What is the significance of marriage in the Ibo culture?

• Marriage is all about family, basically saying, “ if you marry me, you marry my family too”.

• Polygamy is accepted . It is when a man can have many wives. If you can manage having many, then there is no law against it.

• Example: In “ Things fall apart”, Okonkwo had three wives, the first unknown, Ekwefi and Ojiugo.

What are the steps leading to marriage?• In high class families, the parents

choose the wife when the child is born. Family members can also decided during childhood if the child can marry, or a man and woman choose each other.

• If family has found a woman, the steps in courtship start.

• A family friend from the man’s side visits the female and gives her wine and kola nuts. The male then talks to the family for approval. If said yes, they go through personal beliefs. After, the bride is sent off to live with the grooms family for the mother to see if the bride is worthy of doing her job which is doing house chores such as cooking, cleaning, etc.

• If bride has passed courtship, she gets many presents and is sent back home with wine and kola nuts.

What is A traditional wedding like in Ibo culture?

• A traditional marriage is called an “Igbankwu”.• The bride is being priced by the two fathers.• The wife sells boiled eggs showing that she can make money.• The brides father fills a wooden cup with wine while the groom

hides in a crowd and the bride has to find the groom and give him the cup.

• Once the groom has drank the wine, the groom and bride are married.

• The couple has a dance together and people also throw money on them.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcFqbdDf0QM

Visual Compare & Contrast

Compare and Contrast

AMERICANIBO

Polygamy is unorthodox

And not allowed.Polygamy is approved

Bride and groom get marri-ed by the groom sipping fr-

om the wooden cup.Ministers announce couples Husband and wife and they

Share a kiss.People fall in love and get

Married on their own.

Usually family chooses theBride for the groom early.

Traditionalweddings

Special danceFor couples

Family is

important

Bride is forced to stay withGrooms family for evaluation

Bibliography • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcFqbdDf0QM • http://api.ning.com/files/xSNbt1D4y4Gey8QMVkVimKxetLVck0DwDFk1

2TVgC3bo4-9OFLptiv5dnYohcN7l2lrAJwsheFMWc52NWQrMSvpQ1*m-WV04/obiwonmarried.jpg?width=342

• http://ubernaija.com/2011/09/pictures-obiwon-traditional-marriage.html

• http://www.nairaland.com/807895/yoruba-igbo-acculturation-multiculture

• http://thingsfallapartproject.wetpaint.com/page/Igbo+Marriage • http://www3.nd.edu/~cvandenb/wilgenbusch.htm• http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things/characters.html• http://thingsfallapartfoods.blogspot.com/• http://www.igboguide.org/HT-chapter11.htm• http://www.altamodabridal.com/vera-wang-wedding-dress-utah/• http://leggnet.com/2008/05/wedding-kiss.html• www.Ask.com• www.google.com

•Slideshow credits to LISA GARCIA!

• &Group credits to Ashley, Sal & Shawn.