Life In The Pearl of Africa: The Introduction Ceremony

A few weekends ago, I was privileged to be able to attend a local, cultural celebration. Sarah, the Local Program Coordinator from FSD was being introduced (essentially, she was getting married), and I was invited. In Luganda, the ceremony is called a ‘Kwanjula.’ It is the equivalent of a wedding in America, though some people here do both: they have a Kwanjula and a wedding. But for all intents and purposes, this is what really matters.

The first observation is that it is a very colorful celebration. As you’ll see in the pictures below, the women wear a variety of very formal, colorful dresses, called a ‘gomez.’ And men wear what is called a ‘kanzu,’ that is the local traditional attire for men at formal celebrations like this.

Second observation: it was the longest ceremony I have ever been to in my life! When you go to a wedding in the States, the ceremony is usually around 30 minutes, after which there is usually a reception. Well if those are your standards, you’ll be very disappointed when attending a Kwanjula. The ceremony was about 5 hours long, then finally we got some dinner at the end.

The basic premise of an introduction ceremony makes sense, but in my opinion, it’s drawn out a little too much. It is supposed to symbolize the first time the groom and his family meet the bride and her family (although these days that’s clearly not the case). The ceremony typically takes place at the home of the bride. So the friends and family of the bride are all there waiting for the groom’s family to arrive. There is a great big procession as the groom’s family enters, and once they sit down, the ‘festivities’ begin.

Because greetings and introductions are such a huge part of Ugandan culture, a good majority of this ceremony is the bride’s family ‘greeting and welcoming’ the groom’s family. When a family has guests come to their home in Uganda, it is a big deal. So this ceremony follows suit that it is a big deal. First, there are young girls that come out dancing, then kneel (showing respect) and greet the family. Then some older girls come out and do the same thing. Then the sisters of the bride (well, the ‘sisters’; they’re not all really her sisters – more like bridesmaids) come out and greet the family. And then the ‘brothers’ do the same. And then the aunts. And these are not short, simple introductions. The group of ‘family members’ will come out dancing, some will sing a song, and then the actual greeting will take around 10-15 minutes each time, with dialogue back and forth. Throughout the entire ceremony, there is a ‘spokesperson’ for each family (not necessarily the father of each side, but supposed to be). So there is constant banter going on back on forth (in Luganda, of course) the entire time. So in summary, the first two hours of the ceremony, you haven’t even seen the bride, nor do you know who the groom is (he’s just sitting in the crowd). But my saving grace, I was sitting next to a woman who explained what was going on most of the time, so I wasn’t left completely out of the loop.

Finally, after the aunts do their song and dance, they go into the crowd of the groom’s family looking for the groom. (They obviously know who it is, and so do most of the people in attendance, but it’s the whole ‘cultural’ thing that keeps it going.) So they bring him forward and put a robe on him (over the kanzu he is wearing). Then they offer him some food and something to drink, but he refuses, because “the only way his hunger and thirst will be quenched is by the love of his life.” Ahhhh :) So then there are two more dances before the bride finally comes out, and then more banter back and forth, and then they finally share a drink together. But then the bride goes back in, changes dresses, comes back out again (with more music and dancing), and then they eat something together.

The funny thing was that there was never any real formal “introduction” like we have in American weddings (“I’m pleased to introduce for the first time Mr. and Mrs. ______”). But after most of the rituals were completed, the groom’s family leaves to bring in the gifts. It’s typical (I guess not only in Ugandan society, when I think about it) to bring gifts to your host when you are coming as a guest. And did they ever bring gifts! It makes sense in this patriarchal society, where daughters are still viewed as possessions, and they are ‘purchased’ – in a sense – by the groom’s family. The whole price-setting thing doesn’t happen as much these days, but the amount of gifts brought to the family of the bride shows that there is still plenty of money involved.

So finally, after the gifts were brought and the rituals finished, we proceeded to have a delicious typical Ugandan dinner. Now I’m all for cultural learning – and don’t get me wrong, it was an interesting ceremony to attend and learn about – but I don’t think I’ll jump at the next chance to attend a Kwanjula.