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Chinese Wedding Customs and Traditions
It is believed in
Chinese legend, that the fatherly God-in-the-moonlight takes a red
string and ties it around both the ankles of the woman and the man that
are to become married someday. So no matter where the road of life takes
them, they will still end up getting married in the end. Let’s take a
look at some of the traditional customs of Chinese Weddings, which many
still practice today.
The Proposal and Betrothal
The Betrothal Day is when the families of the bride and groom have a
formal meeting in regards to the proposal. This is when the groom’s
family will present the “Grand Gift” or proposal gifts to the happy
couple. This is a compilation of various gifts that represent prosperity
and fertility in the Chinese Culture. This is when the happy couple is
finally considered engaged. There are 6 different betrothal ceremonies
to choose from in the teachings of Confucius called The Book of Rites.
They can range from exchanging a total of twelve gifts to a formal
proposal letter. Most of the twelve gifts generally symbolize different
things, such as chopsticks. The meaning behind the word chopsticks is
“fast boy” which wishes the couple the birth of sons. A traditional gift
that is from the groom’s family to the bride's is a roasted pig. The
bride's family then shows that there is a beginning and an end for
everything by returning the hind and the head sections of the pig.
The Pre-Wedding Ritual
Once the betrothal meeting is over, the families of the bride and groom
will make the announcement of the pending nuptials by “Double Happiness
Cakes” to all of the family and friends, including the invitation to the
ceremony. The bride's family then prepares dowry or a list of daily
necessities and they give the dowries list to the groom's family. It is
then the job of the groom's family to perform the "setting bridal bed"
ritual. This is where they decorate the bridal house for the wondrous
wedding. Meanwhile the bride's family takes care in preparing the
household accessories, which usually consists mostly of necessities such
as bedding and dining items.
Wedding Day Ceremony
On the day of the wedding, the two families perform rituals the bride
and groom such as the "hair dressing" ritual and "capping" ritual. Then
it is time for the groom to go to his bride’s house where her friends
will be to block him from the door. This is when the bridesmaids play
the door game with the groom and groom's men. The couple then sets out
to meet with the groom's parents for the Tea Ceremony. The whole day
ends with a wide spread of elaborate Chinese wedding food.
Wedding Night Ritual
The formal wedding vow in the Chinese cultures is when the bride and
groom, on the night of the wedding, start off by lighting a dragon and
phoenix candle to ward off any evil spirits. They will then drink from
two cups filled with wine. The cups are to be tied together with a red
string, keeping their arms crossed. Then the bride will be offered
dumplings that are boiled but still half-raw. The pronunciation of "raw"
is the same as giving birth to children, an indication of family
prosperity.
After or Post Wedding Customs
The morning after the wedding, the bride will usually get up early to
cook breakfast for the groom's family to show that she is well-nurtured.
Then, on the third day after the wedding, the couple goes back to visit
the parents of the bride.
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