Akan Traditional Marriage List

This post contains:

• The Akan Traditional Marriage List. (Items Needed)
• Types of Marriages in Ghana.
  

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Akans and the Ghanaians at large typically take traditional marriage rites to a different level with the seriousness and enthusiasm they show. As a result, marriage rite forms part of our heritage.

Like ordinary Ghanaian traditional marriage, a boy who seeks for the Ghanaian engagement list from a bride’s family is considered as one who is actually ready to marry. Likewise, all other African marriages take traditional marriage seriously.

For that matter, if this kind of marriage rite is not performed in the Akan, the marriage is not fully considered as a marriage. A man who wants to marry is expected to pass through several processes among which is the provision of the items in the engagement list which is presented to him.

In this article, we take you through some of the items in the engagement list given by the Akans as well as the different types of marriage in Ghana. Marriage is considered as a vital and relevant occasion in the Akan tradition.

Ghanaians do not just see it as an event between a man and woman but they see it as a vital and relevant occasion meant to bring two families of the intended couple together.

One important aspect of the Akan traditional marriage is that it is recognized under the Customary Marriage and Divorce Law PNDC Law 112 (1985).

Types of Marriage in Ghana

1. Customary Marriage

A customary marriage is when a man and a woman marry in accordance with convention or custom. There are certain obligatory marriage rites from the two different ethnic groups that are conducted before this can be performed.

This is because each of the two groups has their respective customs that have to be performed before the main customary marriage is conducted. Afterwards, there are two things which are inevitable and need to performed.

They include;

1. Coming together of the bride and that of the groom to be of two families
2. And secondly, payment of some amount of the bride price which is normally given by the parents of the bride.
   

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3. Islamic Marriage

As the name implies, its marriage between the Islamic families and accordingly holds under the rules of Islam. Its process requires the couple to inform the Registrar of Mohammedan Marriages and Divorces about their intentions.

The couple is to notify him a week before the main event. After the actual event is conducted, the rule requires it to be registered under the Marriage Act.

3. Ordinance marriage

Marriage under the ordinance is performed by a religious leader. This religious leader acts as the marriage officer after he had obtained the marriage license to conduct the event from the government.

Before this marriage can move on, one of the parties either the bride or groom is to notify the marriage Registrar about their intention. Afterward, the Registrar move on to publish their intention.

For a period of twenty-one days, the Registrar will wait to see if there is no objection to the marriage. Once there is none, the ceremony is conducted certificate is issued.

Akan traditional list

Below are the things needed for traditional marriage

After everything has been agreed, necessary customary rites in the Akan’s way has to be done. The man is asked to bring the items on the traditional list to the bride, they include the following;

• The dowry/bride price
• Head drink, usually a whiskey or wine
• A new suitcase containing some shoes, lady wears.
  

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Headpieces and some other gifts that the bride would need.

• The father of the bride gets a bottle of whiskey and some money
• The mother of the bride also gets some money and a pair of sandals
• A minimum of 6 pieces of wax clothes bought for the bride. The clothes are expected to be traditional wax print.
• Some money would be made available for the bride to start a business with
• An engagement rings
• An engagement Bible
• Some money for the bride’s brothers. However, if she does not have any brother, then it will be given to her male cousins
• Cooking utensils which the bride would need for her home
• Exotic jewelry for the bride
• Enough food and drinks for the guests who would be present at the occasion.