This millennium has seen thousands of weddings. The "I do” vows have become part of Rwandans. Every Saturday sees countless weddings.

Weddings being the new chapter graduating people from single life to another significant part of life with many responsibilities, it’s really interesting to compare and contrast today’s marriage with the prehistoric marriages.

Wikipedea defines marriage as a state when a couple is voluntarily joined for life. And since it’s the very same thing that has been happening right from the past, it’s complicated for an onlooker to notice the difference.

It’s a standing fact that 21 century marriages have been built on different grounds with different issues influencing them other than in the past.

According to Straton Nsanzabaganwa, Marriage was meant for pro-creation in Rwanda’s History. "Though many reasons were attached to marriage, the major reason was for a man to get an heir,” says Nsanzabaganwa.

Unlike today where a couple can spend several years in marriage while deciding on when to give birth, in the past if a married woman spent months without conceiving it would be interpreted as bad omen.

The husband in question would either take a second wife from the very family but without paying bride price since she was meant to compensate for what her sister hasn’t been able to deliver.

Currently, all children provide the same happiness to their parents. Anciently, male children were more accepted.
"A boy child was essential to carry on the family name and be an heir and inheritor of his entire father’s property,” says Faustine Nsengiyumva.

According to Faustin, the other core reason that stirred up marriage in Rwanda was respect especially for the man. A man was never recognized as a full one before getting married. Marriage symbolized respect and a higher class of management.

"Celibates were never allowed to share advice and they were never consulted,” says Nsengiyumva.

Because of the relevance of marriage, if a man died without a wife and children, rituals were made before the burial.

"A celibate’s body was not taken through the main entrance even in their own house, celibates were also buried with a piece of charcoal,” says Janine Uwase.

The piece of charcoal was meant to show that the deceased had gone forever since he had left no successor.

It’s awkward for a coupe to have five or more offsprings today though in the past children were also a source of honor. The more one had the more respect they earned from the society.
And as girls and boys freely chose their spouses and later on introduce them to their parents, it was never existent in the past.

"Marriage was meant to unite families so it was the family’s role to get for their children suitable and capable spouses,” says Nsanzabaganwa.

Traditionally, it was the role of aunties to look out for respectable boys {binyangamugayo} for their daughters. At some point girls would get to know their husbands on the wedding day.

Marriage’s values have undergone a great revolution. These changes are both negative and positive but any how, couples are copyingup with them.

Ends