Marriage customs are the etiquette of getting married. In ancient China, there was a saying of " six rites ", and this custom is also found in some areas today. The six rites are accepting , asking for names, accepting , accepting levies, asking for dates, personally welcoming. In fact, the wedding customs agreed by the people in various regions are not completely limited by these six rituals. More attention is paid to the ceremonial processes such as the wedding ceremony (where the bride and groom drink a glass of wine), the bridal chamber ceremony, and the "return to the door" after the wedding.
1. Three Letters and Six Etiquettes
Engagement Letter: A letter of engagement, in which both the man and the woman formally enter into a marriage contract. Used when Naji (Guo Wen Ding).
Doll's Personal Appointment Letter in the 12th Year of the Republic of China
Gift Book: A book of gifts, that is, a list of gifts, detailing the types and quantities of gifts. Used when collecting tax ( is too big a gift ).
"Shanxi Taiyuan Engagement Book" in the 27th year of the Republic of China
The Republic of China Engagement Book
The Wedding Book: The book for marrying the bride. Used when picking up the bride on the wedding day (in person).
Nacai: Commonly known as matchmaking, it was the first step in weddings in ancient times. When the woman was interested in the woman, a matchmaker was invited to act as a matchmaker, which was called nacai. Today it is called "proposing marriage".
Name asking: Commonly known as combining eight characters, the man inquires about the woman’s name, date of birth and time, and uses 1, a good omen, which is called name asking.
Posts of the horoscope of the Republic of China
Handwritten receipt of the horoscope of men and women in the Republic of China
Naji: If asking for a name is a good omen, a matchmaker will be sent to give a small gift, which is called Naji. Today it is called "Guowen Ding" or "Xiao Ding". During the period of the Republic of China, there was no Naji ceremony, only simple divination rituals. The female Geng paste was usually placed in front of the Kitchen God. If nothing unusual happened within three days, it was considered successful, and the male and female Geng paste were used to get married.
Nazheng: Giving gifts of money, gift cakes, gifts and sacrifices, etc., that is, formally sending betrothal gifts, is called Nazheng, which is now called "excessive gift". All gifts, cakes, gifts, etc. must be in even numbers, meaning they come in pairs. The first is to show sincerity, the second is to compensate for the loss of labor in the woman’s family, and the third is to provide alimony to the woman’s parents.
The most important thing is to remember to bring " Three Books ", [Letter of Engagement]: a letter that the man's family gives to the woman's family when the man and woman get engaged, which is used to confirm the engagement. [Literature Letter]: A letter from the groom’s family to the bride’s family when a grand gift is given, detailing the items and quantities of the gift. [Welcome Letter]: A letter from the groom’s family to the bride’s family on the wedding day. (These three books are letters and invitations for men and women to pay tribute to each other throughout the wedding process, and they are indispensable.)
Betrothal gift (excessive gift))
Betrothal gift list
List of betrothal gifts (70 items)
Application period: Choosing an auspicious day to get married, the groom's family will ask a fortune teller to choose a date, which is called the application period, also known as "begging for the day", today it is called "choosing the day".
Tongzhi 12-year marriage application document
Republic of China marriage application document (selecting a date)
Personal welcome: Bring a welcome letter to marry the bride, the groom takes a limo and goes to the bride's house to greet the bride, which is called a personal welcome.
Beiping wedding sedan during the Republic of China
Welcome wedding sedan
Brother's sedan
Photo of the newlyweds and the wedding group
Wedding customs
Bed installation: Choose a good and auspicious day, and a lucky man will move the new bed to the appropriate location a few days before the wedding. Then, before the wedding, the good fortune lady is responsible for making the bed, spreading mattresses, sheets, dragon and phoenix quilts, etc. on the bed, and scattering various happy fruits, such as red dates, longans, dried lychees, red mung beans and red envelopes. After setting up the bed, children whose zodiac sign is Dragon should be asked to turn over on the bed. This is commonly known as turning over the bed or making the bed, which is a symbol of having a baby early.
Dowry: The dowry is given to the woman’s family and is a symbol of her family’s status and wealth. In addition to clothes and accessories, dowry mainly consists of things that symbolize good omens. Of course, customs and traditions vary from place to place.
