Definition
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers (traditionally straw, but now more commonly synthetic materials) attached to a long handle, used for sweeping floors, yards, and other surfaces. The broom is one of the oldest household tools in continuous use, with archaeological evidence of broom-like implements dating back to ancient civilizations. Beyond its practical function, the broom carries deep cultural, symbolic, and religious significance. It is associated with witches and witchcraft in Western folklore (the witch’s broomstick), with domestic labor and gender roles (the “woman with a broom” as a stereotype of housework), with ritual purification in various religious traditions, and with folk magic practices such as “jumping the broom” in African American wedding ceremonies. The broom is therefore both an everyday object and a repository of cultural meaning.
Why It Matters
The broom matters because it is a tool that embodies social history. For centuries, broom-making was a significant industry: the “broomcorn” plant (Sorghum vulgare var. technicum) was cultivated specifically for broom bristles, and “broom squires” (traveling broom makers) were a recognized profession in rural England and America. The Shakers, a religious communal sect, were renowned for their high-quality brooms, which they sold as part of their economic self-sufficiency. The broom also matters because it is a symbol of gendered labor: the image of the woman with a broom is one of the most persistent visual clichés of domesticity, appearing in advertising, political cartoons, and art from the 19th century to the present. The broom has also been reclaimed as a symbol of resistance: in the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike, women carried brooms as both weapons and symbols of their domestic identity; in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, women formed “broom brigades” to clean Tahrir Square, asserting their presence in public political space. The broom’s association with witchcraft has made it a symbol of female power and transgression: the witch on her broomstick is an image of women who refuse domestic confinement, who fly beyond the boundaries of the home and the control of patriarchal authority. The broom is therefore not merely a cleaning tool; it is a historical document, a gender symbol, and a magical implement.
Example
The witch’s broomstick is the broom’s most famous cultural form. In European folklore, witches were believed to fly to their sabbaths on broomsticks, anointed with magical ointments. The image was codified in medieval woodcuts, where witches are depicted naked or nearly so, straddling broomsticks against a moonlit sky. The broomstick became a fixture of Halloween imagery and children’s literature, from the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz to Harry Potter’s Nimbus 2000. For a domestic example, the “broom closet” is both a literal storage space and a metaphor for the concealment of one’s identity, particularly in LGBTQ+ discourse (“coming out of the broom closet” is sometimes used by witches and pagans to describe revealing their spiritual practice). In African American culture, “jumping the broom” is a wedding tradition in which the couple jumps over a broom laid on the ground, symbolizing sweeping away the old and welcoming the new. The tradition has roots in West African customs and was preserved during slavery when legal marriage was often denied to enslaved people. The broom ceremony has been revived in modern weddings as a connection to ancestral heritage. In Quidditch, the fictional sport from Harry Potter, players fly on broomsticks, and the Nimbus 2001 and Firebolt are elite racing brooms that function like sports equipment brands.
Internet Angle
The broom is a recurring figure in internet culture, though rarely as a central topic. On TikTok, the broom has had viral moments: the “broom challenge” of 2020 claimed (falsely) that NASA had declared a specific day when brooms could stand upright due to gravitational alignment; millions of users posted videos of their brooms standing on end, demonstrating the internet’s capacity to viralize even the most mundane objects. On Reddit, r/witchcraft, r/Wicca, and r/pagan feature discussions about ritual brooms (“besoms”), including instructions for making them, consecrating them, and using them in ceremonies. The “besom” (the traditional round broom made of twigs tied to a handle) is a frequent subject, with users sharing photos of handcrafted besoms and debating the proper materials (traditionally birch twigs, ash handle, willow binding). In Harry Potter fandom, brooms are a constant topic: r/harrypotter features threads about favorite broom models, debates about whether the Firebolt is worth the price, and discussions of how Quidditch could possibly work as a sport. The broom also appears in speedrunning and gaming culture: in some games, the broom is a physics object that behaves unpredictably, leading to “broom glitch” videos and memes. The “broom” emoji (🧹) is used in texting and social media to represent cleaning, witchcraft, or the dismissal of something (“sweeping it away”). The internet has made the broom both more visible and more playful: a tool that was once invisible in its ubiquity is now occasionally the center of global attention.
Related Terms
- Besom — The traditional round broom made of twigs, associated with witchcraft and folk magic
- Broomcorn — The variety of sorghum historically cultivated for broom bristles
- Jumping the broom — The African American wedding tradition in which the couple jumps over a broom
- Broom closet — The metaphorical space of concealed identity, used in both LGBTQ+ and pagan/witch communities
- Quidditch — The fictional sport from Harry Potter in which players fly on broomsticks
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