Manchu wedding process

Manchu people are very particular about the procedures and processes of wedding etiquette. They pay attention to etiquette and politeness. Therefore, wedding customs and etiquette are quite complicated.

Ask the portal

Manchu women began to get married when they grew up, but the marriage was not independent and was entirely arranged by their parents. One is "old age as a medium", or "relatives and friends compete" to negotiate marriage. The man entrusts a person to the woman's house to act as matchmaker. If the woman is interested, she can list the servants and three generations of a banner, and also write down the address, fame, occupation, elephant, date of birth and so on. This is called a "portal post". By the matchmaker's black friends, men first and women later, let the two families know each other's family background, etc., the post will be placed in the first three days of the family's service to Kitchen God. This is the meaning of asking names in ancient rituals, and it is called "asking the portal".

Look at each other

Also known as the "gatekeeper". After the matchmaker is a man and a woman, both parents, accompanied by the matchmaker, go to each other's home to see each other. Generally, the housewife goes to see the woman first, and then the woman's parents agree to see the man. This is the so-called "Xiangming". If a man has a "dark side", the matchmaker will arrange one of the men and women somewhere and then show it to the other's parents. If there is a direct meeting, do you agree to tell each other through the matchmaker after meeting?

marry

After looking at each other, if both parties agree, write down the date of birth, etc. Both sides will also find Bu to confirm what kind of marriage it is. There is no harm in marrying your mother. This is called getting married.

Put it down.

Also known as "tea". After the marriage negotiation, both parties have no objection, that is, the elders of the man's family will bring a small amount of bride price to the woman's house. If the woman's family accepts and treats visitors with courtesy, it means that this marriage is allowed. Engagement objects are generally hairpin jewelry, wallets, ruyi and so on. (Both are even numbers). Release the person (woman) and put it on the woman.

Magnification setting

Also known as "April tea" and "milk products". A few days after the "small decision", the matchmaker and both men and women agreed on the number of bride price, and then the man chose an auspicious day to send the bride price to the woman's house. Pigs and wine are necessities of betrothal gifts. A well-off family should send two pigs and two drinks, that is, two big pigs and two drinks (24 kilograms each). This kind of pig is called Taha pig, which is not used for breeding. The bride's family chooses a fixed time and day before marriage as a sacrifice, and then slaughters their relatives and neighbors. Now the Manchu people in Xinbin also give him pigs every once in a while, but not big pigs, but small piglets, and the woman's family keeps breeding. In the betrothal ceremony, there are also some jewelry, such as Ruyi and Bian Fang, ear scoops, ear pliers, row poles, hair pins, Cui Hua, rings, bracelets, finger covers and so on.

Change cups

When a man sends a betrothal gift to a woman's home, the woman receives the betrothal gift and presents ornaments and other items in front of her ancestors. Parents of both sides knelt down side by side, drank glasses to each other, and then offered sacrifices to show that the two families were formally engaged and became in-laws. Some people exchange cups at the engagement party.

Cigarette packaging ceremony

Loading cigarettes means that engaged women put tobacco into the pot of dry tobacco bags for their in-laws and elders before and after marriage, and light them themselves to show their respect. Some are "set small" and some are "set large". The morning after the wedding, I will pack cigarettes for my in-laws. When loading cigarettes for the first time, elders usually give "money for loading cigarettes". Usually guests come, and the younger generation also pretends to smoke to show respect.

Ladan

The fathers of both sides chose an auspicious day for their wedding. Previously, the woman listed the dowry clothes on red paper for the man. The man bought the wedding things according to the order and sent them to the woman's house to bring them back when she got married.

interrupt

The man delivered the cloth to the woman's house in advance according to her bill. The woman displayed these gifts in front of the ancestral case, and the elders cut the cloth with scissors, and then the woman sewed the clothes, commonly known as "cutting".

Hire a woman to unlock the lock.

Manchu children often wear thread locks (ropes) around their necks after offering sacrifices to gods. Before a woman gets married, she must take off the "lock" she wore when she was young, and her family will hold ceremonies and sacrifices for this. Sacrifice with pigs. When accepting sacrifices, the bride to be married must pour water and wine into the pig's ears and kowtow to the ancestor's throne during the unlocking ceremony. The cost of this ceremony is generally borne by the male family, which is called "giving the lock silver".

