What are the customs of Chinese weddings?

Chinese weddings can be divided into three stages: the rite of passage, or "betrothal," the rite of formal wedding, or "marriage" or "consummation," which means the union of husband and wife; the post-nuptial rite, which is the rite of becoming a wife, a woman, or a son-in-law, which denotes the roles played by a man and a woman after their marriage; in traditional Chinese wedding customs, the pre-nuptial rite and the formal wedding are the main procedures, which are derived from the six rites of the Duke of Zhou.

Traditional Chinese Wedding Customs

1. The Three Books: According to traditional Chinese etiquette, the three books refer to the documents that are exchanged during the process of rituals and engagements, namely the "Book of Hire" - the book of betrothal, which is exchanged at the time of betrothal: The "Book of Gifts" - a list of gifts, in which the types and quantities of gifts are listed, exchanged at the time of the ceremony: "Book of Welcome" - a book to welcome the bride, used on the day of the wedding to receive the bride at the door.

2. six rites: refers to the formalities from the marriage proposal to the matchmaking to the marriage, the completion of the marriage. Separately for the "Nacai" - commonly known as matchmaking, that is, the male family asked the matchmaker to go to the woman's home to propose marriage, the woman's home should be discussed after the marriage, the male family to prepare gifts to go to the marriage proposal: "ask the name of the" - commonly known as the eight characters, to the bride's book, to the door of the bride. -commonly known as the eight characters, ask the matchmaker to ask the woman's birth year, month and day and name, to prepare for the ceremony of marriage "Naji" - that is, the male family divined the auspicious omen, prepared to notify the woman's family, the marriage Preliminary agreement "Naji" - also known as over the ceremony, the man selected an auspicious date to the woman's home to hold the betrothal ceremony: "please date" - to choose an auspicious date to complete the marriage, the old Chinese custom of "please date" is to choose an auspicious date to complete the marriage. - choose an auspicious day to complete the marriage, the old selection of auspicious days are generally more bi-monthly double day, do not like to choose three, six, November, three have scattered sound, do not choose six because they do not want the newcomer only half a lifetime of marriage, November implies the meaning of not exhaustive. "Pro welcome" - the wedding day, the man with a welcome book personally to the woman's home to welcome the bride.

3. bed: a few days before the wedding, choose a good day, in the new bed will be bedding, bed linen, and then laid on the dragon and phoenix quilt, was sprinkled with a variety of fruits, such as peanuts, jujubes, cinnamon, lotus seeds and so on. It is a metaphor for the new couple to have a son soon. The person who carries the bed. The person who makes the bed and the person who scatters the joyful fruits are all carefully selected "good fortune" - parents alive, siblings, marriage and harmony. The children are in pairs, and it is natural to hope that such a person can bring good luck to the new couple.

4. Alarming the bridal chamber: Early regulations, the groom's peers brothers can be alarmed in the new room, the old people believe that "the newcomers do not make no hair, the more the more hair," and can be for the newcomers to drive away evil spirits to avoid the news, after the wedding, as good as the good luck.

5. Dowry: the woman's family accompanied, is the woman's family status and wealth and symbols. The dowry is sent to the husband's family no later than the day before the wedding. The dowry risk in addition to clothing and jewelry, mainly some symbols of good omen things, such as scissors, meaning butterflies fly: spittoon, also known as the children and grandchildren barrel: vase, meaning flowers blooming rich: shoes, meaning that the white head together: feet, meaning that the good land and so on. Of course, the customary language and pay attention to different places are not the same.

6. on the head: both men and women have to drought line of the pre-wedding ceremony. It is also a good day to choose, men and women in their respective homes by combing the head of the woman comb, one side comb, one side to say aloud: a comb comb to the end, two comb comb to white hair, three comb comb to children and grandchildren all over the place, comb comb comb to the four silver shoots to the end of the standard Qi.

7. Hanging red umbrellas: the day of the wedding, assisted by the bride's sisters or bridesmaids in the door of the bride's home, standing in the open air, the sisters or bridesmaids in the bride's head open a red umbrella, meaning "open branches and spreading leaves", and to the sky and the top of the umbrella to sprinkle rice.