What is the "Three Matchmakers and Six Engagements" of the ancient people?

The "Three Matchmakers and the Six Gentlemen" is also known as the "Three Books and Six Rites"

The Three Books and Six Rites is a traditional Chinese marriage ceremony. The "three books" refers to the instruments used in the process of the "six rites", including the book of appointment, the book of rites and the book of welcome. The "six rites" refer to the entire marriage process from the proposal to the consummation of the marriage. The "six rites" are the six rituals, which refer to the ceremony of bride-price, asking for the name of the bridegroom, the ceremony of marriage, the invitation of the bridegroom, and the welcome of the bridegroom.

1, "three books" is the marriage process used in the paperwork, can be said to be the ancient protection of marriage effective written records. They refer to:

(1) the book of engagement: that is, the instrument of engagement. In the Naji (men and women to enter into marriage), the male family handed over to the female family of the book invitation.

(2) Book of Rites: The document used in the performance of the rites of passage, which lists the items and quantities of the rites of passage.

(3) welcome book: that is, to welcome the bride's paperwork. Is the pro meet the bride over the door, the male party to the female party's paperwork.

2, "six rituals" is the marriage process of the six rituals, respectively:

(1) Nacai: when the children marry, the male parents ask the matchmaker to find a good female family to propose marriage.

(2) ask the name: that is, in the female parent acceptance of the marriage proposal, the female family will bring the daughter's year of the eight characters back to the male family, in order to make the male and female door-to-door and after the divination of good and bad luck.

(3) Naji (also known as over the Wending): when the receipt of geng post, will be placed in front of the gods or ancestors on the case of the geng post to show the auspiciousness of the two sides of the year geng eight characters are not sure that the collision of the two sides. When it is known that the two sides do not have the signs of collision, the marriage has been initially agreed.

(4) Na Zheng (also known as over the big gift): that is, the male family to send the book of engagement and gift books to the female family. One month to two weeks before the wedding, the man's family will invite two or four female relatives (who must be fully blessed) to go to the woman's home with a matchmaker and bring the bride price, gift money and gift; at this time, the woman's family is required to return the gift.

(5) Invitation (also known as begging for the day): the man's family chooses an auspicious day for the marriage and seeks the woman's consent.

(6) Welcome (or welcome): On the auspicious day of the wedding, the groom in his gown will go to the woman's home to welcome the bride in person, along with the matchmaker, relatives and friends. The groom needs to go to the female family's ancestral temple to perform the ritual of worship before arriving at the female family, and only after that will the bride be received by the male family in a sedan chair. In the male family to complete the ceremony to worship heaven, earth, ancestors, will be sent to the bridal chamber.