Republic of China Fuzhou Changle dowry box
Dowry double-layer food box in the 23rd year of the Republic of China
Republic of China character dowry magnet set
Republic of China willow dowry box
Republic of China period. Hexagonal happy character flower dowry jewelry box
Republican dowry: copper hand stove
Republican dowry old Tibetan silver covered with jade jewelry mirror silver inlaid with jade dragon and phoenix dressing mirror
Top: This is a pre-wedding ceremony that both men and women must perform. Men and women have their hair combed by hairdressers in their respective homes, saying:
One comb to the end, two combs until the white hair reaches the level of the eyebrows, three combs until the children and grandchildren are all over the floor, and four combs until the four silver bamboo shoots are evenly matched.
Red Hijab: The bride must cover herself with a red scarf before getting into the sedan chair, and it cannot be removed in the sedan chair. This is the barrier, also known as the hijab. There are two explanations for the wedding custom of covering the head: one is to cover up shame; the other means that after the bride covers her head, she will never find her way back and will belong to her husband's family. After entering the bridal chamber at the groom's house, the bridegroom or the groom's father can take it off so that the congratulators can see the bride's beauty. This is called lifting the hijab.
Worship Hall: Worship Hall does not belong to the ancient "Three Books and Six Rites", but was developed by later generations. "worship to heaven and earth" represents respect for the gods of heaven and earth; "worship to the high hall" expresses filial piety; "worship between husband and wife" means husband and wife respect each other as guests.
Making trouble in the bridal chamber: "The newlyweds will not make trouble if they don't make trouble, and the more trouble they make, the more trouble they will make." This is to ward off evil spirits and avoid evil for the couple.
Huimen: It means "returning to peace", and the bride returns to her natal home to report to her parents that she is safe. In ancient times, it was difficult for a woman to return to her natal family after getting married, so returning home was probably the last chance for a woman to set foot in her natal family. "I wish you a phoenix crown and a beautiful house with no worries for the rest of your life, and the breeze and the bright moon will always be with you in this life." After the six rites, you return to the door, and from now on you will live peacefully and peacefully.
2. Bridal dress
Color: Chinese weddings are inseparable from bright red, and they are used to using bright colors to set off the atmosphere. Therefore, the color of women's wedding dresses in bright red has become custom-made in the past dynasties to show celebration, set off the newlyweds, and indicate a prosperous and happy life in the future.
Style: The bride's dress is a Zhai dress with wide sleeves and double breasts, and she wears a beaded phoenix crown. It is worth mentioning that the patterns on Zhai Yi are very particular. The placket itself has a complete sense of symmetry, and in Chinese culture it represents unity and beauty. The densely symmetrical and paired golden pheasant patterns on it symbolize the harmony and beauty of married life in traditional Chinese culture. , harmony.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the traditional Chinese wedding attire was still a long robe, mandarin jacket and phoenix crown and harem. Fengguanxiapei was originally the prescribed dress for the royal wives of the Qing Dynasty. It was a symbol of power and status, and was out of reach for ordinary people. Because it is covered with jewels and embroidery, the appearance is extremely gorgeous, expressing the people's admiration for the powerful, so it gradually evolved into the wedding dress of wealthy families. When the daughter of an ordinary family gets married, she usually can only wear a bright red coat and skirt, a bright red hijab and embroidered shoes, and is carried into her husband's house in a bright red sedan. What matters is the word "red".
Ming Dynasty Queen Fengguan Xiapei
Tiara: Generally, brides wear their hair in a high bun on their wedding day, which is different from unmarried women.
Moving grains and beans: When a woman wants to get married, she usually asks a respectable old woman to take a dustpan filled with millet and beans and scatter them everywhere. In some places, she spreads grass. Before the bride gets on the sedan, the seeds must be spread inside and outside the sedan. When the sedan chair arrives in front of the groom's door, the bride must also spread the beans before getting off the sedan chair. This is called spreading grain beans. When the bride and groom enter the bridal chamber, with the girl on the left and the boy on the right sitting on the new bed, the groom's family will also take grains, beans, fruits and coins and scatter them again, which is called spreading the tent. One is that grain beans can ward off evil spirits, and the other is that plant seeds are used as a metaphor to wish the bride an early child. This folk custom already existed in the Han Dynasty. In some places, peanuts and red dates are sprinkled, which means giving birth to children early, and boys and girls must be born with flowers.
