Southern marriage customs

The marriage custom of the Han nationality has a long history and has a strong national color. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a complete set of etiquette has been formed, namely "winning the lottery", "asking the name", "accepting oneself", "accepting the levy" and "inviting guests", which are called "Six Rites".

"Accepting talents" means that the man's family asks the matchmaker to propose marriage to the woman's family, which is later called "matchmaking"; "Asking the name" means that the two sides change their ages, which is called "changing the dragon and phoenix hillock" in modern times, and then divining "marriage"; Najib means "engaged"; "Zheng Na" is a betrothal gift from the man's family to the woman's family, commonly known as "bride price"; "Invitation" means choosing a wedding date and asking the woman for advice; "Kissing" means marrying the bride.

From ancient times to the present, although the marriage customs are different because of the changes of the times or the differences between the rich and the poor, the basic ritual procedures are similar. Even in modern times, with the rise of free love and the simplification of etiquette, there are still reservations about the customs of the matchmaker (introducer) such as communication, blind date, engagement and marriage.

Among the "Six Rites", the content of "welcoming the bride" is the most colorful, and the main customs are paving the house, crying for marriage, spreading cereal beans, raising fire, splashing water, covering the face, wearing red clothes, landing the bride's feet on the ground, sitting in a sedan chair, "crossing the saddle", worshiping the church meeting, spreading accounts and making a cup of noise. For more than two thousand years, these "pro-welcoming" customs have been enduring. Although they have been innovating and evolving with the progress of society in modern times, their basic aspects have not changed much.

In the aspect of marriage system, although monogamy was widely practiced in ancient Han nationality, concubinage was more common. In modern times, it is commonly known as "begging for a concubine" or "marrying a concubine", but widows are generally not allowed to remarry, especially in the late feudal society, when Neo-Confucianism rose and the rules were very strict, and some basically wore plain clothes all their lives.

In the form of marriage, in the old society, in addition to being married by the media, there were buying and selling marriage, cousin marriage, exchange marriage, transfer marriage, adoption marriage (commonly known as "adoption"), canonical marriage, foster marriage, finger marriage, filial marriage, ghost marriage and so on.