Cabinet box

Manchu wedding is held for three days. The first day is called "coming out", and some are called "coming out day", commonly known as "dowry". When giving a dowry, you should carry it near your husband's house, one in a group. There are several people who are far away from my husband's house to deliver the dowry, but they don't carry it. They take the bus and carry it when they get to my husband's house. The 24 sets with the most dowry were given by wealthy families. When the dowry is sent to the middle, the man sends someone to pick it up, which is called "receiving the whip". After being sent to her husband's house, it was set up, commonly known as "bright dowry". It is also necessary to hang the bride's embroidered pillow cover, hanging waist and other patterns in the new house with red rope to show generosity and the bride's ingenuity.

Xiang Peng

The man's family is going to kill pigs on this day, so he set up a happy shed outdoors and blew it up to let the neighbors know that the family is starting to have a happy event, which is called "ringing the bell shed"

Hanging dice

Married people hang the lintel of their own gate with red silk or red cloth to add a festive atmosphere. The man hangs "hard johanna" and the woman hangs "soft johanna". The so-called "hard johanna" means putting a frame at the door head, posing with double eaves and other styles. Supported by two red lacquer wooden columns, it is called "painted pier". "Soft johanna" is just supported by a frame behind colored silk, and then colored balls are formed at both ends of the silk. Now most of them are changed into red double happiness characters.

Insert into a car

The next day, the bride left home accompanied by her grandmother and relatives and friends. Before you leave, kowtow to your ancestors and Buddha's mother and pray for blessing. When the bride boarded the float, she changed her children's shoes into stepping shoes. The bride's brother or elder brother sets off with the family's wedding procession at midnight, which is called "wedding reception". When the two cars met, the shafts were wrong, and the new husband and brother carried the bride from the farewell car to the welcome car, commonly known as "jumping the queue."

Xiajiashu

Also called "lying down". The two sides drove to a pre-borrowed house not far from her husband's house, where the bride and husband stayed for one night, commonly known as "laying down a villa". There are also many brides. At this time, the old man of the landlord is recognized as the godmother.

Meet sb. in person

On the wedding day, the man prepares a float, the groom rides a horse, and the father leads his family, groomsman, trumpeter and ceremonial staff to Xia Shu to greet the bride. Before we leave, we should "light the sedan chair". There were no empty sedan chairs when we went. There is a little boy sitting in the sedan chair, named "pressing the sedan chair". There must be an odd number of people in the wedding procession, so when you come back, you can add the brides in pairs to show good luck.

closing ceremony

When the bride is in Xiashu, she will not get dressed immediately, but sit on the kang and eat the eggs made by her parents. When the man's sedan chair was carried to Xiashu by putting copper coins on the kang, the family deliberately closed the door, so the wedding procession stopped outside the door, and the drummer played according to the qupai pointed out by the woman's family. At the same time, the man's maid had to make all kinds of pleading words at the door (Manchu in the early years) and hand in a "red envelope", and the woman's house immediately opened the door to let her in.

Makeup and red.

After admission, the ceremony is arranged on both sides of the door, with a red carpet in the middle. Newcomers dismount on the red carpet and kowtow to their relatives and friends, which is called makeup worship. After relatives and friends worship, they put red cloth or red silk, commonly known as "little red cloth", on the shoulders of their new home, which is collectively called "Pihong". If there is a lot of red cloth, the best man and others will weave some vests for the new people, and the rest will be carried on the new people's horses.

Menggaitou

After the bride enters the room, the general practitioner dresses the bride, puts on red cotton-padded jacket and trousers (whether in winter or summer) and covers her head with red cloth, which is collectively called "hooded head". At the same time, the host shouted for the groom to worship the woman's parents, which is called "changing his mouth". The two old people also want to give gifts to Silla. The family will also put some cakes in other rooms so that all those who take care of their relatives in the new house can have a few bites. This is called "eat rice at once" in the new house. After that, the bride was asked to hold a bronze mirror in her hand, and the eldest brother was asked to carry it on the sedan chair. The wedding procession began to return.

