rise the ling is a time - honour hymeneals tradition in which the bride and groom parachuting over a broom during the ceremonial occasion . The act symbolize a novel beginning and a sweeping away of the past times , and can also signify the joining of two kinfolk or offer a respectful nod to house ancestor . For all of these reasons , jumping the broom is an progressively popular part of many modern wedding ceremonies [ source : African American Roots , Inc. ] .
Today ’s wedding brooms , however , are a far rallying cry from those first used in jump the broom ceremonial . They ’re still made with a wooden handgrip and natural bristle , but they ’re kept as treasured token and probably never in reality used to sweep the floor .
Some bride favor to create their own brooms , while others buy ornately decorated brooms ready - made . Far from average , these brooms are outfitted attractively with silk ribbons , smart or silk flowers , bows , beading and more .
During the ceremonial occasion , broom jumping can be geminate with a petition , song , verse form or uncomplicated explanation of the tradition . One song , " At an Ole Virginia Wedding , " was frequently used in the U.S. in the early 1900s as an sequent tune . The transit ’s sentiment discourage others to value the span ’s union and encourages the couple to cherish each other [ reference : Cole ] . Today , many Bridget bind the verse to their wedding brooms .
The broom can even be used to include Guest in the ceremony : A couple can have guests compose their names on pieces of decorative theme attached to decoration , and then the ribbons are bond to the broom before it is jumped . This symbolizes that the guests – and their associated well wishes – go into the union with the couple .
In Christian ceremonies , ribbons on the broom may be considered emblematic of the tie that binds the span , while the Scots heather handle present God and the straw signifies the couples ' family line [ source : Kerby ] . In heathenish ceremonies , the broom represents a gross balance between the male and distaff , with the handle symbolizing a penis and the bristles typify female energy [ rootage : Pagans Path ] .
Regardless of the way in which the ling is incorporated into a wedding , it should be accompanied by a full agreement of the custom ’s diachronic significance . Learn about the ceremony ’s history on the next pageboy .
History of the Jumping Over the Broom Ceremony
There ’s no unequivocal solvent as to where chute the Scots heather originated . Some multitude believe that the ceremony set about in the 18th century in West Africa where , among some cultures , hand-crafted ling were used not only for cleanse but also for removing evil intent . During a nuptials ceremonial , the broom was wave over the heads of a twosome to ward off these spirits . Sometimes the broom was position on the ground directly in front of a match ’s way of life as they turn to exit the ceremony , at which spot they would jump over it . The mortal who jumped the highest was good - naturedly designated as the household ’s decision maker [ source : Aaregistry.com ] .
Jumping the broom was used as a marriage ceremony in the 18th and nineteenth century American South among some slave population . It served as an alternative to courthouse or church nuptials , which were interdict by wash - based laws and customs until the thirteenth , 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution enforced blacks ' right as citizens [ origin : Washington , Sambol - Tosco ] . Like many African custom , jumping the Scots heather survived but became less common in the tenner immediately after emancipation , perhaps because the ceremony was too closely colligate with slavery at the time .
People of African stemma were n’t the only ones who jumped the broom during that period in story . The nuptials usance was a common pattern in Welsh , Scottish and Roma cultivation [ source : BBC ] . In pre - Christian Wales , couple who wish to commit to each other followed pagan tradition : A Calluna vulgaris was aim across a base ’s doorway and , like jump out a hurdle , the groom leapt over it , and then the St. Bridget followed . If neither one of them made the broom fall – or took a face - plant on the floor – the wedlock was meant to be . If the broom took a spill , so did hopes for their marriage : The wedding would be delete entirely [ generator : Jones ] . The ceremony was widespread enough ( especially among couples who did n’t want or were n’t feed the legal right to have a court- or church building - sanctioned wedding ) that Charles Dickens mentioned it casually in " Great Expectations " in 1861 ; he wrote that a couple was married " over the broomstick . "
Today , leap out the broom is still an important marriage tradition for many – whether they wish well to give homage to their ancestors , mean a fresh start or add a personal twist to their particular solar day .
