What does China mean by the so-called "Six Rites"?

ancient marriage etiquette. It refers to six kinds of etiquette in the process from marriage negotiation to marriage completion, namely, accepting gifts, asking names, accepting gifts, inviting guests, and welcoming people in person. This wedding procedure was established in the Zhou Dynasty and was first seen in the Book of Rites. Most of the later generations followed the Zhou rites, but the names and contents were changed. In the third year of Yuan Dynasty (AD 3), Emperor Han Ping ordered Liu Xin to make a wedding instrument. From the Han Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Crown Prince got married without a wedding ceremony. However, from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, due to social unrest, the six rites were ignored, and only the ceremony of worship (in-laws) was performed, not even the ceremony of marriage. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that the Crown Prince resumed the ceremony of welcoming relatives, and the emperor's marriage also followed the six rites. In Song Dynasty, the officials and nobles still followed the Six Rites, while the people thought the Six Rites were complicated, so they only followed the Four Rites, omitting asking names and inviting dates, and attributed them to Nacai and Nazheng respectively. "Zhu Zi Jia Li" was even omitted from Najib, and only three gifts were taken, which also became the customization of Ming Dynasty. In the Qing dynasty, only two gifts were given, namely, accepting gifts and welcoming relatives, and a gift was given to the woman's family to shop in the middle. According to Tongli in Qing Dynasty, it is said that the marriage proposal, accepting gifts, accepting coins, and inviting dates were only implemented when the Han officials were above seven items. Please welcome the five gifts. After the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Six Rites evolved in a complicated way and gradually declined.

First, accept the first of the six rituals. If the man wants to marry the woman, please ask the matchmaker to propose marriage to her. After being accepted, please ask the matchmaker to formally accept the "gift of choosing" from the woman. "Yi Li Shi Faint Ceremony": "Faint ceremony, give orders to accept gifts. Use geese. " Goose is the only gift of Guna Caili. Nacai is the beginning of all marriage procedures. The ritual of accepting gifts in later generations basically follows the weekly system, while the gifts are otherwise stipulated.

second, ask the name

the second of the six rituals. That is, the man sent a matchmaker to the woman's house to ask her name, birthdates. After retrieving Geng Tie, Buji folded his horoscope. "Yili Shihun Li": "Bin Zhiyan, what's your name? Master Xu, guest admission. " Zheng Xuan's note: "Whoever asks the name will be blessed with good or bad luck." Jia Gongyan Shu: "If you ask a name, ask a woman's surname."

Third, Najib

The third of the six rites. It is the etiquette for the man to inform the woman of the auspicious omen of marriage and give gifts to express his engagement after asking his name and matching his horoscope. In ancient times, Naji also had to offer a feast for geese. Zheng Xuan's note: "It's a good omen to return to the temple, and then send an envoy to sue, and the marriage will be settled."

IV. Levy

Also called Nacheng and Nabi. The fourth of the six rites. It is the man who sends the bride price to the woman. "Confusion in the Book of Rites" Kong Yingda Shu: "Those who take a levy will also take money. Sign, into also. Hire money first and then get married. " It was only when Naji learned that the woman agreed to marry that it was feasible for the man to take a gift. It was the only etiquette in the Six Rites that did not use geese, which showed that the ancients had distinct righteousness and rituals. Gifts collected in the past dynasties were customized, and many items such as jewelry and fine silks were used by the people for women's employment, which was called receiving money and later evolved into a gift.

V. Please ask for a date

Also known as the date of notification, it is commonly known as the date of selection. The fifth of the six rites. It was the man who sent someone to the woman's house to inform her of the date of marriage. "Yili Shihun Li": "Please use the geese, the host will say goodbye, and the guest will tell the date, such as the gift." The invitation ceremony has been the same in the past dynasties, that is, the male family sent an envoy to the female family to invite a date, give a gift, and then delivered a speech explaining the fixed wedding date, and the female father accepted it, and finally the envoy returned to me.

VI. Kissing

Also known as kissing. The sixth of the six rites. It is the etiquette for the groom to personally marry the bride and go home. "The Book of Songs Daya Daming": "A big country has a son, a sister of heaven, and a woman is definitely quexiang, and she welcomes Wei personally." The wedding ceremony began in the Zhou Dynasty, and the Queen also kissed Weishui when she got married. This ceremony is the beginning of the wedding. There are various forms of welcoming ceremony. To the Qing dynasty, the groom greeted him personally, wore red flowers, rode on a horse, or took a sedan chair to his wife's house, and the best man praised his parents-in-law and relatives. The Yue family made an essay for adding double flowers and wearing red, and sailed for three weeks, then returned first. The bride was wrapped in brocade by her brother and others and carried into the sedan chair. From the car, several relatives of the bride's family accompanied her, saying "seeing her off", and the groom greeted her at home.