The Shona tribe still make up the majority of Zimbabwe’s population. Although, many of their traditions have been integrated into modern, Westernized culture.
In the Shona culture, the tradition of the wedding night begins even before the wedding
.
The bride decides when it is time for the ceremony, and on the night that she does, she and her female relatives walk through the village once it becomes dark outside. She is dressed from head to toe in white, and as she approaches her future husband’s home, his family will ululate and dance in celebration.
The groom is told his bride has arrived, and often he had no clue until that moment when the wedding would happen. This is to test how he and his family will deal with an “emergency” situation. The bride eventually ends up at her mother-in-law’s house where she is encouraged to take off her veil, the first time her in-laws ever see their new daughter-in-law. A big party commences and lasts into the next day.
At this time, a Shona marriage was considered a contract between two fami
lies as well as two individuals. A prospective husband would pay a bride-price (roora) to his fiancee’s family, as a gesture of gratitude for raising her and as compensation for the loss of her labor (although in the play Chilford considers it equivalent to selling the woman.
Instead of cattle, grooms may give their future in-laws gifts of housewares, clothing, and cash; continue to practice, but may also refer patients to hospitals when necessary; and many Zimbabweans practice some blend of both Christianity and traditional spiritual beliefs.
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