Mzungu meets Rwandan

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Every Saturday half the population seem to head to a wedding and this weekend it was my turn. One of the Mzungu in town was marrying a Rwandan so I don’t think it had all the Rwandan traditions but we still had fun! I just turned up for the reception whereby the bride and groom sat on table in middle and brides family under canape one side and groom’s the other. There were several speeches and singing for the couple and then the present giving ceremony. The couple stood in the middle and everyone queued up and danced their present to the couple. Then there were the bigger presents (ie cows). No cows were actually presented and these cows can even be symbolic but on this occasion they did get 2 cows - not sure how they will manage to take them back to the uk but that’s another question entirely.

Following the cows, there was a bit of food and then music and dancing. Everyone was up on the grass having a ball doing crazy chicken like moves. I should have shown them how to ‘wash the windows’!!!

The ceremony itself sounded long winded - and apparently the bride and groom have three choices for their marriage, 1 they share everything, 2 they only share what they will have ie not already got and 3 they don’t share anything. This is a decision made on the day by the couple! They went for one, but seemingly people choose other options too.

Most people had left by 9pm and we were encouraged to pack up and leave by half ten - the beauty of getting up at sunrise means you have to go to bed early .

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