The Unknown Ritual Sense of Chinese Wedding

Chinese Wedding Etiquette picks up the bride at midnight.

First, the reason for picking up the bride at midnight.

1. Traditional customs.

In traditional wedding customs, in some areas, the wedding time should be avoided during the day and chosen at night. So the groom will choose midnight to pick up the bride. This is a custom since ancient times, and it is still observed in some areas now.

2. Geographical location.

In some areas in ancient times, the geographical position was not good and gangs were rampant. When someone marries a daughter-in-law, gangsters will rob her. In order to avoid the bride being robbed, she chose to pick up the bride quietly in the middle of the night to ensure her safety.

Second, why did Chaoshan take over the family in the early morning?

1. Get married in the early morning.

In ancient books, marriage is actually "faint", that is, at dusk. When you get married, you should salute at dusk, which is the idea of harmony between man and nature. Chaoshan area still follows this custom, so many Chaoshan people will pick up relatives in the early morning.

2. Pick up relatives during the day.

In Chaoshan area, if you must choose to pick up relatives during the day, you need to take an umbrella for the bride. After the bride holds an umbrella, it is also a traditional custom to call it "not seeing the sun". However, with the changes of the times, some young people meet their relatives directly during the day and do not follow this custom.