Finally Married

We had a very special event: Bram's African mother our neighbour Mma Binkie finally got officially married to her husband, who died about 19 years ago. As one lady Maud's age told us: "I had to come, because we have to see how the elders do this." All in one: this is not something that happens often, but it happens, and there are traditions for it.
An old, respected couple from Bokaa, a neighbour-village, represented both Mma Binkie's and the husband's parents. The day before the wedding Mma Binkie moved into the yard representing her parents' yard. Before sunup her husbands' family came to fetch her and bring her to the yard representing her in-laws' yard. By then the lebola (bride's price) was paid, and Mma Binkie got her two new dresses and doeke (a blanked used as a shawl or wrapper). And of course The Ring!


Now that she is married, Mme Binkie can move into the yard of the newly wed, being the yard next to us where she lives. Once she comes home, it is Party Time. Most of the elder men go sit one side of the yard, underneath a shady tree, to get their special wedding lunch. The middle-aged men prefer a bit more secluded shady place, where the little boys closely observe them.


Most of the women sit close to the house, waiting for their hands to be washed and their food to be served by the youngsters.


It takes some effort to keep the young youngsters in line and have them execute their task of fetching empty plates and cups...


Ok, you can take one more picture.


By and by more and more people arrive to help out and enjoy the wedding food.


This is how it should be: a traditional germin dress, a matching scarf around the head, and a doek & speld around the shoulders. But after the official part the doek may be taken off, as long as you can show you have it with you.