What to prepare for the marriage of an ancient bride

Folk Marriage Procedures

Matchmaking

In Chinese folk marriages, matchmakers play a very crucial role. Chinese etiquette repeatedly emphasizes the so-called fate of "no rain without clouds in the sky, no marriage without a matchmaker on the ground". Men and women must go through a matchmaker before they can get married. Matchmakers can take the initiative to solicit work for men and women to matchmaking, but also can be entrusted by people, loyal people things. After a successful marriage, the matchmaker receives some money, which is called a "thank you" gift. This money is usually paid by the man. If the man goes to the woman's house, it is paid by the woman, and sent to the matchmaker's house the day before the wedding, together with the chickens, ducks, elbows, shoes, socks and fabrics sent to the matchmaker. The matchmaker must go the next day to guide the reception of the marriage, which is called the round matchmaking or Qiming or Fatting matchmaking. The amount of money to be used to thank the matchmaker for the gift is determined by the financial situation of the host family and must be sealed with red paper, known as the red envelope or package seal.

Matchmaking

In ancient times, single men and women rarely had the opportunity to get close to each other, and women, in particular, lived deep in the bosom. After the matchmaker, the man will generally propose to take a look at the matchmaker's lead to the woman's home for the first visit to the activities, known as the matchmaking, commonly known as the look at the relatives. The date of the matchmaking is proposed by the man, and the matchmaker decides the time and informs both men and women that both sides should be prepared. The man should bring some gifts, gifts are not in the more, show of mind only, if you can thus impress the other parent's heart of course, it would be better. As the protagonist of the two men and women should try to clean up and dress up properly, in order to get each other's favor.

If the woman's parents want to entertain the man, it means that the man has got the woman's family's consent. If the meal is delayed and the man is allowed to leave, the marriage is about to end. China is largely a subtle people, so of course, this kind of thing will not be explicitly said, it is all up to the man and the matchmaker to see what is going on. Of course, the woman may also go to the man's home to "visit", which in some places is called "see when". If the woman's parents are not willing to accept the hospitality, insist on leaving, indicating that the marriage is difficult to fulfill. At this point, of course, the man should not make any effort to stay. The woman's parents, by looking at the man's family situation, gladly accept the invitation, or will be offered a cup of tea, then the end of course, is a happy ending.

Crossing the Rites

After the matchmaking process, men and women can fulfill certain marriage procedures, a process known as "Crossing the Rites". On the occasion of the ceremony, the matchmaker will send the man's birth date to the woman, and the woman's birth date to the man. At this time, most of the superstitious parents will ask the fortune-teller to calculate the male and female eight characters together or not. If they do, the marriage will continue; if they don't, the marriage will stop. In the change of post, the eight characters after the matchmaker will choose a good day to take the man to "over the gift" engagement. "Over the gift" in the wedding is a major event, the marriage of the initiative, should send a generous gift to the other side. Customs vary from place to place, the gift also has differences. Some places require gifts to include at least a pig's elbow, two bottles of wine, chicken and duck each one, to the other parent's clothes each set of shoes and socks, a pair of shoes and socks, a package seal, to the girl's stuff a number of. How much money sealed in the package, give the girl some of what engagement things, generally in advance by the matchmaker with the two sides separately negotiated, not by the male party to give how much counted how much. After the "over the gift", men and women can agree on the date of marriage.

Choosing a date

In the traditional Chinese concept, the choice of the wedding day is also very careful, people believe that the choice of the wedding day is related to the future happiness of both men and women. The activity of choosing a good day is called "zhi zhi" or "zhi ji". The task of choosing the date is usually done by astrologers or fortune-tellers, and parents with a high level of education can of course read the "imperial calendar" or make their own projections. After the wedding date is decided, both parents can send out invitations to invite friends and relatives to attend the wedding. Wedding invitations are generally sent by the marriage parties or their parents personally to the hands of friends and relatives. Upon receiving the wedding invitations, friends and relatives generally send gifts and write a word of congratulations on the gifts, even if they cannot go. In the countryside, the gifts to the woman are mostly in kind, such as boxes, cabinets, beds, quilts, clothes, materials, etc., and, the gift-giver does not have to wait until after the invitation is sent, because the woman's parents have to be based on the number of gift-givers to decide the size of the wedding wine.

