Does anyone know the custom of betrothal in Shanxi?

The custom of Shanxi people's choosing auspicious dates for engagement and marriage

After the marriage negotiation stage, both men and women have positive opinions on marriage before they can be formally engaged, that is, "engagement" and "engagement" The man solemnly sends a bride price to the woman's house. The amount is generally determined by the time and place, depending on the wealth of the family. This procedure is equivalent to the second half of "Naji" and "Zheng Na" in Six Rites, which is called "Xiacha" in Yanbei area and "Guodali" in Jinnan area.

When a man and a woman are engaged, they usually choose auspicious days, such as the 3rd, 6th and 9th of the lunar calendar. Parents of both sides should hold a banquet for relatives and friends on the selected day, which is called "engagement banquet". The staple food is generally noodles, which means that men and women have become affectionate children's in-laws, so it is also called "eating noodles". In Jinnan Xiangfen and other places, jiaozi must be included in the man's banquet, which means "pinch your mouth", indicating that you should not ask for money and gifts again; The woman holds a banquet at home and retaliates with "minced meat noodles", which means no gifts. In Yicheng area, "eating noodles" is limited to the woman's home, which is called "eating noodles".

On the day of engagement, the man's family will send flour to the woman's family, in Lingchuan and other places in southeastern Shanxi. The flour sent by the woman's house is fried into oil cakes with millet and then sent to the man's house. If the man distributes it to relatives, friends and neighbors, it is called "notice". In Jinnan Wenxi, besides all kinds of clothes, gold and silver jewelry, wine and meat candy, the man gave the woman 90 steamed buns. Besides clothes, shoes and hats, there are all kinds of stationery and dozens of steamed buns. Both men and women slice steamed bread and distribute it to relatives, friends and neighbors. This is the so-called "Saint Xi steamed bread".

In Xiangfen area in the south of Shanxi, the man wants to make up ten things for the woman, which means "perfect". Among the things that the woman gave back to the man, there were ten packages of wheat bran mixed with salt powder. These ten bags of bran salt should be sprinkled on the heads of future in-laws and sisters-in-law, indicating that everyone is blessed (bran) and predestined (salt). In Jinzhong Qixian and other places, both men and women should send each other "four-color gifts". The man gave the woman "engagement clothes", rings, earrings, bracelets and other things, and the woman also gave him Four Treasures of the Study, a fan, a wallet and a belt. Among them, the belt is particularly indispensable, which means "I will tie you up from now on" or "I will take off your clothes".

In many areas of Shanxi, when engaged, people also pay attention to exchanging "dragon and phoenix stickers", that is, red paper stickers with dragons and phoenixes printed on them. The "dragon post" given by the man to the woman is written with the words "good luck", also called "sincere post", which is roughly written as follows: "I am ashamed of my lack of jade, and I pray for my promise." XXX bows. "The Phoenix Post given by the woman to the man is widely written with the words" Ji Yun ",also called" Cloud Post ",which roughly reads:" I am ashamed to compare with the phoenix, and I am willing to behead Lapras. Foolish brother (brother) is embarrassed. " "Dragon and phoenix stickers" are generally in red and gold, and Taiyuan, Datong and other places should be folded into 10% to show that the marriage will last forever (9). Qixian and Pingyao are folded in half, and the date and time of birth of men and women are written around the middle seam, which is just folded in half. On the day of engagement, in some places in southern Shanxi, the woman will be accompanied by relatives to the man's house once. When he came back, the man's family gave the girl a certain amount of money and sent a bundle of cotton, which was called "touching the cotton" or "sticking the flowers", indicating that the friendship has continued since then.