Ijaw traditional wedding costumes for a newly-married couple

macfranc007 October 17, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Hannah Chinasa

The Ijaw people live in Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Ondo states of Nigeria, and are one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. They live close to the river and so all their myths and legends are water based. These people love bright colors, and wear very impressive native attires which we will learn about in this article.

Ijaw Traditional Dressing

Ijaw attires are pretty similar to the traditional attires of the Itsekiri and Isoko people. The fashion style of Nigerians in general is pretty unique and colourful; their native clothings are magnificent and they are very proud of their heritage. A typical daily clothing of a Ijaw man would usually comprise of a shirt and trouser made of wax material.

Ijaw traditional wedding attire

When it comes to engagement events, their traditional dressing becomes even more interesting and brighter. Marriages for Ijaw people are a wonderful event and a big day for any family.

Ijaw traditional wedding attires usually depend on the financial status of those involved. For example, both men and women of all ages wear necklaces made of enormous coral beads, but only rich people can afford necklaces made of ivory.

Traditional wedding attire for groom

At a traditional Ijaw wedding ceremony, the groom puts on a ceremonial dress which is called ‘Bayelsa’. It is a large shirt with long sleeves, worn with a long piece of wrapper tied from the waist to the ankle, and in most cases, hung over a shoulder.

Traditional wedding attire for bride

The wedding attire for an Ijaw bride is similar to that of the groom, but made of higher quality fabric and usually combined with a head tie and beads. Unmarried women wear gorgeous geles and beautiful blouses over wrappers on their waists, but women of royal blood prefer to not wear blouses, instead they tie two wrappers and wear elaborate head-crowns.