Pave the house

In ancient times, men and women to meet the bride the day before the woman to send people to the man's home and the man *** with the laying of the house, this procedure, called "paving the house". Laying things, men and women are different. Sima Guang "book rituals - three - wedding rituals" said: "bed couch recommended seats, chairs, tables and so on, the male family should have, felt mattresses, tents, coverlets and so on female family should have." After the woman's family paved the room must also be pressed to pave the room, and prepare gifts to warm the room. And to close women, and from the marriage of women to make, guard the room, do not let outsiders into the room to wait for the newcomer.

Open face

The girl in the one or two days before the marriage to do a process, open face is also called open face. At that time, women with both children are invited to pull out the facial hair of the woman to be married by twisting two threads around each other. In some areas, after marriage and then plucked again, commonly known as "pull face". Zhejiang and Hangzhou area, married women open face, beside the two pots of Nianqing, are wrapped in red paper to take the meaning of good luck.

Wearing pompoms

When a woman gets married, she wears a pompom on her head. The pompom is made of woven grass to resemble a human figure, such as a unicorn sending a son. Because of the pompoms and the glory of the resonance of the meaning of glory and wealth. Legend has it that in the Tang Dynasty, Yang Guifei had a small mole on her temples, and often inserted flowers to cover it up, because flowers are easily withered, and then the folk production of pompoms to replace it. From then on, the folk will be copied as a custom.

Wearing phoenix clothes and phoenix crown

The custom of wearing the bride when she gets married. Feng Yi Feng Guan is embroidered with phoenix and dragon patterns and colorful decorations of the crown, symbolizing auspicious and wealthy, for the ancient aristocracy unique, and then no distinction between noble and lowly, the line of general women, and then inherited in the wedding, but due to the family's wealth and some increase or decrease. Since modern times, the city men and women get married, the bride is easy to phoenix crown and Phi Tou veil, skirt length dragged more than a foot, walking, two children in the back of the hold, is the European and American countries the results of the influence of wedding customs.

Eat and harmony rice

On the wedding day, the bride on the sedan chair before the men and women at home were ready to drink, by the generation or the younger generation to accompany the bride and groom to eat, which is known as eat and harmony rice. The bride has eaten and the meal that is on the crown wearing a headscarf, led by the assistants throughout the speech parents and relatives and friends, after the sieve by the candle holders around the lead light, out of the pavilion into the sedan chair. After the groom meal, the bed and sit not to the outside. In some areas, this ritual is advanced to the night before the woman married, also known as "don't kiss wine", "resignation feast".

Barrier face

The bride on the sedan chair before the red scarf cover, in the sedan chair can not be removed, this is the barrier face, also known as the cover. To the male family into the bridal chamber, only by the bridegroom or the male family blessed with female relatives to uncover, so that congratulate the people look forward to see the bride's style, so-called picking the head.

Moving grain and beans

When a woman is to be married, it is usually necessary to ask a respected old woman, holding a dustpan containing grain and beans to spread everywhere, and in some places, to spread grass. Before the bride gets into the palanquin, the inside and outside of the palanquin are sown. Sedan chair to reach the male door, the bride before the sedan chair should also be sown, this is called spreading grain and beans. And the bride and groom into the bridal chamber, female left, male right sitting on the new bed when the male family members should also take the beans and fruits as well as coins to spread again, which is called the spread account. One is that the beans can avoid evil spirits, the second is a metaphor for plant seeds wishing the bride an early birth. Han Dynasty has this folk custom. There are also places to spread peanuts, jujubes, meaning that early birth, and boys and girls to spend with the birth.

