This trip is testing even my limits, and I am grateful for my “host” family who has taken me out and about to experience how (middle-class) Ugandans live. For two weekends, these adventures took on a wedding theme though in a very different way than we Americans experience the tradition.
The first trip took me east, to Mukuno, where my family is from. We went to attend an Introduction Ceremony, the closest analogy for Americans being an engagement party, though the ceremony was far more elaborate than even a wedding and reception combined. This is a traditional ceremony in which the groom’s family comes formally to present gifts the bride’s family has requested. If the gifts are to the bride’s father’s satisfaction, a wedding will follow some time later, if not, the deal is off—though in recent times, the calling off is unlikely to happen.
Bride-to-be
We were seated in two tents opposite each other on the lawn of the bride’s house—guests of the bride on one side, guests of the groom on the other. A male member of each family held a microphone, and most of the proceedings consisted of banter back and forth between the two. In the middle, there was much dancing and parading, at various times, by the bride and her attendants, her aunties (who advise her, the mother is not involved here), male relatives, the groom’s mother and aunties, and finally, the presentation of the gifts. The bride wore at least three different outfits, by my count, traditional Ugandan dresses called gomesi, which resemble Indian saris.
Groom's family MC
It was incredibly interesting to witness the point where old meets new—the couple had met at university, much like Americans do—nothing arranged by the parents. Traditional gifts presented included foodstuffs and a certain number of cows, goats or chickens. The gifts presented did include flour, sugar and rice, a few live chickens and the hind quarter of a cow, but also soda and bottled water, luggage, and an entire living room set (couch and two chairs) carried in by the groom’s family.
Basket in the middle containing chickens
The whole event lasted about 5 hours, with a break towards the middle-end for the guests to eat. Luckily there was a lot to look at because the ceremony was conducted entirely in Lugandan with only sporadic updates from my hosts. As the only muzugu present, I was quite a novelty. Thankfully, Mr. Lule made sure to inform the bride’s brothers that as a “student of Obama” I was unavailable.
This post is long, the next post will detail my second wedding themed adventure.
