Marriage is universal among all cultures but the process is culturally defined. Prior to a marriage ceremony in Nigeria, there is a formal meeting between the potential couple’s families. The groom has to pay a bride price or dowry to the bride’s family. The bride price consists of a specific amount of money, Bags of rice, yams, palm wine, cooking oil, alcoholic beverages and traditional African fabrics, which the bride’s family demand from the groom before giving their daughter out for marriage. Below is a summary of an observed traditional Igbo marriage.
The traditional marriage ceremony took place at a banquet hall in a hotel. The lightening was not too bright or deem. There was no special colored lightening or disco lights. The marriage
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The bride’s mother wore blue and silver lace fabric attire with a big blue head wrap and a red beaded necklace. The bride’s father was dressed in a white traditional pants and top with a blue and white fabric wrapped around his shoulder and a read beaded hat. The bride’s parent’s walked through the guests, waved their hand and welcomed them to the marriage ceremony. Other people with smiles on their faces danced slowly and followed them as they walked through the guests. After they have welcomed virtually all the guests, they proceeded to take their seat one of the rectangular tables that were reserved for them. Next, the Master of Ceremonies (MC) grabbed the microphone and walked to the center of the hall and started speaking their local dialect. He yelled some words and the guests responded in their dialect as well. He then introduced himself and acknowledged some of the special guests. Then he called a pastor to pray and commit the program into God’s hands. After the prayers, they decided to formally welcome the guest with a kola nut. According to the MC, the symbol of a cola not means unity and a traditional way to welcome people to the occasion. He called the oldest elder among the traditional elders, whom they refer to as “eze”, which mean king in Igbo language, to bless the kola nut before they server it to the guests. The kola nut was presented to the bride’s father to touch it. Afterwards, the kola nut was taken to …show more content…
This is a result of the social and cultural roles that teaches men to be superior, stronger and more important than women. Even at birth, boys are preferred over girls. Due to this cultural role, men are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse and unprotected sex and are less likely to engage in health seeking behaviors. Nurses can educate male patients on the consequences of suck risky behaviors and encourage them to see their primary care provider for routine physical examinations. Also, because men are the main decision makers of their family, in is essential to include them in their partner’s plan of
Relationships can be discussed in all aspect of life. Including communities, families, marriage, conflicts, and divorce. The gift of any relationship is the gifts from the spirits. The author uses her African teachings, in comparison to how Americans handle different relationships. In the book, “The Spirit of Intimacy,” Sobonfu Some’s gives wisdom insightful experience of her marriage and about the Dagara people of West African beliefs and traditions when facing conflicts in leading to divorcement.
Nigerian Ibo culture in the village of Umoufia. Like the Ibo, many other nations are strongly rooted to
First, men, like teenage boys, are expected to be “aggressive, brave, confront danger, and protect their loved ones.” The expectation to hold true to these qualities deteriorates the physical well-being and mental state of men, leading to more injuries in the long run. The mentality taught to young boys to “suck it up” when injured fosters the idea that they should not seek medical attention for injuries, which can lead to major problems in later life. Gender socialization teaches men to conceal their feelings because it is seen as feminine. Hiding emotions leads to stress and the complications that come from stress. Women are gender socialized to be the “responsible ones, the nurturers, and the caretakers.” Caretakers are known to have high levels of stress associated with attending to the needs of young children and sick relatives. High levels of stress are known to cause weight changes, depression, and sleep disorders. Second, women who have day jobs are also expected to also be housekeepers and nurturers of their families, causing added stress to women. (Day) Gender expectations of adults, set onto them in their adolescence, cause great strain and stress throughout their lives. Socialization of the genders from adolescence may have lasting impacts on the well-being of adults, but there are simple changes parents and society can make that will ease this
Despite people celebrating marriage in different ways it all comes back to one thing; marriage is a social ritual that by which two people affirms one abiding contracts between. The ceremonies are composed of rituals which symbolize facets of married life and the obligations being undertaken. In Hinduism the marriage celebration can start weeks before the actual ceremony depending on the preferences of the family. Once the day of the ceremony comes around the day starts with the brides’ family welcoming the groom into their home and both families are formally introduced. Both the bride and groom sit at the Mandap- tent where the ceremony is held under,-and are offered a drink. Gifts between the two families are generally exchanged at this point. The groom's mother gives an auspicious necklace to the bride, which is essentially an emblem of the married status in the Hindu religion. Then scared fire is lit and a pundit recites t...
Religion and the Igbo People The Igbo are a profoundly religious people who believe in a benevolent creator, usually known as Chukwu, who created the visible universe (uwa). Opposing this force for good is agbara, meaning spirit or supernatural being. In some situations people are referred to as agbara in describing an almost impossible feat performed by them. In a common phrase the igbo people will say Bekee wu agbara.