Welcome the bride

When about to get married when men and women to kill pigs and slaughter sheep, ready to ask the cook bridesmaids, sedan chairmen and other handymen. These people should be recruited, should be the day before the wedding that is to the main family began to work, to do a good job of welcoming the family banquet preparations. The traditional wedding is usually the female family in the morning to prepare the wedding wine, the male family at noon to set up the wedding feast; if it is a family member is vice versa. After all the preparations, the man's family fired the cannon and played music, the sedan chair to welcome the bride. Matchmaker pilot, followed by the groom, bridesmaids, sedan chair, band, gift box team. Female family in the sedan chair to come before the wedding feast to be prepared. The girl should have her head combed by her mother or sister, the hairs on her face twisted with silk threads, and her makeup made up, which is called "opening the face", and then cover her head with a red cloth and wait for the sedan chair to welcome her.

When the sedan chair arrives at the woman's home, it will sound the cannon and play music to meet. Welcome the marriage team into the female family room, the sedan chair landing groom bowed to the father-in-law and mother-in-law, and presented in the name of his father to write a good red welcome to the marriage of a simple invitation. Next is the woman's home to move music to open the feast. During the matchmaker and the groom to be careful some, because the Chinese folk have unwritten custom, in the three days of the newlyweds relatives and friends in the generation and the younger generation of teenagers can be ingenious to make up a few small comedies, to play tricks on the matchmaker or groom, called the "wash matchmaking" and "hanging red They are known as "washing the matchmaker" and "hanging the red", commonly known as "congratulating the new guest". These can increase the joy of the atmosphere of the small drama, the matchmaker and the groom should allow, may be a small revenge, but do not really angry angry.

After breakfast, the bride and groom will be guided by the matchmaker to the bride's ancestors and elders salute, the bridesmaids can help the bride on the palanquin. Sedan chair before the bride generally want to cry marriage to show attachment to parents and family. After the bride on the sedan chair, that is, playing music and artillery, the sedan chair hair pro. The band in front of the band behind the groom, the conditions to ride a horse, followed by the sedan chair and other personnel to send the bride.

The return journey of the marriage must go the other way, so sometimes we have to go around the road, commonly known as "not go back". If the road encountered temples, wells, shrines, graves, boulders, large trees, etc., are to marry the sedan chair cover up, in order to avoid evil spirits. If you meet another family to marry, the bearers should be more than swabbing skills, try to make the sedan chair to carry some smooth, some areas of the groom and the two sides to change the corsage. If you meet the funeral, married to send the relatives to say: "Today's auspicious, meet the treasure wealth la!" The bridegroom's team will arrive at the door of the groom's home, the male family should be fired to move music to welcome. Sedan chair parked in front of the groom's house, the male family bridesmaids are generally young and beautiful women, to go up and lift the curtains, will be the bride to assist the car, the bridesmaids to go up to the salute, the guests to the groom, the bride on the flowers, generally with red and yellow confetti instead of the wedding to a climax.

Worship

After the man welcomes the bride, he begins to set up the place for worship in the man's room. When the palanquin stops in front of the door of the hall and the bridesmaids invited by the man stand in front of the palanquin, the ceremony has begun. Incense case on the smoke, red candles burning, family and friends, staff in place. The bridesmaids and groomsmen appeared in the capacity of "citing praise" and "pass praise" respectively, and started to praise the ceremony. The bride and groom start to pay homage to each other after receiving the homage from the cuizan and tongzan.

Tongzan: the newcomer rises from the sedan chair.

Introduction of praise: the bridegroom to take a bow and arch his hand to invite the bride.

Introduction: the bride and groom go to the flower hall.

Introduction of praise: the bride and groom in front of the incense burner. Playing music and firing cannons.

