Couples tie the knot and jump the broom

African-American brides and grooms might want to incorporate an ancient "broom jumping" tradition into their wedding. The ceremony affirms the new couple's union and their future together.

"Everything on the broom is symbolic," says Nancy Winslow, curator of an African heritage museum. The broom handle represents God or the creator; the straws, countless numbers of ancestors; and the binding, newlyweds' ties to family, church and community.

Jumping the broom, she continued, is "not an African tradition. It is an African-American tradition rooted in the South. In some parts of Senegal, what they'd do is take small pieces of cloth and tie it around the broom handle."

Once guests have shared their affirmations, the couple holds onto the broom together and starts to sweep into a circle. "To do this, you have to be in one accord," she notes.

"They're making the jump. But we have to have our hearts in the right place," Winslow explains. "We want them to jump over the broom together. Jumping over the broom is a leap of faith."

The concept behind the broom is also to build an heirloom that can be passed down from one generation to another.