Another Mzumbe Wedding

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending my second wedding here at Mzumbe.  As I wrote previously, a couple of months ago I experienced my first Tanzanian wedding, so it was interesting to attend another one so that I could see how Tanzanian weddings differ and how they are similar.  The person getting married was Fidelis Mwesiga, a former administrator at Mzumbe Secondary School.  In typical Mzumbe (and Tanzanian) tradition, the entire community was invited to attend the wedding ceremony and reception that was held at the assembly hall conveniently located by my house.

Assembly Hall ready for a wedding

What was interesting to observe after attending two weddings was that for the most part both receptions were quite similar in their proceedings and traditions.  The wedding on Saturday followed the same schedule of events as the last one I attended, with an MC presiding over a grand entrance of the families and the bride and groom, the guests personally lining up to greet and congratulate the couple, a grand presentation of the gifts, some music and dance performances and of course a delicious meal.

The Newlyweds

Although there wasn’t anything different or unique to observe at this wedding compared to the last one, it was a more enjoyable experience because the entire Mzumbe Secondary School staff attended this wedding.  At the last one, there were not as many staff members present.  It was a lot of fun to see some of my fellow colleagues let loose outside of the staff room/classroom, and I think they got a kick of seeing me in a more social setting as well.  While I’ve had a few opportunities to see how Tanzanians act in social situations and parties, it’s not too often they get to see how Americans celebrate and enjoy themselves when they’re not at work.

Some Colleagues and Myself

As with all of the previous cultural experiences I’ve had so far, this wedding was another amazing first-hand opportunity to enjoy how wonderful the Tanzanian culture and local community really is.  As I approach my last few months here at Mzumbe, I am truly appreciating all of these rewarding cultural moments just as much as I appreciate all of the rewarding moments in the classroom as well.