wedding in Marangu and Chagga Tribe

This weekend I attended my first African wedding. I could not believe how many similarities and differences there were as compared to a celebration at home. The ceremony took place in a Catholic church; the prayers, offerings, and wedding vows mirrored a Western Catholic church service. The choir, however, sang and prayed with more passion and love for God than I had ever witnessed. I couldn't control my impulse to get up and to pray and sing and dance with these beautiful people. It was a spiritual moment for me--my heart was filled with love for everyone in the church for welcoming and allowing me to be a part of this celebration.

After the church service, there was a band who followed the wedding party to the reception hall. The reception, unlike the service, was completely different from anything I had experienced. The reception was more like a show and a time for the bride and groom to express their appreciation for their extended families. The bride and groom sat on a decorated altar and their families sat on either side. For the guests, there were rows of chairs facing the altar for us to watch the happenings. I should mention that weddings (or at least Chagga weddings) are centered around the groom's family while send-offs are held for the bride's family. Throughout the ceremony, members from the groom's family were honored (e.g., wrapping of the konga on the groom's mama) and were alloted time to give speeches of appreciation to the groom. Also, the groom made a long and meaningful speech to his guests and family. I was humbled when the groom took the time to publicly thank me and the two other volunteers for attending the wedding. I was thinking to myself, "Joseph, we should be thanking YOU for allowing 3 strangers to be included on your special day."

Reception staff included an announcer, a DJ, a person in charge of the portable lighting system, six chefs, and a wedding committee. Each tradition during the reception was performed in a very systematic way--first the bride's family, then the groom's family, then the guests were involved in certain happenings. Two highlights were the offerings of the gifts and feeding of the "cake" or goat. For the gift offering, both sides of the families and the guests brought their presents to the altar. Dancing and holding your gift high in the air was a requirement! Every guest took such pride in their offering and were so happy to provide the newlyweds with their present. Towards the end of the 4-hour long reception, a cooked goat was carried into the hall. The goat, in the Chagga tribe, is a symbol of sacredness and is eaten during monumental celebrations like weddings, send-offs, and confirmations. The bride and groom fed each other goat meat and then proceeded to feed their parents and grandparents.

An incredible buffet of food was served at the end of the reception. I sampled and loved the goat meat. Surprisingly, while the food was being served, there was a crowd of people who arrived to solely eat. So village members, who were not invited to the reception, showed up for their plate of food! After everyone ate, the celebration ended abruptly.

Although the reception had many distinguishable Chagga traditions, westernization was still present. It saddened me to see a fluorescent and rotating light fixture of NYC on the gift table. There were also matching bridesmaid dresses and a best man. Sodas were served to every guest and Celine Dion was played incessantly.

Overall, however, I am so blessed to have been able to witness such a beautiful ceremony. I will never forget the hospitality and appreciation both wedding parties expressed to me for being a part of their tradition.

Marangu, as mentioned, is home of the Chagga Tribe. (Arusha is home of the Masai Tribe). On Sunday, I went to a Chagga Museum. I liked being able to compare tribal traditions and tools. During the 1800s, there was great conflict between the Chagga and Masai people. Masai people relied heavily on pastoring and were nomadic. Chagga people, conversely, fled from Kenya and settled in the Mt. Kili region due to its abundance of lush farming land and other resources. When the Masai arrived in Marangu, they slaughtered the Chagga's livestock and captured the women. As a result, Chagga families slept with their livestock (e.g., cows and chickens) to assure that they would not be killed. Today, many Masai families have Chagga heritage because of the frequent rapings that occurred throughout history.

The Chagga people (esp. the men) LOVE mbege or banana beer. Using the countless banana trees as a source, the tribe brews their own beer. Mbege is a thicker beer and taste similar to a banana smoothie (I liked it!). Also, unlike Masai men, I noticed that Chagga men are more "manly men." They like to sleep in a separate bed from their wife and children. They also spend a lot of time together sipping mbege from the morning to the evening and show more signs of affection toward each other by holding hands and putting their arms around each other.