Cover the sedan chair

When the sedan chair arrives at the man's house, someone must follow it with a red carpet. Passing through wells, temples, graves and other places on the way, covering the sedan chair with a red carpet means avoiding evil spirits. When the bride gets off the sedan chair, she also covers it from the side with a red carpet to prevent it from being "washed" by jealous people.

authority

The car arrived at the groom's door, and the man was not allowed to enter for the time being. For example, give the bride a brazier to keep warm in winter. Later, I opened the door and went in, which is commonly known as "persuasion."

Shoot three arrows

Before the bride gets off the sedan chair, the groom will shoot three arrows in the yard. The bow and arrow was given to a new one by the master of ceremonies, and then he took over after shooting. Shinji took a bow and shot one into the sky. The emcee sang, "Shoot Sirius!" Shoot one at the ground, and the emcee sings "Shoot the demon twice!" "Shoot one in front of the sedan chair, and the emcee sang," Shoot three red devils! " "The arrow used is non-rotating, so as to avoid accidents.

Worship Beidou

Also known as "worship heaven and earth". The bride was helped down from the sedan chair by her accompanying mother-in-law, covered with a "hijab", with a bronze mirror on her chest and a hemp pole under her arm. The emcee led the bride along the paved red carpet to the preset table in the yard and knelt down with the bride. The emcee sang, "A trip to Abu Kane!" "Two Bainadan stones!" "Three visits to grandma and auntie" and "Husband and wife". At this time, drums and firecrackers rang, and the newlyweds kowtowed three times to the north, meaning to show their position before the Big Dipper.

Baby bottle

After worshipping Beidou, the master of ceremonies handed the "Aquarius" to the bride and held it in her arms. Aquarius is usually made of wood or tin and shaped like a vase or jar. In the past, bottles were filled with gold and silver curd, coins and "gold and silver rice" (yellow rice and white rice), but now some treasure bottles in rural areas are filled with rice and millet. The bottle mouth is wrapped in HongLing and tied with five-color thread. This custom means more happiness and wealth after marriage.

Deferred payment

In the past, Manchu people had the custom of sitting accounts. Commonly known as "sitting on a blessing." Set up a tent in the yard in advance, and the newlyweds will stay in the tent for one or two nights. When sitting in the account, two candles are lit in the account, and the couple are forbidden to talk after entering, and sit until dawn. When sitting on the bill, the female tea horse also pays tribute in Manchu. When some brides sit on Bill, they still sit on an axe under their buttocks, and a cushion is placed on the axe to show that they are happy. In the evening, Xinqiu walked around the tent with a backpack and asked, "Do you want to spend the night?" The bride replied: spend the night. If you don't answer, Xinyi will ask again around three times. This custom has disappeared today. But after worshipping heaven and earth in the countryside, there are still people sitting on the axe in the curtain to express their views.

(of a girl on the eve of her wedding) shave off the fine hair on her face and neck and trim the hairline of her temples.

When you sit on the tent, you will open your face, and some will open their faces after worshipping heaven and earth. Also known as "face wringing". A general practitioner used new tweezers and five-color silk thread to pull hair out of the bride's face and open her forehead and temples at the same time, which marked that the woman was married.

Uncover the red wedding dress

At dawn, the drummer began to blow again, and firecrackers exploded. The elders of the groom's family usually bring brown sugar water to the bride to drink, indicating that she will be "sweet-mouthed" in the future. I also boiled eggs, peeled them and wiped the bride's face, indicating that there would be no pockmarks on the bride's face in the future. After that, ask the bride to come forward, take off the bride's "hijab" with a balance beam or whip and throw it on the roof or tent. After the groom uncovered the hijab, he immediately stroked his hair with his hand, symbolizing "married couple". At this time, the bride can see each other's appearance. At present, the ceremony of uncovering the hijab in rural areas is only a form.

wedding ceremony

Manchu is called "Achabumi", commonly known as "drink a cup and sprinkle it". Worship the heavens and the earth, sit in the tent for a while and enter the wedding hall. There is a low table in the hall with a hip flask on it, and two wine glasses are connected together with red rope; In addition, a table with a black fork (coccyx) connected to the back cavity was set up, and two bowls of cooked shredded pork and two bowls of yellow rice were cooked. The bride and groom knelt at the low table, and the woman who greeted them poured wine for them. They exchanged glasses three times. Then, an old man of a male clan came to the Soren pole with a bowl of shredded pork and rice, chanting auspicious words, or singing Achabumi songs, throwing rice meat on the roof or throwing it around. Every three times, Lessing's bride also tasted rice and meat in the house three times, and the woman who poured the wine still fed it. After the ceremony, the hostess cooked the children's cakes and distributed them to the bride and groom, but not all of them. A child came out of the window and asked the room loudly, "Is it raw?" The new girl had to answer "life" so that she could have children after marriage. Children's cakes are slightly smaller than those in jiaozi, and they are all even numbers, generally 20. The woman's house prepares them and sends them to the man's house together with chopsticks and bowls, which are called "children's chopsticks" and "children's bowls".

