We were invited to the wedding introduction of our friend Jacob. He is the math teacher at Hope Primary School and a friend of ours. He is also a Buganda, and so is his fiancee, Grace. An introduction is a HUGE deal here. It is the very first time that Jacob meets Grace's father, brother's, and entire family. It is when Jacob presents the dowry, and a ring to Grace. It is like the party before the wedding...maybe similar to an engagement party. There are a lot of cultural do's and don'ts, and we tried to adhere to all of them. First, because Jacob invited us to sit on his side, he decided to present us as brothers and sisters, which meant we had to be on our best behavior...AND in traditional clothes. Jimbo wore Kanzu, and I wore Annet's Gomez: traditional party clothes for the Buganda. We started getting dressed at 10am (yes, it takes a while to dress the gomez) and the party was to begin at 12pm. However, like any real African gathering the ceremony was about 4 hours late and so the party went on until about 11pm. I did a lot of kneeling and greeting, Jimbo presented a chicken to Grace's father on behalf of Jacob, and I carried baskets of gifts on my head and presented them to the family. It was a truely unique experience and we were so happy to be a part of it. Here are some pics for you!
The best looking couple at the party.
Just a bunch of regular ole' Bugandans.
Waiting for Jacob, the groom, so we can caravan to the bride's father's home.
A little entertainment while we wait. Someone locked the keys in the car with the car running...the car that was supposed to take the groom!
The Introduction is very formal and this is us waiting in line to be welcomed before we can enter.
The groom being dressed by Grace's aunt. He cannot talk directly to any family memeber except the Aunt.
The BRIDE finally appears. After hours of all different friends and family members greeting us, the bride finally comes and greets. She danced her way out in front of us and you can see the excitement in the crowd!
2 comments:
I love the pictures of the introduction party. Y'all looked very special....and very Bugandan.....you have had some amazing experiences......can't wait to see you next week........I will be anxious to see photos of Humble Place too.
That's so awesome!
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