Posted on October 23, 2007 in Latest News
Chinese wedding tradition entails elaborate customary rituals that represent Chinese lives and culture. Like many other cultures Chinese wedding rituals also symbolize happiness, prosperity and fertility of the newly wed couple. The wedding ceremony starts with betrothal and ends with the couple’s going back to the bride’s home after three days of the wedding.
Here we give a step by step Chinese system of wedding to make an elaborate custom quite simpler:
- Two families exchange their family credentials and bargain the amount as gifts to the bride’s family before betrothal.
- Once the amount is decided they will find out a suitable wedding date.
- At the time of betrothal the groom’s family gifts the bride’s family cake and many other gifts as an acknowledgement to raise the girl. By accepting the gifts the bride’s family pledges the girl to the boy’s.
- After the engagement, the cake will be distributed to all as an announcement of the marriage.
- The bride will then be secluded with her friends until the wedding. Her friends will mourn her departure at that time.
- On the wedding day the bride’s and the groom’s family will have “hair dressing” and “capping” ceremony respectively.
- Red is an auspicious color in china. The bride’s gown and the gift boxes will be of red color. Red symbolizes joy, love and prosperity.
- The groom will take a procession to the bride’s home and will be prevented by her friends at the gate. He will play door games with them and will give them gifts to get passed the gate.
- The bride and the groom are led to the family alter where they pay homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen god Tsao-Chun.
- After that tea is offered to the groom’s parents.
- The couple bows to each other and that completes the ceremony. This is followed by the wedding banquet.
- At night dragon and phoenix candle will light the bridal room to ward off the evil spirits. The couple will drink wine from two cups tied together by a red string.
- Next morning the bride has to get up early and cook food for everybody, which shows that she is well groomed. She will be introduced to her in laws and as she bows to the elders she will receive small gifts.
- After three days they will go back to visit the bride’s parents.
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