Welcome to the bride: When the wedding is about to take place, both the man and the woman have to kill pigs and sheep, prepare chefs, bridesmaids, bearers, etc. In a traditional wedding, the woman's family usually prepares the wedding wine in the morning, and the man's family holds a wedding banquet at noon. After everything is ready, the groom's family fires cannons and plays music, and sends out a sedan to welcome the bride. The matchmaker takes the lead, followed by the groom, bridesmaids, sedan, band, and gift box team. The bride's family must prepare the wedding banquet before the sedan chair arrives. The girl's mother or sister must comb her hair, use silk thread to remove the hair on her face, put on makeup, which is called "opening her face", and then cover her head with a red cloth and wait for the wedding sedan. When the sedan chair arrives at the bride's house, cannons and music are fired to welcome it. After the wedding procession entered the main room of the bride's family, the groom landed on the sedan chair, bowed to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and presented a bright red wedding note written in his father's name. Then comes the wedding party for the bride's family. There is an unwritten custom among Chinese people. During the three days of the wedding, the younger generation can play tricks on the matchmaker or the groom, which is called "washing the matchmaker" and "hanging red", commonly known as "greeting new guests". . The matchmaker and groom cannot get angry.
After breakfast, the bride and groom will salute to the bride’s ancestors and elders under the guidance of the matchmaker, and then the bridesmaid can help the bride get on the sedan chair. The bride usually cries before getting into the sedan chair to show her attachment to her parents and family. After the bride gets on the sedan chair, music is played and cannons are fired, and the bride gets up from the sedan chair to get married. The band is in front, and behind the band is the groom, who rides a horse if possible, followed by the sedan chair and other people sending off the bride.
The way back from marriage must take another way, so sometimes you have to take a detour, which is commonly known as "no turning back." If you encounter temples, wells, ancestral halls, tombs, big rocks, big trees, etc. on the road, you must cover the wedding sedan to avoid evil spirits. If you meet someone getting married from another family, the bearers will compete with each other on their skills and try to make the sedan as stable as possible. In some areas, the groom and the groom need to change corsages. If you meet a funeral person, the bride-to-be and the bride-to-be will all say: "Today is auspicious, you will find a treasure!" When the procession to receive the bride is about to arrive at the door of the groom's house, the groom's family will fire cannons to welcome him. The sedan chair stops in front of the main hall of the groom's house. The bridesmaids invited by the groom's family are usually young and beautiful women. They step forward to lift the curtain of the sedan chair and help the bride out. Flowers are usually replaced with red and yellow confetti to push the wedding to a climax.
Worship Hall
After the man marries the bride, he begins to arrange a place for worship in the groom’s room. When the sedan chair stops in front of the main hall and the bridesmaids invited by the groom stand in front of the sedan chair, the ceremony begins. On the incense table, cigarettes are lingering and red candles are burning high. Relatives, friends, and staff are all in their places. The two best men appeared as "Yin Zan" and "Tong Zan" respectively and began to praise. The bride and groom received the praises from Yinzan and Tongzan and began to worship in the hall. The traditional worship ceremony procedure is as follows:
introduction: the groom comes and stands in front of the sedan chair.
likes: A new member starts the sedan chair.
Likes: The groom bows and invites the bride.
Like: The bride and groom arrive in front of the flower hall.
Like: The bride and groom take their places in front of the incense table. Play music and fire cannons.
Tongzhan: The bride and groom offer incense and candles to the gods and ancestral tablets.
Like: Kneel down and offer incense and candles. Light the candle, burn the incense, add the incense, store it, revive it, and reset it.
Tongzan: Kneel down, kowtow, kowtow again, kowtow three times...
Then there are the traditional three bows - one to heaven and earth, two to parents, husband and wife to each other, and finally to the bridal chamber. The worship ceremony ends here.
According to traditional Chinese customs, the layout of a new house is also very particular.
In front of the main hall, there is a pair of couplets with horizontal inscriptions, and a square lantern is hung high in the middle. The four sides of the lantern are painted with patterns of "Luan and Phoenix harmoniously", "Guanyin giving birth to a son", "No. 1 Scholar and No. 1", and "Family Reunion". There is a pair of huge red candles on the incense table, and a pair of "opposite" paintings on the wall on both sides. On the "golden wall" of the new house, six characters "Heaven and Earth, Lord, Relative, Master" are posted, written directly from top to bottom. There is a particular way to write these six characters: the sky should be flat, that is, the two horizontal lines of the word "平" should be written flat and not curved; the earth should be wide, that is, the word "地" should be written wider, not too narrow; if you don't open your mouth, That is to say, the "mouth" of the character "Jun" should be completely closed without leaving any gaps; the kiss should not close the eyes, that is, the character "〓" should be written in Chinese style. The character "〓" on the right cannot completely seal the last horizontal line of the character "目" above it. live.
A pair of couplets are pasted on both sides of the door frame of the new house with a horizontal inscription. The horizontal inscription usually reads "Luan Feng He Ming". Big red double happiness words are posted on the door. Colored lanterns are hung in the middle of the new house. Paper-cut red double happiness characters are pasted on the windows, and paper-cut butterfly patterns are pasted on the four corners. Couplets are pasted on both sides of the windows. Calligraphy and paintings are hung around the walls. Kitchen There is a pair of couplets with horizontal inscriptions on the main entrance, and the word "happiness" is posted in red on the door.
Wedding Banquet
After the men and women visit the wedding hall, the bride stays in the bridal chamber and never comes out. The groom has to go out of his bridal chamber to receive the guests. If there is a banquet in a hotel or restaurant, both husband and wife have to go out to meet the guests and toast to them. At a wedding banquet, seats should be arranged according to the seniority of the guests, which is called "treating guests" or "clearing guests." The principle of arranging seats is that the superior is superior and the inferior is inferior, and the right is superior and the left is inferior. Guests are arranged from high to low according to their age, identity and status.
After the seats are arranged, the groom must first go to the chief to pour wine and toast, and give a toast, and then start the first course. The food and drinks at each table should be the same, but the seats where the "eldest bride" and "eldest bride" are seated must have a steamed pork knuckle as usual. Moreover, the groom should always wait at the table to pour wine, serve rice, give hot towels, etc. to the "groom" to show respect.
After the wedding banquet, the "brother" first retreats to the main room to rest for a while, eat some snacks, and be accompanied by the groom's elders to say some polite words. After the servants have removed the table and swept the floor, it is time for the bride to stand up and say goodbye. Before leaving, the groom's family will "distribute" clothing materials, shoes and socks, and red envelopes are particularly important. "Send off the bride" is another lively scene. All decent people in the groom's family are sent to the door, and cannons are fired to show respect. The groom and his parents should see the guests off at the entrance of the village.
The custom of handing over cups of wedding wine
began in the Zhou Dynasty. "Book of Rites" records: Husband and wife eat together in prison, and hold the nuptials together. Hexin is actually a gourd cut into two scoops called "卺". During the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom each rinse their mouths with wine, which is called "Hexi". Therefore, people use Hexin as a proxy for marriage. This custom later evolved into eating "a cup of wine".
Night of Flowers and Candles
In ancient times, most of the candles used in weddings were decorated with dragons and phoenixes. Later generations used flowers and candles as a metaphor for marriage. He Xun's poem "Watching Fulang's Wedding" goes: "On the night of flowers and candles, I lightly fanned my red clothes." On the night of the wedding, the bride and groom stayed up all night, which is called "watching the flowers and candles." If you do not keep the flowers and candles, after the newlyweds go to bed, the bridesmaids and the bridesmaids must come into the room from time to time to check whether the flowers and candles are damaged or leaking, as this may be an ominous sign. Superstitious people have a saying that "the groom dies first when the left candle is exhausted, and the bride dies first when the right candle is exhausted." Therefore, when one candle is extinguished, the other candle will be extinguished.
Having a wedding ceremony
This can be said to be the climax of the wedding. In addition to being amused, making trouble in the wedding ceremony also has other meanings. It is said that foxes and ghosts often cause trouble in the bridal chamber. Making trouble in the bridal chamber can expel the yin energy of evil spirits and enhance people's yang energy. According to this, there is a saying: "People are not haunted by ghosts." In a positive sense, having a wedding ceremony can add a lively atmosphere and get rid of the deserted feeling, so some places call it a "warm house". In the old days, the union between men and women was usually introduced by strangers to each other. Having a wedding ceremony can help them get rid of the strangeness and make a good start for their newlywed life. In addition, having a wedding ceremony can also make relatives and friends familiar with each other, show the prosperity of the family, and enhance the relationship between relatives and friends. When the bridal chamber activity reaches a certain point, the groom will lead the bride to "make a bow and acknowledge the bride." All the elders of the groom's family must come in one by one to let the bride and groom pay their respects amidst the praises of the groomsmen, and they must give a red envelope to the bride as a meeting gift, which is called "making a bow envelope". At the same time, the elder should give a "half salute" in return. This kind of ceremony can show the unity of the family. The wedding ceremony is "no matter how big or small" it is for three days. The bride and groom and even the groom's parents are often teased and teased by others and even younger generations. Those who are teased and teased should not be angry, so as not to ruin the festive atmosphere of the wedding.
Unboxing gift
Three days after the wedding, the bride unboxes the box. Her aunts, uncles, relatives and friends all prepare gifts. Brothers, nephews and juniors also give some gifts. Most of the donated items were silk, satin, clothing, shoes and socks. If a wealthy family has a large population, their contributions will be extremely generous.
reply door
Three days, seven or nine days after the wedding, the groom accompanies the bride back to her parents' home from her husband's home. The bride's family will have a grand "homecoming wine" ceremony. During the banquet, the bride should introduce the groom to the relatives and friends of the family, starting with the eldest and most distinguished. The person being greeted may nod, stand up and support each other, or return a half-courteous gesture, and at the same time give the groom a red envelope. At this point, the traditional Chinese wedding folk customs are complete.
Wedding tokens
Dragon and Phoenix are auspicious
In Chinese weddings, dragon and phoenix patterns are often seen. This is because in China, dragons and phoenixes are symbols of auspiciousness, representing nobility, magnificence, auspiciousness, and harmony and happiness between husband and wife. relation. This tradition comes from ancient Chinese myths and legends. It is said that the world was in great rule during the time of Yu and Shun. Music official Kui composed the song "Nine Moves" and presented it. During Yu Shun's performance, golden dragons and colorful phoenixes appeared at the same time. There is also a record in "The Book of Songs: King Wen's Shi" that Wang Ji of the Dragon clan married the Zhong clan of the Feng clan. It was believed that this was the auspicious combination of dragon and phoenix, a "match made in heaven".
Firecrackers
Chinese people like to set off firecrackers on festival days to increase the festive atmosphere. During major festivals, such as the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival, firecrackers and fireworks are set off to express people's joy and because the Chinese believe that setting off firecrackers can ward off evil spirits. In traditional Chinese weddings, setting off firecrackers is an essential item. The more firecrackers you set off, the louder they are, the more good luck you bring. However, since setting off firecrackers can also have many adverse consequences (such as polluting the environment, injuring people, etc.) China has banned people from setting off firecrackers. Therefore, in modern weddings, some people have invented new ways to celebrate, using balloons instead of setting off firecrackers. , also adds a lot of festive atmosphere to the wedding.
Double Happiness
At Chinese weddings, red double happiness characters can be seen everywhere. The word "Double Happiness" is composed of two characters for "happiness", which means doubling the number of happy events, which is different from ordinary joy and celebration. It also means that it brings good luck and a happy life to the couple.
Chinese Wedding Clothing
In traditional Chinese weddings, the bride wears very beautiful Hanfu. Hanfu is a traditional clothing with Chinese characteristics and has historical significance and serious marriage implications.
Marriage certificate of the Republic of China: a graceful and romantic vow, so beautiful that I can’t help but want to get married
The so-called marriage certificate , now called a marriage certificate, is a document entered into when people get married. Folk marriage certificates originated in the Tang Dynasty, and then changed in various dynasties. However, from a historical perspective, its main content and form remain basically unchanged. Especially the marriage certificates from the Republic of China period, with simple and elegant testimonies, can be described as "the most romantic marriage documents in history." they help us understand that marriage is an agreement to "hold your hand and grow old together with your son", an oath that "there are no edges in the mountains, and only when the heaven and earth are in harmony can I dare to be with you", and is the best commitment and trust that two people have for each other. .
Marriage Book One: Reading it makes people feel very warm. After reading it, I found that marriage is so romantic
Marriage Book One
Two surnames are married together, and a contract is made together
A good marriage will last forever , match the name
Look at the peach blossoms scorching today, the room is suitable for IKEA
and the melons and melons will continue to bloom in the next year. Erchang Erchi
I would like to make a white-headed promise, and I will write a letter to the red leaf
to make a good alliance with the red leaves. Here is the mandarin duck spectrum
Certificate
Marriage Letter II
Marriage Letter II: The text of this oath is full of romance, and you can experience the profoundness and grace of traditional Chinese culture. Bin
Xiangye kaolin, Dingke prospered later
We share the same heart and one mind, and we will marry each other forever, and we will be together as mandarin ducks and butterflies
This certificate
Marriage letter three: Tao Xingzhi's marriage letter, with elegant and humorous words, makes people happy People are very happy.
The sky is also happy, and the earth is also happy.
The sky is also happy, the earth is also happy, and people are also happy. I am happy that you have met me, and I have met you. At that time, you had me in your heart, and I had you in my heart. From then on, we were together day and night. As time goes by, we should work together as one team, respect and love each other and support each other. Even if we lose our temper occasionally, we should also advise and encourage each other. Learn at work, work hard in service, pursue the truth, and fight to the end.Forget the small self for the sake of the greater self, and wait until the final victory. Have one or two more children, half like me and half like you.
