This is a ceremony dating back to the 1600s and has its roots in African tradition, and also some Celtic cultures. Broom jumping is a short part of the ceremony usually within the wedding ceremony toward the end. The jumping of the broom is symbolic of binding a couple in marriage and also can be used to symbolize fertility and prosperity of the couple.
The “Jumping the Broom” is a ceremony in which the bride and groom, signify their entrance into a new life of matrimony and their creation of a new family by symbolically “sweeping away” their former single lives, former problems and concerns, and jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband. Wording of the ceremony can go something like this: As our bride and groom jump the broom, they physically and spiritually cross the threshold into the land of matrimony. It marks the beginning of making a home together, as it symbolizes the sweeping away of the old and the welcoming of the new.
The sweeping away of all negative energy, while making way for all things that are good to come into your lives. It is also a call of support for the marriage from the entire community of family and friends. The bride and groom will now begin their life together with a clean sweep!