This is mainly synonymous with the Igbo custom, although it is currently not as widely practiced as it was in the past. It is based on the belief that marriage should follow in order of seniority.
This tended to cause a lot of fighting and controversy when the younger sibling will be ripe and ready for marriage with a prospective bride or potential suitor but will have to wait for the older sibling to marry first.
Many men and women who found themselves in such situations, decided to postpone the idea of marriage till their elders tied the knot or, if they couldn’t wait, go ahead with the marriage without the blessings of their family.
Younger siblings have to postpone their weddings with the one they love until their older siblings have married, or choose to proceed without the blessing of their family.
If it is a woman who has to wait for an older sister to marry, a potential groom could simply choose to move on rather than wait.
In the case where it was the lady that was affected, some men would prefer to leave the lady and marry outside such tribes if they couldn’t wait for the lady’s elder sister(s) to get married first.
If you have an older sibling, you have to cross your fingers that your brother or sister doesn’t want to live the life of a bachelor indefinitely.
Nigerian wedding tradition says that men, in particular, are not allowed to be married until their older brothers are.
Igbo weddings are known to spray money on the bride. This can be done at any time, although when the newlyweds step onto the dance floor is a popular moment. Money is usually thrown by older guests. The bridesmaids are tasked with collecting all of the thrown money.
The custom is a peculiar and largely expensive one that involves presenting a list of gift items, sometimes alongside cash, before marriage to the prospective bride can take place.
The list gets more expensive if the prospective bride is a bachelor degree holder, and increases significantly if she has acquired a master’s or doctorate degree. Many times, this fund solicitation has led to the collapse of courtships after the man realizes he cannot meet up with the challenging requirements for marriage.
