Tag Archives: wedding custom

‘Spraying’ Money on the Bride

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At Nigerian weddings, especially among Yoruba and Igbo families, there’s a tradition called “spraying” where guests throw or place money on the bride and groom as they dance. My friend described it as a moment where the music is playing loudly, and everyone crowds the dance floor to celebrate the couple. People use small bills, often $1s or $5s, and place them gently on the bride’s head or shoulders while she dances. Sometimes the groom gets sprayed too, but it’s more focused on the bride. Someone is usually assigned to pick up the money and keep it safe. The mood is exciting, and the spraying is seen as a way of showing love, joy, and support.

Context:

I interviewed my friend who is Nigerian-American and has attended several Nigerian weddings, both in the U.S. and in Nigeria. She said she first saw money-spraying as a kid at her cousin’s wedding and thought it looked like “a fun way to make it rain.” But now that she’s older, she sees it as something deeper. She said, “It’s not just about the money … it’s our way of saying we’re proud of you, we’re happy for you, and we’re blessing your marriage.” She also mentioned that it brings people together, elders, friends, everyone joins in. Even if someone doesn’t have much money, they’ll still spray a little just to be part of the celebration.

Interpretation:

This tradition showcases the communal nature of weddings in Nigerian culture. It’s not just about two individuals getting married, but about the whole community showing up to support them. Spraying money is a public display of care and pride, and it helps preserve cultural practices even for Nigerians living abroad. In the U.S., continuing this tradition at weddings creates a sense of connection to home and heritage. It also flips the usual Western expectation of giving money privately in a card. Here, it’s done out loud, in front of everyone, as part of the celebration itself. This reflects a cultural value of openness and generosity

The Sea Snake Dance

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired Federal Officer
Residence: Henderson, Nevada
Language: English

Text: Before I moved to the United States I attended a wedding in Mexico city, where I was born, and witnessed The Sea Snake Dance for the first time. A song, La Vibora de la Mar, began to play. Simultaneously, all the adults began clinging together and forming a large circle. I wasn’t allowed to join the circle as my mom said it was unsafe for me. The bride and groom stood on opposing tables and reached out one arm towards the other. Then, the human snake ran under their arms and sung the song.

Context: Informant describes first seeing this Hispanic wedding tradition when they were a young child still living in Mexico City. They described their time in the United States, where they have spent the majority of their life, and claim that they have only seen The Sea Snake Dance performed at a select few hispanic weddings. Informant believes this tradition is performed as a gift from the attendees of the wedding, wishing the newly weds a joyous and faithful marriage. The snake, to the informant, is representative of the potential struggles the newly married will face.

Analysis:

I believe this tradition to be rather fascinating, especially its lack of presence in the American- Hispanic wedding scene. The informant, who is now a marriage officiant who primarily serves the Hispanic community, describes not seeing many examples of the Sea Snake Dance in the United States. The few times they have seen it performed, they expressed being shocked. This, to me, is very representative of the changing beliefs that are produced when two cultures fuse. With the population of Mexico being mainly Roman Catholic, marriage holds a very prominent role in their society. In the United States, however, marriage has become less and less meaningful as divorce rates continue to rise. This is likely why the informant does not witness many replications of the wedding ritual that is so common to Hispanic culture. This lacking of reproduction is representative of folk- traditions ability to change in a parallel fashion to those who perform it.

Elopement Vows

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired Federal Officer
Residence: Henderson, Nevada
Language: English

Text: When I decided to get married to my, now, ex-husband we decided to have a small wedding. So small that the only people present were him, the priest, and myself. Although their were no guests, we still prepared our Vows for one- another and spoke then when directed to. It was a beautiful ceremony, all that I had hoped for, and keeping our vows between each other deepened our connection.

Context: Informant describes the decision behind why they decided to have an elopement. Due to clashing cultures, that of a Hispanic woman and of a Kashmiri man, the informant was nervous of the traditions that would have to take place at such a diverse wedding. Because of this, the informant decided the wedding should be held with only a priest present. Informant understands that this choice was rather unorthodox, but discusses her need for traditions of a wedding, such as the exchange of vows, still being present. To the informant, this shows that weddings do not need to follow all customs and traditions that are culturally approved, but the ones a couple sees fit.

Analysis: I think this piece is elegant in its way of explaining how folk- tradition, such as weddings, is an event that can undergo changes based on those who are performing it. It portrays how folk traditions remain resilient through variation. This specific examples does not relay the story of those who reject traditional wedding practices, but adapted them to fit their own personal needs. In doing so, it became clear that folklore is an always changing genre that accommodates the needs of a changing society.

Jordan Almond Wedding Favor

Text:

There’s an Italian wedding custom where, as a wedding favor, a couple will place five candied almonds (called Jordan almonds) into a net mesh or piece of lace, tie it up with a bow, and put a tag on them with information about the wedding. The almond net will often be placed inside of something, such as a ceramic angel, a champagne glass, or a ceramic high heel shoe.
Each almond is supposed to have an individual meaning- representing five blessings of health, wealth, fertility, happiness, and longevity for the couple.

Context:

The informant is Roman Catholic, and grew up in the United States. She was exposed to the practice when she was younger and went to the weddings of her Italian family members, where these almonds were offered as party favors.

Analysis:

A common interpretation I’ve seen as to why Jordan almonds are given out at weddings is because they are shaped like eggs, and thus represent fertility. Their taste is also supposed to represent the state of married life, with the delicate balance of bitter and sweet reminding the couple how life can be a balance of both. Either way, this seems to be a form of homeopathic magic- attempting to bring about a desired result by mimicking said result through the ritual. In this case, the desired result is to either have a good balance of bitter and sweet moments in one’s life, or to have a fertile and bountiful marriage. There might be some symbolism in the objects the almonds are placed in as well, those being the shoe, champagne glass, and angel. The high heeled shoe and champagne glass can both be interpreted as representations of the “celebration” at the wedding and a part of the bride, while the angel is more comparable to the Christian aspect of Italian marriage customs. These objects, representing the liminal space that is the wedding ceremony itself, literally carry the blessings (the almonds) that the married couple will receive once this space is crossed.

Wedding Tradition – “Jumping the broom”

Nationality: Black
Age: 18
Occupation: Student

Text:

“A wedding tradition…specifically African Americans jump the broom at their weddings which is basically at the end of the sermon they jump over the broom…it’s literally a broom.”

Context:

One of my friends is African American and she was explaining this wedding tradition that many black communities partake in. She said it was a way of “giving thanks” as well as “honoring their ancestors.” She talked about how in the past slaves weren’t allowed to get married so this was an “act of defiance against the slave masters to jump the broom…to say we’re married after a pastor or sermon.” This tradition has continued to this day, even though they can legally get married, to show “thanks to the ancestors…that we see them.” She went on to say that it is an important aspect of her culture to honor their ancestors. She also said that many people in the outskirts of her family still practice this tradition as they believe it is “important to honor history and the ancestors…what they have gone through as a reminder that they are the reason we are here today.” 

Analysis:

It was interesting to hear of this tradition as it was quite new to me. The concept has a lot of history behind it and it’s mainly a tradition within the black community. That most likely contributes to the significance of the tradition as it connects people within that community. After doing a little research the origin of the tradition is still argued over today. Some believe it was started in West Africa to ward off evil spirits while some believe it originated in Wales. It is also believed that jumping the broom was a way for slaves back in the day to get married as they could not legally wed back then. Today the tradition has taken a slightly different meaning. Now the tradition is incorporated to recognize and pay homage to the legacy left behind by people’s ancestors in the black community. This shows how certain traditions can change their meaning depending on the period.