Verified Document

Speak Attending A Ghana, Africa Wedding Celebration. Essay

¶ … speak attending a Ghana, Africa wedding celebration. detail descriptive families dynamics traditional food. It speak heritage. Weddings are special events in the African culture. Not only is the couple at the center of attention, but also the two families, which become connected. African people highly value this ceremony and its significance in the wider context of life. Therefore, great attention is paid to the specific traditions, the clothing, food, activities and obviously the ceremony itself. Although in modern times, Western characteristics have been introduced, old traditions are still visible and families do their best to preserve them. This paper will describe a few elements characteristic of a typical African wedding I attended some time ago.

In Ghana, the marriage proceedings are a lengthy process, which actually starts before the official ceremony, with the groom asking the bride's family for permission, by what is known as "knocking on the door" - the two families meet, receive the groom's gift offerings and if they accept the proposal, the wedding preparations officially begin. This event marks both families' acceptance for the marriage.

Africans put a strong emphasis on the wedding attire, as the clothing often represents the area the couple is...

In some weddings, the clothing is also connected to the family's own heritage, being a way of acknowledging, exhibiting and being proud of one's background. In Ghana, brides usually wear traditional gowns with African Adinkra symbols displayed on the fabric. Common in Western Africa, these symbols are a visual representation of different concepts. The symbols most often used in weddings are Akoma (patience and tolerance), Me Ware Wo (commitment and perseverance), Gye Nyame (supremacy of God), and Osram Ne Nsoromma (harmony)(Worldly Weddings - African-American Wedding Traditions, accessed Mar.2013). This is thus an indirect way of transmitting one's beliefs and desires for the new life that will begin after the wedding ceremony. Regarding the food menu, African weddings display a broad variety of their best recipes. Whether based on rice or meat, sweet or sour, African wedding meals are satisfying and special, to mark the union of the couple and the special celebration (African Wedding Traditions -- Wedding Reception Food & African Food Recipes, accessed Mar.2013).
Before the ceremony, the elder members of both families say some prayers and introductory words. The groom's family brings and presents the dowry (a set of…

Sources used in this document:
References:

African-American Wedding Traditions. Retrieved March 7, 2013 from Worldly Weddings: http://www.worldlyweddings.com/african-traditions-a/121.htm.

African wedding cultural traditions by country. Retrieved March 7, 2013 from Afrykaconnect: http://blog.afrykaconnect.pl/?p=219.

Jumping Brooms. Retrieved March 8, 2013 from Worldly Weddings:

http://www.worldlyweddings.com/category-s/34.htm.
Wedding Reception Food & African Food Recipes. Retrieved March 8, 2013 from African Wedding Traditions: http://www.africanweddingtraditions.com/wedding-reception-food.html.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ceremonies of King Louis the 14th
Words: 1316 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Ceremonies of King Louis XIV Marriage Ceremonies and King Louis XIV Marriage to Marguerite of Savoy Marguerite was the princess of Savoy; she was stunningly beautiful, with her big shimmering eyes, dark face and fairy like attire. She walked so gracefully that she barely touched the ground. Her reception was the most desired thing of all times, the king, queen and all the others at the court were dying to see her reception.

Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World 1492-1640...
Words: 1013 Length: 3 Document Type: Book Report

Ceremonies of Possession/Differences in How America Was Settled Patricia Seed in her book, Ceremonies of Possession, assumes a novel position in regard to the settlement of the New World by the various European powers. Seed's theory is that each of the five main nations involved in the settlement of the New World: England, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands, did so in their own unique way and that these unique ways

Ceremonies in Samoa Coming of Age
Words: 2294 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

Margaret Mead and Coming of Age in Samoa Different aspects of culture define people over a period of time. It is only human nature that we see differences in culture and ourselves when thrown into a melting pot, a mix of multi-cultures in which we live today. One can only imagine what it must have been like for Margaret Mead as she traveled half way around the world in search of

Ceremonies And Rituals
Words: 2092 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Essay Topic Examples 1. The Role of Ceremonies in Indigenous Cultures:     Explore the significance of ceremonies and rituals in preserving the traditions and beliefs of indigenous people. Discuss how these practices serve as a means of passing down knowledge, customs, and values from generation to generation. 2. Marriage Ceremonies Around the World:     Analyze the various marriage ceremonies that exist across different cultures. Highlight the unique aspects, symbolic elements, and social significance of

Indigenous Peoples and Ceremony
Words: 2477 Length: 9 Document Type: Research Paper

Ceremonies of the Pacific Northwest Coastal Indigenous Peoples People have been living along the Pacific Northwest Coast for more than 11,000 years, and while the tribes and nations that developed differed in their customs and cultures, they shared some common ceremonial practices including most especially those involving their most important beliefs and natural resources such as salmon and the white deer. This paper provides a description of the different types of

Leslie Silko Ceremony 1977
Words: 1801 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Leslie Silko's Ceremony is a highly informative and insightful work that offers a closer glimpse into the lives of Pueblo people and their culture. The author focuses on the various ceremonies and traditions that are considered essential for spiritual and physical healing in such traditional societies. The story revolves around the disease that Tayo has contracted during wartime and that appears to consume him completely. Through Tayo and two other

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now