“Iru Mgbede” is a traditional Igbo ritual designed to prepare and beautify a bride shortly before her marriage. While this practice is not mandatory, it is carried out if the groom desires and has the financial means to support it. During this period, the bride is exempt from all work and is pampered with rich, traditional beauty treatments, including the application of “Uhie” (a form of makeup), and she is provided with the finest foods. This ritual typically lasts for about three months.
Throughout the Iru Mgbede period, the bride sleeps on a traditional hanging bed known as the “Uko bed.” Instead of wearing modern clothing, she dons a garment called “Ogodo.” As part of the beautification process, she applies palm oil generously to her skin and adorns herself with beads known as “Mgbaji,” which are worn over the Ogodo.
To pass the time and entertain herself, the bride often plays music using instruments like the “Ekpete,” “Ibekwe,” or “Ebele Ububo.” This music serves to attract the attention of children, who frequently gather around her during this period.
At the conclusion of the Iru Mgbede, an elaborate and costly ceremony is held to showcase the bride’s beauty to the public. She is paraded through the market in a procession called “Ifu Ahia Mgbede,” accompanied by her friends and peers.
