Jumping the Broom has been developed and practiced in many religious and non-religious customs spanning across different cultures around the world, wherever the Broom Bush was found. The Broom Bush is one of the most abundantly fertile and indestructible plants found in Africa and other parts of the world where it is warm and sunny, and where dry, sandy soils are in abundance. Yet the Broom Bush is hardy and strong, conquering what many other plants could never withstand. The Broom Bush maintains its life in extremely cold temperatures and darkness. Even in fires, the Broom Bush would not completely die. Instead, it would regenerate, from the root up, even more healthy than ever before. The Broom Bush possesses the most delicately beautiful and fragrant flowers. The fragrance is said to actually tame even the wildest of beasts, and it is used as a food source and a medicinal plant as well, nourishing and healing all who eat from it. It is no wonder that the people living in the areas in which the Broom was found used its branch to represent a couple’s union. The Broom itself, in its endurance, strength, fertility, nourishing and healing properties, and fragrant beauty, symbolize the hopes the guests envision for the couple in their new life together.
This custom appeared in the U.S. as a result of the slave trade. African groups adopted this symbol of jumping the broom from the Asante people in the absence of any legal recognition of enslaved people’s marriages. For enslaved people, marriage was an illegal and extremely dangerous act, so couples would host small gatherings and jump the broom at one point of their secret celebration to signify their union and commitment crossing over the threshold into marriage. It became the only way enslaved African couples could symbolically represent the moment they became connected in marriage by their love for one another, as no other symbols of their union could be displayed.
When couples jump the broom now, it pays homage to its origins, and it acknowledges the right to love and the right to choose who you love. The meaning behind Jumping the Broom has evolved since its origins, and, according to the most commonly used interpretation, it now focuses on its primary significance: the sweeping away of past transgressions, the removal of and protection from evil spirits, and the welcoming of a new beginning. Whatever your beliefs may be, I will tailor this beautiful custom to suit your preferences and decorate the Broom to match your style and theme.