Tongzan: the bride and groom enter the incense and candles to the god and ancestor tablets.

Introduction of praise: kneeling, offering incense and candles. Ming candles, burning incense, incense, storage of ambrosia, Xing, leveling and resetting.

Tongzan: kneeling, kowtow, then kowtow, three kowtow ......

Then comes the traditional three worship - one worship of heaven and earth, the second worship of parents, husband and wife, before finally introducing the cave. This is the end of the ceremony. Nowadays, the worship ceremony has the following steps:

(1) The marriage ceremony begins.

(2) The bride and groom and guests take their seats.

(3) Flowers are presented to the bride and groom.

(4) Fire the cannon and play music.

(5) Witnesses read the marriage certificate.

(6) Speech by the celebrant.

(7) Speech by the introducer.

(8) Speech by the guests.

(9) The bride and groom bow three times to the celebrant, witnesses, introducers and guests.

(10)The bride and groom bow to each other.

(11)The bride and groom exchange gifts.

(12)The bride and groom talk about their relationship.

(13)The bride and groom perform a program.

(14)The bride and groom enter the bridal chamber.

(15)The guests open the banquet.

Wedding Banquet

According to traditional Chinese customs, the arrangement of the new room is also very elaborate.

The hall (1) a pair of couplets in front of the door plus a banner.

(2) the middle of the hall hanging a square colored lanterns, colored lamps painted on all four sides respectively, "Luanfeng Harmony", "Goddess of Mercy", "Scholar and the first", "Family Happiness" pattern.

(3) a pair of large red candles on the incense burner.

(4) the two sides of the "seat" wall to paste a pair.

(5) the new room "gold wall" on the sticker "heaven and earth, the king, parents and teachers," six big words, written straight from top to bottom. These six words are written in a delicate way: the sky should be flat, that is, "flat" the word of the two horizontal to write flat, can not become curved; the ground should be wide, that is, "ground" the word to write wider, not too narrow; Jun not open, that is, "Jun The "mouth" of the character "君" must be completely closed, leaving no space; the character "亲" must not close the eyes, i.e., when writing the traditional character "〓", the "〓" on the right side must not be the same as the "目" on the top. The word "ey" should be written in the traditional Chinese character "〓"，and the right side of the character "〓" should not cover the last line of the character "目".

New house (1) door frame on both sides of a pair of couplets plus a banner, the banner is generally written "luanfeng and singing" four words.

(2) The door is labeled with large red double happiness.

(3) the new room in the center of the hanging lanterns.

(4) The windows are covered with paper-cut double happiness characters and the corners are covered with paper-cut butterfly designs.

(5) The windows are decorated with couplets.

(6) Hang pictures around the walls.

Kitchen: A pair of couplets and a banner on the front door, and a red "happy" character on the door.

Other details such as all the rooms have a "happy" word on the door.

After the ceremony, the bride stays in the bride's room and does not come out again. The groom should go out of the new room to receive guests. Such as in hotels, wine home banquets, both husband and wife have to go out to meet the guests and toast to the guests. The wedding banquet should be arranged according to the guests' seniority, called "invitation", or "clear guests". The principle of seating is that the upper and lower, right and left, guests according to their age and identity, status from high to low seating.

Chairman should be placed in the center of the hall above, please "big relatives" (also known as "on the relatives", "high relatives", that is, the bride's uncle, father, uncles) to sit on the right seat on the top, the groom's father or uncle. The groom's father or uncle sits on the left side of the upper seat, and the rest of the guests are seated according to their seniority. In addition to the main seat in the hall, the second most honored seat is set up in the bride's room, where the bride's mother is invited to sit at the head of the table, accompanied by the groom's mother or aunt. The other seats are generally arranged in order of precedence.

