all together they represent the perfect balance between male and female.
After the ceremony, brooms are usually framed and kept for safe keeping and to pass it down to your children along with your wedding dress! (You can read more about wedding dress preservation here). As with all traditions you may want to pass you broom down to your children so they will have it on their wedding day, etc. That is, after all, the whole point of traditions.
History
Depending on where you research, and who you ask, there are several different accounts of where this tradition originated. Some say it was created in West Africa where brooms were often used as a tool for removing evil spirits. During the wedding, the broom was waved around the couple’s heads to wave off bad spirits before being placed on the ground in front of the couple as the exited.
Others will say that the wedding custom originated in Welsh, Scottish, and Roma cultures. Where it was a pagan (pre-Christian) ritual performed by couples wanting to marry. The broom was placed in the doorway of the couple’s home and if they could both successful jump over the broomstick it was a representation that their marriage would last. Anything but a clear jump meant the marriage was doomed.
Regardless of where it originated, in the U.S it is often tied back to slavery. As the story goes, slaves weren’t allowed to marry and because of that (naturally) slave owners didn’t acknowledge those marriages. To symbol their marriage before God, slaves would clasp hands and make the jump over the broom. In fact, even long after slavery was abolished couples who were married in this way didn’t deem it necessary to have their union recognized legally. The ceremony of jumping the broom was enough.
As suspected, this tradition became less common once slavery was abolished and newly freed people began getting different rights and it stopped being difficult to find a priest and have a legally recognized marriage. The tradition truly wasn’t revitalized until 1977 when the TV mini-series “Roots” (based on Alex Haley’s novel), began broadcasting on the television that black people were reminded of this tradition and began incorporating the subtle nod to their ancestry on their big day. There was quite an influx during this time of people seeking to connect back to their…roots. (Sorry I couldn’t resist). Though “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” the novel will forever be a literary masterpiece, the practice of this tradition took a dip in popularity again a few years later.
In 2011, the number of couples jumping the broom on their wedding day skyrocketed, after the release of the movie, “Jumping the Broom.” Whether the popularity was due to people remembering the history of the tradition or couples learning about it for the first time is unclear. Since then, millions of people jump the broom every year and for a variety of reasons.
To Jump or Not to Jump
Not all Black or Bi-racial couples choose to jump the broom and that’s okay! Some couples feel that the tradition is a little archaic or perhaps it wasn’t a tradition that was passed down through their family. (Check out our article “Which Wedding Traditions You Can Skip ¬ Feel Bad)” for a few other options you may want to toss). Other couples may simply choose not to incorporate it because they don’t have a connection to the “ceremony”.
Making the decision to jump the broom should really be left to you and your significant other, and if it feels important to you both then go for it. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to jump the broom, and the ceremony can be customized anyway that you like. You may even use your broom for dual purposes and allow your guests to sign the handle instead of a guest book. Regardless, of what you choose you should do what you and your significant other decide will be the best representation of your union. Focus on combining the different aspects of you and your parent’s styles and personality traits into this portion of the ceremony as you do with all other portions.
