Jumping the broom

Origins and history

In the American South during the 1840s and 1850s, enslaved Black people were barred from legal marriage. Civil contracts required the consent of free persons, which slaveholders withheld while fearing legal claims. Enslaved couples created their own public rite by leaping over a broomstick before witnesses to mark a binding partnership. The practice waned after emancipation, but it gained widespread popularity following the 1970s book and television adaptation of Roots. In 18th-century Britain, broomstick ceremonies were recorded as informal unions, while Welsh Kale and Romanichals carried the ritual into the 20th century.

How it is kept

At the end of a wedding ceremony, after the exchange of vows, an attendant or officiant places a broomstick flat on the ground. The broom can be plain or decorated with ribbon. The couple stands side by side, joins hands, and jumps together over the handle, landing cleanly on the opposite side to enthusiastic cheers from their guests. In earlier Welsh Romani practice, the broom was balanced across an entryway, and the groom jumped first before the bride followed.

What it means

For modern Black couples in North America, jumping the broom honors ancestors who maintained committed marriages under slavery. Crossing the broom represents crossing a threshold from single life into a shared household. Some folklorists draw parallels to West African practices, such as waving brooms over newlyweds in Ghana to signify domestic harmony. In rural British lore, jumping a threshold broom served to announce a new household without standard church paperwork.

British and European lore

In 18th-century England, the term broomstick marriage served as slang for an irregular, non-church union, often cited during elopements. When civil marriage was created in Britain under the Marriage Act 1836, critics dismissively called it the Broomstick Marriage Act. In Wales and border regions, couples officialized unions by leaping over besoms set in doorways, while Travellers reportedly leaped over strings. Modern Wiccan handfastings have also adopted broom jumping into their rites.

How Jumping the broom is kept

Near the end of a wedding ceremony, a broom is placed across the floor in front of the couple. The partners hold hands and jump over the broomstick together, landing side by side on the far side while guests applaud. In historic Welsh Romani customs, a flowering broom branch or besom was placed at an angle across a doorway, with the groom jumping over before the bride.

When and where

The ritual takes place on a couple's wedding day, usually occurring at the end of the ceremony just before the recessional.

The custom is observed widely across the United States and Canada, particularly among Black communities, and is historically recorded in Wales, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

What Jumping the broom means

For African American and Black Canadian newlyweds, the jump honors the resilience of enslaved ancestors who forged marriages without legal protection. The physical leap symbolizes stepping across a domestic threshold into a new shared home.

Questions people ask about Jumping the broom

See also

Saint Stephen's DayA Christian feast day celebrating the first martyr with feasts, rides and folk customs.PotlatchA ceremonial feast of gift-giving and wealth distribution among First Nations on the Northwest Coast.KlezmerAn Ashkenazi Jewish instrumental tradition of lively dance tunes and ritual melodiesBirriaA rich, seasoned meat stew from western Mexico, cooked for gatherings and holidays

Good reading and sources

• BBC - Northamptonshire - FaithBBC, Article
• BBC - Northamptonshire - FaithBBC, Article

• Jumping the broom on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.