Traditional Igbo Marriage - Dos and donts

Traditional Igbo Marriage - Dos and donts

Traditional Igbo Marriage - Dos and donts

By / Grid 1 columns / الأربعاء, 28 آب/أغسطس 2019 05:28

Before a man marries an igbo girl/ woman, he must first ask for her hand in marriage, from her parents, as well as her umunna (her extended family, represented by the elders). The onyibo/ western-style ‘marriage proposal on bent knee to the woman’ doesn’t count – her ‘yes’ to you (the groom) is not really only or final say, you still have to formally “ask” her parents, as well as her kindred (extended family) in her Nigerian home town.

So, it’s not enough to also announce your (marriage-) intentions to her parents. Marriage is a communal thing in Igboland, like everywhere else in Nigeria, so you (the groom) are expected to ask her clan for her hand in marriage in accordance with the Igbo custom and tradition.


The Igbo Traditional Marriage Ceremony Stages

According to the Ndigbo traditions and customs, the igbo traditional wedding/ marriage involves the following stages:

1.    Marriage Introduction/ Proposal/ Inquiry (Iku Aka or Iju Ese)

2.    Consent From Her Umunna/ Extended Family

3.    The Dowry/ Bride Price Payment (Ime Ego)

4.    Wine-Carrying Ceremony (Igba Nkwu Nwanyi)

In order to help our grooms get a good idea of what is involved when marrying an ibo lady, we wrote a detailed post explaining the procedure for each of the above ibo traditional wedding stages, with the procedures involved.

Parts 1 to 4: Igbo Marriage Procedure Explained

This post that you’re reading is part 1 of the series explaining the igbo marriage stages, traditions and customs. We’ve written detailed, easy to understand articles to help you understand how to go about marrying and igbo woman. Click a link below to start reading:

·       Part 2  – the process, igbo traditions and customs for marriage introduction and seeking of family consent

·       Part 3  – the procedure and customs involved in “Igba Nkwu” wine carrying.

·       Part 4 – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Igbo Marriage ceremony rites and processes.

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Mazi Ogbonna

Mazi Ogbonna

CEO Mother Tongue Academy

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