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jumping the broom

Marriage practices vary from country to country owing to geography, culture, and belief systems.
Whereas the origin stories for some ceremonies can still be clearly remembered, those for others are vague and all but gone.
                     atlantablackstar.com

Black African slaves from the trans-Atlantic slave trade developed the practise of jumping the broom in the 18th century. Since their lords forbade them from getting married in a formal ceremony, slaves who fell in love with one another would jump over a broom after exchanging vows to their partners, so legally binding their union.
According to some historical accounts that contest the validity of the aforementioned rationale, slaves engaged in the "jump the broom" culture because their owners forced them to wed in such a way as to serve as a constant reminder of their obligations.

This culture's origins are contradictory. Some claim that it came from Britain, when people there would leap over the broom after exchanging vows. "Jumping the broom" may be done independently among the British who used it, and if it fell either on one's turn or on both turns, the marriage was regarded as cancelled.

In addition to while getting married, jumping the broom was also practised at divorce; however, this time, it was done backwards to signify renouncing the marriage, and the tradition was carried over to British colonies.
It is assumed that the "jump the broom" culture has its origins in Africa because of the cultural importance of broom in the history and legacy of West African nations, although there are no African-documented sources from the ADs to support this assertion.

SIGNIFICANCE OF JUMPING THE BROOM

In a spiritual sense, it is thought to cleanse the union of any witchcraft or bad luck.

Because of the way the traditional African brooms are joined together, it also represents a deep kinship.

Another representation of the woman's position in the home is her leaping over the broom.

The joke that goes along with the custom claims that the person who leaped highest over the broom handled all of the household decisions.

Even in modern times, couples still "jump the broom" during marriage—less because of any sense of significance than out of respect for those who went before them.

                            Source: 
                          Bride.com
               African American Registry
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