He also includes many traditions about the wedding ceremonies. Weddings usually include drinking over palm wine and guests bringing kola nuts. When the wedding between Akueke and her groom is over, Achebe says, “It was the day on which would bring palm-wine not only to her parents and immediate relatives but to the wide and extensive group of kinsmen called umunna,”(110). This is a tradition that not only does the family get presents but so does all the guests. Not is only the family included in on the traditions with the presents, but so is everyone attending the wedding. The weddings aren’t just about the bride and the groom, it’s about everyone who comes to celebrate. Danny Busch gives details about how the weddings and how their ceremonies took place. He describes the wedding ceremonies comparing the wedding to a piece of fruit. Him representing the flavor of the fruit as love and companionship
Three different Western marriage customs have influenced the characters in the story "Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe. It is about a Nnaemeke and Nene. Nnaemeke was an Igbo but Nene was from a different part of the country. They fell in love and Nnameke proposed. Then Nnaemeke got a letter from his father telling him about an arranged marriage that is being planned. Very disappointed, Nnaemeke comes home and tells his father that he will not get married to anybody, except Nene. Nnaemeke was kicked out from his father's house and wasn’t wanted there anymore. Happily married, Nnaemeke and Nene, had two sons. They wanted to see their grandpa and wouldn’t stop asking to visit him. When Nnaemeke's father read the letter about his grandsons he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about them. At last he was beginning to open his heart for his son, daughter-in-law, and his grandsons. The first custom was that the parents arranged marriages for their children. Nnaemeka's father had arranged a wedding for him with a girl from his culture. The second custom was that love was not part of the marriages. All that mattered was that she had to be a good Christian and had the potential to become a good wife. The third custom is that the woman had to be raised from the same culture. Women from other cultures were not welcomed in Igbo culture and families. These three customs had a huge affect on Nene's and Nnaemeka's lives.
(1997). Wedding Traditions & Superstitions: 50 Wedding Facts & Trivia. Investor Relations. Group Inc. .
In turn, these expectations lead to men and women handling stress and negative situations differently, and the development of mental illness typically stems from there, with some genders being more prone to certain disorders than the other (“Gender and women’s health”). For example, common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are predominated by women, and are possibly brought on by socioeconomic disadvantage, income inequality, or a subordinate social rank. In comparison, males are more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol dependence and antisocial personality disorder, possibly due to pressure of being the prime provider for the family, or the expectation of internalizing any negative thoughts or emotions. However, not only are gender roles detrimental to mental health, they also have a negative effect on its diagnosis and treatment of men and women, further promoting the inequities. Gender bias has shown to be a strong factor in the treatment of psychological illnesses, and can often result in misdiagnoses. For example, according to the World Health Organization, even if both patients present identical symptoms, doctors are more likely to diagnose depression in a woman than a man (“Gender disparities in
could relate to this or see that respect should be a bigger part in society than it is. Elders are always highly respected in the Igbo culture, the reader might be able to whitness some kind of connection to this by seeing that or knowing about the Egwugwu. these are a group of masked men impersonating the tribes ancestors.This could definitely be considered attractive or appealing from the perspective of an outside culture. Okonkwo was well known throughout and beyond his nine villages and was highly respected, respect for the Igbo tribe is everything. Anything that the members of the Igbo tribe do can and will reflect how that individual is viewed/ respected. things that the reader might find in the Igbo culture to play in the role of respect would be how much respect the elders get from the tribe, or wrestling and Okonkwo, he is highly respected for his Wrestling abilities and the deaths he has caused in war.
A bride is usual not wearing a white dress to get married. The bride usual wears any fashionable or modern color. A bride did not wear a white color as a wedding dress until the 19th century. Depending on the popularity of the families. The bride might have a new gown made, or simply wear her best clothes. The bride’s f...
The chapter with the topic that interested me the most in this Sociology course was the one dealing with marriages. I thought it was interesting to see how marriage can take on so many different meanings depending on what country or culture a person belongs to. To most people, especially here in the US, marriage is usually the union of two adults (usually heterosexual) who are in love with each other. This means that the two individuals get to choose who they want to be their future husband or wife. However, in India, it is not an uncommon practice to marry a person that your parents have approved/chosen for you.
The Zulu people are known for their famous history fighting oppression and exploitation by the European settlers and most notably the many triumphs of the Zulu Army led by the famous King Shaka in the early 1800’s. However, now what sets them apart from most cultures is their unique marriage and wedding practices. The Zulu are known for their colourful and festive wedding celebrations. In this section, these practices will be looked into to gain understanding and identify the unique traits and practices and to also hopefully identify the significance
He usually arrives dressed in his wedding attire on the back of a horse, or sometimes on the back of an elephant. “The wedding altar (mandapa) is built the day of and the groom is welcomed by his future mother in law where his feet are then washed and he is offered milk and honey. His sister in law will attempt to steal his shoes and if she succeeds, the groom must pay her to get them back” (beau-coup.com). At the wedding venue the bride waits for the groom in a room covered in garland, when the groom arrives they exchange garland. After this, the brides family will welcome the grooms family to the wedding. Like Christian weddings, the father of the bride gives the bride away at the wedding, this is called a Kanyadaan. A priest will facilitate the marriage by reciting mantras or holy hymns, but the bride and groom marry each other. The bride and groom are considered married when the groom ties a thread that symbolizes his vow to care for the bride. He ties it in three knots that symbolizes the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Masheshwara. The ceremony takes place around a fire and the god, Agni is considered the witness to the union. “The bride and the groom then circle the fire seven times, in a clockwise direction, called Saat Phere which signifies seven goals of married life which include religious and moral duties, prosperity, spiritual salvation and liberation, and sensual gratification” (Gullapalli