Wedding Favors

Posts Tagged ‘chinese marriage traditions’

As with any culture, China has its own distinct set of Chinese marriage traditions. These ceremonies and actions take place before, during, and after the wedding and constitute a unique experience. Of course, these traditions can vary widely depending on cultural status, wealth, or, especially in modern days, individual preference.

Before the Wedding

In ancient times, Chinese marriages were arranged with the help of a matchmaker, and the bride and groom were allowed little to no input. A matchmaker would negotiate with both sets of parents to decide of the match appeared favorable, similar to the way a real estate or insurance agent of today negotiates between parties. If the the match appeared good, the parents would then meet each other and agree to an official betrothal and dowry, binding unless both families mutually decided to annul the contract. The matchmaker or a fortune teller would then set a date based on the astrological calendar, one tradition that is still practiced today.

The Wedding Day

Leading up the actual Chinese wedding ceremony, several actions were traditionally performed. To symbolize the entry into adulthood, an elaborate hair dressing ritual for the bride and capping ritual for the groom would take place. The bride’s hair was styled in the typical fashion of a married woman, and the groom received a special cap, presented to him in yet another ritual. Two processions would then ensue. The first was the procession of the groom’s party to the bride’s house to obtain her, sometimes followed by a feast hosted by the bride’s family. The second was from the bride’s house back to the groom’s house, where she was to begin her new life. It was only after this point that the groom was allowed to look at the bride’s face.

The Wedding Ceremony

A traditional Chinese ceremony was very simple in comparison to all the preparation. Taking place at the groom’s family altar, the couple would honor their ancestors, the spirits of Heaven and Earth, and the god of the kitchen. Tea was then presented to both sets of parents. Sometimes the bride and groom would complete the ceremony by drinking wine from the same goblet and sharing food together. Even today tea with lotus leaves is still an important part of Chinese wedding customs, as “lotus” is a homophone to “year”, “seed”, and “child”, making it symbolic of fertility.

Obviously, in modern times many Chinese marriage traditions have been done away with or modified into symbolic tributes, and are much less important or elaborate. Even so, the old traditions continue to be a fascinating and important part of Chinese culture.