User:SafariScribe/Marriage and family in Igboland

Marriage in Igboland (Alụmdi na Nwunye) is one of the cultures of the Igbo people, in Southeastern Nigeria. As marriage is ordained by God, a practice that originated after the colonisation era, every Igbo man who is matured to the eyes of the society and within his family also known to have reached a reasonable age is expected to marry a woman. In Igbo land, this practice is usually done in two ways; the traditional (ígba nkwụ), followed by the church wedding.

The preparation is done either in a remote or immediate way. The remote method involves the community and its leadership, where the man works with his kinsmen and friends to the family of the woman to seek her hands in marriage. Whilst the girl leans on the mother, sisters, and community women who helps out in cooking, arranging, and other menial works including dressing up the girl. The immediate is when all attention is given to the female since she is seen as the wife, and the boy, the man of the house to take care of her. The girl's preparation begins with fattening (Iru mgbede), a practice where the girl is isolated amongst the society for the purpose of preparation, and adorning her beauty. In other case, the mother takes this role along other volunteer women to teach her the virtues of womanhood.

Concept
Nigeria practices three types of marriage; traditional which is mostly important in the Igboland, religious and court marriage. Igbo traditional marriage is the union done inline with the Igbo culture (omenaala). It is a practice of legalising the children that becomes a product of the union. A man who is said to be matured to the public and reached an attainable age of taking such roles otherwise not a Catholic priest can marry a woman. Igbo writer and scholar J. C Onuora argued that procreation is one of the main purpose of marriage in Igbo culture. For him, a man can marry one wife or many but eventually with no child bearing will always be questioned. There are also a lot of provision for marrying a woman from a clan in southeastern Nigeria.

Christian marriage and family
The Igbo people are Nigerians living in the southeastern part of the country. Marriage originated as a union between a man and a woman to legally become husband and wife in Christianity. Family in Igboland also was brought after marriage which can be extended or nuclear. In Igboland, marriage is done in two ways; immediate and remote preparation. The remote preparation is basically awareness and community engagement within the society. The Igbo man at an age seeks advice from his elders and parents while the girl does same but lessly subjected to kinsmen. The family which comes after the marriage can be both nuclear and extended. Extended traditional igbo society contains the grandparents, grandchildren and relatives.

In the Christian part, marriage becomes a statement which is usually ordained by God though a priest. In Igboland, marriage is a monogamous relationship;one man and one woman. Although in the early Igbo society, the dignity of marriage was overshadowed by the polygamy, and divorce which currently becomes the nowadays method of separation.

Widowhood
The marriage of widowhood is still rejected in the society. When the husband of a woman dies, they are often being subjected to inhumane treatment of the ancient custom and traditions of the Igboland. In so many communities, the widow usually stays on a cold floor and is forced to drink the water used by corpse attendants in bathing the dead body. It is opposed by the Christian family rules and society.

Levirate
Levirate marriage (Nkuchi nwanyị), is when the husband dies in an Igbo land, the wife will be subjected to becoming the dead's brother. It becomes active without any formality and has been viewed as a depiction to women.

Controversy
A male child is usually considered the legal child of a Igbo family. Hence, seen as an essential keep-on of a family's lineage. In a situation where a marriage is filled with female children, or when they must have married and their father dead, one of the daughters will be automatically transformed to a male child when the father is still alive. This practice is symbolical in Igbo culture.