Yoruba engagement
The Yoruba traditional wedding, in which the families are introduced, the bride price is settled and the couple kneel to the elders.
Also: introduction, igbeyawo, traditional wedding
The Yoruba traditional wedding, often called the engagement or introduction, is a day-long ceremony of the Yoruba of south-western Nigeria. The groom's family arrives with gifts and a letter, the families are introduced by speakers called alaga, and the bride is brought out veiled and dances to find her groom. The groom and his friends prostrate themselves, lying flat on the ground before the bride's parents, and the bride kneels; this is a mark of respect for elders. The bride's price list, with items such as a Bible or Qur'an, a suitcase and fruit, is agreed with good humour.
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa