What are the wedding customs in Chaoshan?

With the development of the times, the Chaoshan people's wedding has become more and more rich in the flavor of the times, many young men and women have long since got rid of the "parents' orders, matchmakers," the custom of marriage. However, the traditional wedding still exists. Propose marriage, also known as marriage proposal. That is, by the matchmaker to the male side of the marriage proposal, or by the matchmaker first to the male side of the introduction of the situation of the female side, the male side of the recognition and then to the female side of the marriage proposal. Marriage. Here are two links, the two sides of the marriage proposal recognized, that is, by the matchmaker to the woman's name, birth date, place of origin, ancestor of three generations written into the gung sticker sent to the man. Three days if the man's home did not happen accidentally inauspicious things, such as touching broken bowls, pots, etc., which is called "three days good". There is this good omen, the male party agreed to exchange gengzhi. Changed the gung post and then each ask someone to divination and marriage, to confirm that men and women are born with or against each other. Betrothal. After the marriage, the stage of betrothal, that is, the man to prepare gifts to the woman to be betrothed. Gifts are usually a pair of gold earrings or a gold ring, there are also sent gold necklaces, and sugar, noodles, which is a token of engagement. The woman in the betrothal ceremony, to give friends and neighbors to send sweets and cakes, informed that the marriage has been fixed, after the betrothal will be the bride price. The bride price, also known as send bride. In the past, the bride price for rich people was gold, silver, colorful satin, pigs, sheep, wine and fruits; for poor people, it was betel nut, chicken and wine only. Chiu Chow people regard betel nut as a symbol of good luck, and it is a very distinctive gift for bride price. Modern bride price includes both in-kind and cash. In kind, there must be more than four types of gifts: sugar, noodles, daiji (Teochew mandarin), gold and silver jewelry, cloth, cakes and food, etc., but not an odd number of gifts, must be an even number of gifts. Cash is also known as bride price, divided into one, two, four, but are multiplied. In the bride price, the woman should have a return gift, that is, the part of the bride price of food and cakes returned, and return "mandarin duck bananas", tangerine, pig's heart and so on. Mandarin duck bananas that is, two parallel bananas, symbolizing a hundred years together; orange resonates with "Ji", symbolizing good luck; pig heart (half of which remains on the female side) to symbolize the same heart. Both sides at this time also use each other's gifts in the cake food solemnly presented to friends and neighbors, report the wedding happy date. Neighbors and relatives should also return the gifts to express congratulations. Please period, after the bride price, we have to choose the date of marriage, and conveyed to the woman, including notification of the woman when to cut the wedding dress, when to "pull the face", what time to bathe, what time to marry and so on. Please period of time to invite most of the time in the dark, Chao custom to keep the night to meet the wedding customs, is really a legacy of ancient times. Meet the bride, which is the groom to the bride's home to marry the ceremony, but also the wedding in the most important program. There are two kinds of welcome: one is the groom to welcome the bride, the other is the man please "good fortune" on behalf of the welcome. At this time, the bride tends to cry loudly, which is called "crying marriage". On the one hand, it is far away from parents and cry, on the other hand, it is said that only tears, in order to make the family rich. Color sedan chair to the husband's door, the husband's family to firecrackers to meet. The groom kicked the sedan chair, rolled sedan chair curtains, pulled down the bride's head Ruyi, to the bride's forehead as a gesture to tie. Kick the sedan chair, Zha Ruyi, intended to give the bride a warning: everything must be as husband in the future. This is a hint of the husband's right. Then the bride in the bridesmaids to help cross the threshold under a pile of burning "fire smoke". After the bride entered the door, to be in-laws invited to the "green mother" accompanied by the bridegroom to eat "round", into the cave, on the hall to the elders, juniors tea salute and so on. At this time, the Qingniang mother should recite a song of congratulations. The bride's family on the day of the wedding, to send brother-in-law to send lily soup to the man, may the bride in-laws in everyone's favor. On the second day, the bride is given a soup of pig's heart with fungus, hoping that the bride will not forget her relatives in her mother's home. Only the third time to stay in the mother's home for a few days, pouring out the love of parents. The girls here also share the custom of "sister money" when they get married. "Sisters of money" is to come to marry the groom to send the bride on the road to the younger siblings, generally 4 yuan 4 cents 8 cents. Sisters of money a pair of men and women to send, meaning "good". 448 points, meaning "the world good" and "the world will not be divided (away)" meaning. The groom in the decoration of the new house, to hold a solemn "bed" ceremony. A fortune teller is invited to choose a date for the installation of the bed, and there are also rules for the direction of the head of the bed. In the bed, to do "four sentences" for good luck. When the bride colorful makeup, will be on the sedan chair, the bride's family, they will have to bring a pot of water, to the sedan chair splash, while splashing and read: "pot of water splash on the sedan chair, the bride changed into a new kind." Send the wishes of the bride to get married. However, now of course, no longer splashed sedan chair, but a bicycle or motorcycle, car. The bride's dowry, in the past, must also have two pairs of wooden shoes, in addition to facilitating daily life, but also to take "with the old" or "also step with the" meaning. After the bride over the door, every other day early in the morning to get up to cook, personally do a bowl of sweet rice, to be the family, the family in-laws and the husband's siblings get up, please taste a little bit of each of them. It is said that this bowl of sweet rice, sugar to be brought from the mother's home, cooking must also be a mouthful of their own saliva mixed into the rice soup. Of course, the saliva mixed with the rice soup must be done quietly, and the person who eats it does not have to ask. This custom means that the husband's family ate sweet rice containing the bride's saliva, the bride and the whole family will be able to get along, living in harmony. Within three days of the wedding, the bride and her in-laws should avoid seeing each other. Early in the morning of the fourth day, the bride should go to the new residence of the public **** well to draw water. Before drawing water, a pinch of brown sugar and a pinch of soil brought by the bride's family are thrown into the well. This is so that the bride will not be "incompatible", and can live in harmony with the neighbors. A folkloric activity that has emerged in recent years is the worship of the God of Wealth at midnight. No matter which region, the highlight of the wedding is the "cave-in". This is also the case in Chaoshan. Fragrant buns are embroidered in the bride's room before she gets married, and people judge the bride's dexterity and clumsiness, diligence and laziness by the skill and quantity of these embroidered handicrafts. If you want to see the bride's face, you must say the "four lines" of good luck before the bride is willing to put down the fan covering her face. There are also some witty jokers, who use the technique of firstly suppressing and then raising or firstly raising and then lowering the bride, making her at a loss as to how to answer. Special Marriage Customs In the past, the Chaoshan region, there are many special marriage customs, with the progress of society, this form of marriage customs, some have been eliminated, and some still exist in its name, but the form has been completely changed. Finger marriage (also known as baby marriage): old friends or good friends and relatives, by the parents of the two sides to make the decision, the two families designated to carry a baby after the birth of a man and a woman that is for the future of the couple, said the finger marriage. Men and women grow up regardless of whether they like or not, by both parents to choose a date to complete the marriage, called 'turn house'.

Chaoshan daughter-in-law's etiquette:

The family rules are taught at the time of marriage: when a woman gets married, in addition to the parents and elders to teach the daughter-in-law's general knowledge and reasoning, there is a ceremony to sit on a water tank, and then only on the sedan chair. This custom implies that the daughter should be like the water tank to "big capacity", open-minded, do not be calculating.

Confirming the rice bowl: Listening to the aunt introduce the location of the rice bowl, the size of the family, the number of people cooking rice and porridge, and so on.

Collecting water tanks: listen to the aunt tell where to fetch water, where to hang buckets and pail hooks, and how to keep drinking water hygienic.

Stirring the rice slop jar: Stirring it with a wooden stick so that the daughter-in-law can see that there is no raw or cooked rice in it, signaling that it should not be wasted.

Building a fire: teaching the daughter-in-law to build a fire to cook rice. It is customary for the bride to take over cooking from her aunt or sister-in-law. Even if a rich family has a maid who cooks, she must participate in cooking for twelve days, or one month, or four months.

Standing to eat: the bride arrived to honor the old and cherish the young, began to stand to eat, and to add rice for the elders. To be four days, twelve days, the parents advised the daughter-in-law to sit down to eat or do not have to add rice for the elders to be exempt from this ritual. Also, such as not to stand on the threshold, not to sit in the main hall; hold tea according to the guests and masters row generation.

Washing clothes: men's clothes should be washed first and then women's clothes, elders' clothes should be washed first and then juniors' clothes, dark-colored clothes should be washed first and then light-colored clothes, etc.