Marriage is a ritual that has been practiced since the creation of mankind when Adam took Eve as his wife. Although marriage rituals change over time, the beauty preparations of brides from skincare routines to makeup on the D-day remain unchanged, though done differently depending on one’s culture and heritage. Every modern-day Nigerian bride undergoes a double wedding; first, the traditional wedding which is known as “igba nkwu” in the Igbo language, followed by the white wedding which was adopted so that the marriage can be officially ordained by a priest, a pastor, or an imam. While the groom and male relatives of both the bride and the groom are busy with the preparations for the ceremony, the bride's mother, female relatives, and bridesmaids prepare the bride physically and mentally for the ceremony. The bride's most important task is to look the most beautiful among all maidens because she is being given in marriage to another family and should be the center of attention. This article offers a brief overview of how Igbo (Ibo) women of Nigeria approach bridal beautification for their traditional marriage both historically and today.
TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE BEAUTY PROCEDURES (PRE-COLONIAL)
- In ancient times, unfortunately, marriage was not sequel of love but it was a ritual every Igbo had to pass through, in those days unmarried people of both genders were seen as jokes. Polygamy was practiced by the majority if not all so there were no other excuses for being unmarried except unattractive or unwanted. These are some of the beautification procedures pre-colonial Igbo women undergo to be able to attract suitors when they go into the “nkpu” stages of life (marriageable years).
- Their bodies are decorated with nicely drawn freehand designs.
- Camwood dye and vermillion red is smeared on their bodies from head to toe.
- They wore no clothes but their bodies were decorated with tightly twisted clothes or threaded cowrie shells. Brass bells are also fastened to the cloth or waist beads
- They are given more food than usual to fatten up because the men were more attracted to plus-sizes.
- According to the book “Among the Ibos”, the hairstyle is an elaborate process and requires a lot of patience; the center of the head is worked up with a mixture of clay, powdered charcoal, and palm oil until it becomes a sticky mass. It is then molded into a shape resembling the central crest of a Roman helmet. The center comes well over the middle of the forehead, and it extends back into the nape of the neck. Below the main erection and on either side delicate patterns are traced with tiny plaits of hair curled into small coils and then plastered down flatly to the head. Finally, the high center has its sides embellished with pearls or, bits of brass; the pieces (about the size of shillings) being sewn in with hair. The tufted end of a cow's tail-mounted on a leather handle is carried, together with one or two small mirrors, set in handled frames, carved especially for the purpose (Basden, 2006).
- They are adorned with accessories like necklaces and waist beads made of cowries, bracelets of ivory or cowries, and plate-like brass anklets that are usually heavy.
TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE BEAUTY PROCEDURES (MODERN TIMES)
After the British
colonized Nigeria and introduced their ways, things started to change and some
traditions were dropped. Today, beauty procedures such as the smearing of
camwood dye and vermillion red on the skin, hairstyles made with clay, and some
others have been dropped and long forgotten by many. The 21st-century uses more modernized methods of beautification to prepare for the
traditional wedding, these are some of the beauty procedures practiced by today’s
women in the preparation for their marriage.
- In Nigeria, the weather is usually very hot, with violent sun rays. The bride-to-be avoids walking outside when the sun is out to prevent skin darkening.
- In some cases, the diets of some brides-to-be are changed in order to lose weight and look fit for their dresses.
- The skincare game is stepped up during this time, some brides-to-be take different skin glowing spa sessions in preparation for the D-day. A lot of spas in Nigeria have special packages reserved for women preparing for marriage.
- The brides-to-be are advised to have 8 hours and above long sleep especially prior to the wedding day.
- When the long-awaited day draws closer customarily a day before, brides-to-be choose their desired hairstyle from the many options they have over the years. It is usually a hairstyle that allows the hair to be adorned with beads or wrapped in a headwrap or “ichafu”.
Unlike the pre-colonial Igbo women, the bridal beauty preparations are not very specific, the former women used products locally sourced and methods established in their land while the present-day women use ways introduced by the white man.
By Chiamaka Abonyi
REFERENCE
Basden, G. T.
(2006). Among the Ibos of Nigeria (Travellers, Explorers & Pioneers)
(No Additional Printings Listed ed.). Nonsuch Publishing.
G. (2021,
November 5). 2021 Latest Igbo Traditional Wedding Attire For Bride and Groom.
Claraito’s Blog. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from
https://www.claraitosblog.com/2020/08/latest-igbo-traditional-wedding-attire.html
Ogunbowale, B.
(2019, November 25). Igbo traditional marriage. Ancient Jamaanu.
Retrieved November 27, 2021, from
https://ancientjamaanu.com/culture/igbo-traditional-marriage/
Wikipedia
contributors. (2021, April 27). George Basden. Wikipedia. Retrieved
November 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Basden
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