In the African American wedding tradition known as jumping the broom, the couple jumps over a broom.
The couple usually holds hands and jumps together over a broom placed on the ground. The act symbolizes entering a new household, sweeping away the old life, or crossing into married life. Some ceremonies also treat the broom as a symbol of order, domestic cooperation, and family continuity.
The tradition has complex historical associations. Broom-jumping customs existed in parts of Britain and Wales, and enslaved African Americans in the United States sometimes used informal ceremonies when legal marriage was restricted or denied to them. The modern practice has also been revived and reinterpreted by Black couples and other communities.
Jumping the broom is not a universal African wedding custom, nor is it required in African American weddings. Its meaning and placement in the ceremony vary considerably among families and celebrants.