When the seats are arranged, the groom should first go to the chief to pour wine and toast, and make a toast, and then, begin to serve the first course. The food and wine should be the same for all seats, except for the seats of "male relatives" and "female relatives", which must have a steamed pork elbow as a rule. Moreover, the groom should always wait at the table, for "on the relatives" wine, food, send hot towels, etc., to show respect.

After the end of the wedding banquet, "on the relatives" first back to the house to rest for a while, eat some snacks, accompanied by the male elders to say some polite words, to the handyman to remove the surface, sweep the ground, the relatives should get up to say goodbye. Before leaving, the male family to "send" clothing, shoes and socks, and so on, and red envelopes. "Send the big relatives" is another lively scene, the male family of all decent people should be sent to the door, but also the gun moving music, in order to show respect. The groom and his parents should be sent to the village entrance.

Crossing cups of wine

The custom of crossing cups of wine began in the Zhou Dynasty. According to the Book of Rites - The Rituals of the Comatose, couples ****ed and ate, and fm radio was used to hold them. Fm radio is actually a gourd split into two dippers called "fm radio". During the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom each held a fm radio to rinse their mouths with wine, which was called "fm radio". Therefore, fm radio was used as a synonym for fm radio. This custom evolved into the later to eat "cross cup wine".

The Night of Flower Candle

In ancient times, most of the candles used in weddings were decorated with dragons and phoenixes. Later generations used the flower candle as a metaphor for marriage. He Xun's poem "Watching the Newly Marriage of Volang" reads, "Why begin the night of flower candles, a light fan to cover the red dress." On the wedding night, the bride and groom stayed up all night, which was called "keeping the flower candle". Those who do not keep the flower candle, the newcomer sleeps, supporting, bridesmaids must always enter the room to check the flower candle has no damage leakage, for fear of ominous signs. Superstitious people have "the left candle end of the groom died first, the right candle end of the bride died first," said, therefore, such as a candle extinguished, will be another candle extinguished.

Cave

This can be said to be the climax of the wedding. In addition to being amusing, it also has other meanings. It is said that there are often foxes and ghosts haunting the bridal chamber, and that haunting the bridal chamber expels the yin of evil spirits and enhances one's yang, according to which there is a proverb: "People don't haunt ghosts". From the positive sense of the cave is still able to add a lively atmosphere, drive away the feeling of coldness, so some places also called "warm room". In the old days, men and women were introduced to each other as strangers, so that they can remove the sense of strangeness, a good start for the newlywed life. In addition, the cave-in can also make friends and relatives get acquainted with each other, showing the prosperity of the family, and enhance the relationship between friends and relatives. Cave activities carried out to a certain time, the groom should lead the bride "greetings to recognize relatives". Where the male family elders, should be in the bridesmaid's praise in the sound of one by one to let the bride and groom to meet, and to reward a red envelope to the bride as a gift, known as the "greetings package seal". At the same time, the elders should arch their hands back to a "half gift". This ceremony can show the unity of the family. Bridal chamber is "three days regardless of size", the bride and groom and even the groom's parents are often made fun of by others and even the younger generation to tease, be teased to make fun of the person can not be angry, so as not to spoil the festive atmosphere of the newlyweds. Of course, the caveman can not be too out of character, too long to affect the newlyweds rest. Special attention should be paid to not be too rough to cause uncivilized things.

Opening ceremony

Three days after the wedding, the bride opened the box, weng aunts and aunts and relatives are ready to offer, brothers, sons and nephews of the younger generation are also sent some gifts. The offerings are mostly silk clothing, shoes and socks and so on. The rich and powerful people who have a large population are extremely generous in their offerings.

Return

Three days after the wedding seven days or nine days, the bridegroom accompanied the bride from the in-laws back to the mother's home. The woman's family will make a grand "return door wine". Seats, the bride to lead the groom to meet the family friends from the oldest, the most honored recognized. Being worshiped or nodding, or rise to assist each other, or also half a gift, at the same time to reward the groom a red envelope. So far, the traditional Chinese wedding folklore is complete.