On the brazier

When the bride enters the bridal chamber, she must cross the brazier in front of the door. It is said that it can make married life flourish.

Cross the saddle

Also known as "straddle saddle". When the bride enters the bridal chamber, a saddle is placed on the threshold and covered with a red carpet to symbolize peace.

Baixi

After the ceremony, a banquet will be held to entertain the guests of the bride's family, and several people will accompany each table. During the dinner, under the drum music, the couple both raised their glasses, which is called "worship". The family also wants to reward the chef. After seeing off the guests from the bride's house, the rest of the people attending the wedding began to eat in batches. Eating with parents is called "first leisure", followed by "second leisure", and so on. When I was young, the couple toasted one by one. When I was young, the master of ceremonies shouted, "Listen to the truth, guests, now we won't propose a toast one by one. The newcomer bows to you three times! " Go and worship the table

reunion dinner

After all the guests left, the Silla family sat together for dinner and called a reunion dinner.

Renzong

After the bride entered the bridal chamber, she took off her red dress, put on colorful cheongsam and put on palace flowers, and accompanied the bride to kowtow to her ancestors, commonly known as Renzong.

Look at the sun

In the evening, my sister or aunt leads the bride out to see the sun, indicating that life is red. Hold a few sticks of firewood when you come back, commonly known as "holding money into the door." Go into the house to poke the pit, which means "the bottom of the pot does not fall." Agitating the water tank is intended to "get rich". And get rid of the swill tank, which means "raising pig fat" There are also the customs of "making trouble in the bridal chamber" and "eating five bowls" at night.

Identification size

On the first day of marriage, that is, on the fourth day of the wedding, the bride, led by her eldest sister-in-law and sister-in-law, bowed down to her father's family and lit the packed tobacco pouch in front of the grave. When I got home, I went upstream. If you live far away from your ancestral home, you can also salute in front of your ancestral temple at home and then go to your ancestral home. This ceremony was also held after the "Huimen". After the ancestor worship, the bride, accompanied by the bride, holds a rectangular pillow with a pillowcase in both hands and visits her elders, relatives and friends in turn, commonly known as "recognizing the size".

(of a newlywed wife) going to her parents' home with her newlywed husband.

On the third day of marriage, the bride will take the bride back to her family, which is called "returning to the door". Before going back to the door, you should pour the Aquarius of the night before. At this time, the newlyweds were sitting on the kang, pulling their clothes into their pockets. An elderly woman from relatives and friends' house took the "vase" held by the bride at the wedding, poured it into the two skirts three times in a row, and read the words "one pour gold, two pour silver, three pour a large group" at the same time. After pouring out, use the original "gold and silver rice" in the bottle to cook porridge, which is called "gold and silver rice porridge" for newlyweds to eat. When "returning to the door", anyone who has a villa will go back to visit the landlord, and those who don't have a villa will go directly to their parents' home. In time, you must bring the sun when you go back to the door, and you can't get up early and get greedy late. The groom should bring a four-in-one gift to show his respect for his parents-in-law. On the seventh day, the bride will go back to her parents' home for one night, which is called "receiving seven and exempting eight".

Live on the moon

In another month, the bride will go back to her parents' home for one month, which is called "born for the moon". When you come back from your mother's house, you should bring a new pair of cloth shoes to everyone in your husband's family.

Change the lock

After marriage, the husband-in-law should prepare two pigs, two jars of wine and two barrels of yellow rice to send his daughter-in-law back to her mother's house to sacrifice to the Buddha's mother, untie the colored thread tied to the rope at her mother's house, and bring it back to her husband's house to tie it on the rope to "change the lock". According to different surnames, some families are before marriage, some are "returning to the door" or "living with the moon", and some are "locked up" after giving birth to children. But many poor people can't change locks.