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African Rites of Passage/Birth/Marriage/People/Culture

 

Ohhhhhhhh what a beautiful website this is explaining the Cultural Rites of Passages and Birthing styles among Afrakan Peoples in the Mother Continent.  It is my purpose that after I complete my studies in midwifery that I travel abroad to help women birth their babies and nurture Mommies through their pregnancies.  Whereeer my Kingman is I will be and I want to be depended upon if there is a Womban in my midst who is either with child, giving birth or both.  I copied and pasted an excerpt from this powerful website so that when this information is read, it will be felt and will motivate the reader to click the link to read on..........



Yoruba

 

AFRICAN PEOPLE | AFRICAN CULTURE | AFRICAN MARRIAGE

 

When a child is born among the Yoruba people, a special ceremony called The First Step Into the World is performed 3 days after birth. The purpose of this ceremony is to determine with the assistance of a babalawo (a priest of Ifa) what sort of person the child will be and to appoint an orisha (divinity) or guardian spirit. Once the father of the child has acknowledged it, the babalawo is consulted to determine which of the orishas will be the child's protector, as well as what is forbidden or taboo to the child. The naming ceremony, called I-komo-jade, a child's first outing or "outdooring" is performed on the seventh day after the birth for girls and on the ninth day for boys. A babalawo performs a purification ceremony called the Iwenumo, which is preceded by sacrifices offered to the deity who protects the child. During the Iwenumo, the babalawo throws consecrated water on the roof of the dwelling. The mother with the child in her arms runs out of the dwelling three times to catch the water falling from the roof. As she does this, the babalawo pronounces the name of the child. A fire that has been lit inside the house is ceremonially extinguished, and the ashes from it are carried outside. Following this, the members of the family give various names to the child while offering it gifts and best wishes.

 

Among the Yoruba people, during the marriage ceremony, the oldest woman in attendance will spray gin (which is closely associated with the ancestors) on the couple and other relatives to bless the new union.



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