WEDDING is the process of joining in close association. It is also a marriage ceremony usually with its accompanying festivities.
All religions celebrate marriage, and it is the wish of every parent to see their offspring grow up into a man or a woman and get married.
The Muslims generally believe that getting married is half of your faith, so it is highly encouraged.
The Christians believe that every man has been created with a partner in this world so the need to look for their partners in marriage.
The difficulty in fulfilling this act of marriage in the world especially in Nigeria is becoming unbearable for potential marriageable youth-male and female-Christians and Moslems alike.
The financial involvement, the complexities and the teething troubles in carrying out the marriage ceremony are on the increase day-by-day. Difficulties are being experienced by youths in the Southeast, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones of Nigeria and by extension the world.
Marriage is a noble act, simplicity should be the hall mark of every marriage as performed by our fore-fathers.
Marriages of today are filled with pageantry and excesses which humiliates the human sensibility and simplicity expected of a marriage, and this equally scares away serious minded youths from carrying out this act of happiness.
Firstly is the “LIST” the bride’s family presents to the prospective husband as a condition for him to marry their daughter. List containing thousands of tubers of yams, several kegs of oil, palm wine, assorted drinks, a bus field with different clothes like 20-50 Hollandis lace, etc. shoes, bags etc to mention but a few, all these make the marriage difficult and an uphill task for prospective suitors.
Secondly, is the wedding ceremony, the wedding gown, wedding cake (not less than 3 steps) Golden wedding-ring, cow/cattle’s, trailer of drinks and others.
All these are expected to be produced by the prospective husband, what a pitiable situation. This is the basic reason why youths prefer to continue in anti-social behaviours which include:
Fornication: Fornication is consensual sexual inter-course between two persons not married to each other. Fornication which leads to unwanted pregnancy, and there after abortion. Fear by both partners sometimes is based on lack of finance to cater for a child.
The high rate of illegal and pre-marital sexual activities among the youths has helped in increasing the number of bastards on the streets causing troubles, confirming an old African adage which says “when a house is peaceful, the bastards there are not yet of age”.
The solution to the problem of fornication among the youths is to encourage and make marriage simple. This will make them to do the honourable thing.
Bride’s parents should try to be considerate so as to reduce the disgrace to their families by their daughter’s unwanted pregnancy.
Simple wedding should be encouraged by all.
wedding cake
