A bride has stirred reactions online after refusing to smile at her wedding until the groom, his family, and friends “bought” her mouth with money.
The viral video, shared on TikTok, captures the bride seated calmly while an announcement is made, explaining that she will not smile until the groom and his loved ones offer her enough cash.
Despite several attempts by the groom’s family and friends, who gathered around to drop money, the bride remained expressionless, sticking to the cultural tradition.
The caption of the video provides more insight into the practice, stating:
“BIBIFE in Kalabari literally means ‘buying of mouth.’ The groom must ‘buy’ his bride’s mouth before she can eat in his house. He must also buy the mouths of his in-laws to allow them to eat whenever they visit.”
“According to tradition, the bride is not meant to smile from the beginning of the ceremony until the groom has successfully bought her mouth.”
As the video gained traction online, netizens flooded the comment section to share their thoughts on the unique custom.
See some reactions below:
peema: “Abeg who Dey collect the money.”
Chioma❤️️️: “They must do this thing for my wedding oo.”
mavis_ Wanczyk: “You no see anything oo I love her friend that why she keep the money in her hand .”
CHARLES~ANDY: “ijaw people at this point you fit spend pass watin you budget.”
@rivers_brides BIBIFE in Kalabari literally means “buying of mouth”. The groom has to “buy” the mouth of his bride before she can eat in his house. He also has to buy the mouth of his in-laws to enable them eat in his house, when they visit. The culture is that the bride is not meant to smile from the beginning of the ceremony till when the groom has finally bought her mouth. The bride gave her man & his friends a tough time 😹😹 #RiversBrides
