Quick Answer
What is jumping the broom at a wedding?
Jumping the broom is a distinctly African-American wedding tradition in which the couple, usually at the end of the ceremony, jumps over a decorated broom together. Its roots trace to the era of American slavery, when enslaved people were legally barred from marrying — jumping the broom became a recognized, community-witnessed way to formalize a union that the law would not.
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Last updated:
What is jumping the broom at a wedding?
Also called: broom jumping.
Jumping the broom carries real historical weight, and it deserves to be treated that way rather than as a novelty reception activity. Enslaved African Americans in the antebellum South had no legal right to marry, so communities developed their own rituals to mark a couple's commitment — broom jumping, likely with roots in West African and European folk customs that merged under slavery, was one of the most widely documented. After emancipation, some couples deliberately avoided the practice because of its painful association with a time when it was the only "marriage" available to them. Interest in the tradition was revived strongly from the late 1970s onward, credited in part to Alex Haley's "Roots," and today many African-American couples choose to jump the broom deliberately — not out of necessity, but to honor that history and their ancestors.
How the tradition is practiced today
- •Typically happens at the very end of the ceremony, right after the couple is pronounced married, as their first act together.
- •A decorated broom — often adorned with ribbons, flowers, or fabric matching the wedding colors — is laid on the ground or held low by attendants.
- •The couple jumps over it together, hand in hand, usually met with cheers and applause from guests.
- •Some couples keep the broom afterward as a keepsake, displaying it in their home.
Planning notes
- •Order or make the ceremonial broom well ahead of time — many couples have one custom-decorated to match the wedding's colors or theme.
- •Brief the officiant on when to cue the jump and whether they'll narrate the tradition's history for guests unfamiliar with it.
- •Decide where the broom is placed (ground vs. held at ankle height by attendants) and rehearse the jump once during the ceremony run-through.
- •If keeping the broom afterward, assign someone to collect it immediately after the ceremony so it isn't left behind.
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Where does jumping the broom come from?
It traces to the era of American slavery, when enslaved people were legally barred from marrying. Jumping over a broom together, in front of witnesses, became a recognized way for a couple to formalize their union within their community even without legal recognition.
Is jumping the broom still practiced today?
Yes — many African-American couples include it deliberately as their first act as a married couple, specifically to honor that history and their ancestors, not out of necessity as it was originally.
When during the wedding does the broom jump happen?
Almost always at the very end of the ceremony, immediately after the couple is pronounced married — it is treated as their symbolic first act together.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated