Traditions -> Festivals and Customs

18 steps to marriage for the traditional Han Chinese

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The Han ethnic group of China has many traditional and unique marriage customs. The following 18 sections contain details of their marriage customs.

Engagement
The man and the woman exchange their family archives as proof of their engagement after a series of traditional routines, including making a proposal through the matchmaker and making sure their "eight-character horoscope" does not collide.

Money and Presents
The man chooses an auspicious day from the 15 to 20 days before their wedding ceremony to go to the woman's home with money and presents.

Bed Positioning
The new bed for the bride and groom is positioned properly several days before the wedding ceremony. And right before the wedding ceremony, sheets and quilts are put on the bed. Some fruits symbolizing happiness like red dates, longans and litchis are spread on it. After that, no one is allowed to enter the bridal chamber or touch the bed until the bride and groom enter the room on the night of their wedding day.

Dowries
The woman's side delivers the dowry, a princely sum of money, which symbolizes the woman's position and fortune, to the man's home the day before the wedding ceremony.

Ancestor Worship
Before escorting the bride to the wedding, the man holds a memorial ceremony for his ancestors, reporting the good news to them and to pray for blessings.

Escorting the Bride
The bride's sister or her bridesmaid delivers her to her father, then to the bridegroom. In recently years, this step has been the climax of the wedding ceremony.

Exploding Firecrackers
On the way to and from the bride's home, firecrackers are lit as part of the celebration.

Farewell Dinner
The bride has dinner with her family right before leaving. She looks sad as she leaves her immediate family and receives blessings from other family members.

Waiting for the Bridegroom
A boy waits for the bridegroom with a tea tray at the gate of the bride's home. After getting out of the bridal car, the bridegroom gives him a red envelope with money inside out of appreciation. Then he enters the yard.

Veiling the Bride
Before leaving, the bride kneels to bid farewell to her parents. Then her father covers her head with the red veil and delivers his daughter to the bridegroom. The bridegroom bows before his parents-in-law.

Departure
The bride's parents splash a water balloon behind the departing bridal car, which signifies they won't interfere in their daughter's affairs as she doesn't belong to their family any longer. Just like the splashed water, she is out of their control. They also spread rice behind the car, wishing their daughter affluence after marriage.

Throwing a Fan
When the bridal car sets off, the bride throws a fan out of the window, which means avoiding taking her bad temper with her to her parents-in-law's home. Then the fan is picked up by the bride's brother.

Receiving the Bride
As soon as the bridal car arrives at the gate of the bridegroom's home, an elder puts a bamboo sifter on the bride's head, leads her out of the bridal car, and accompanies her when they enter the yard.

Doorsill
The bride must stride over the doorsill as it is the face of the family.

Ancestor Worship
The bride and groom hold a memorial ceremony for their ancestors. Then the bridegroom leads his wife to the bridal chamber.

Wedding Banquet
With the increasing popularity of the integration of Chinese and Western styles, the bride and groom usually treat their guests in the evening. The bride should toast one after another in an evening dress at the banquet.

Seeing Off Guests
After the banquet, the couple see off their guests at the gate with cigarettes and candies in their hands.

Entering the Bridal Chamber
The couple put a bamboo sifter and a copper glass on the bed, expressing their wish for a boy soon. Then they have sweet soup, which is made of earthnuts, black dates, lotus seeds and longans, meaning that the couple give birth to a baby as soon as possible. It should be noted that the bride mustn't lie in bed during the daytime on the day of their wedding, or it is believed she will be ill in bed all year round.

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Traditions -> Festivals and Customs

18 steps to marriage for the traditional Han Chinese

Diversified wedding shoes, Various stories

Yuncheng, Shanxi: Daubing "Festiveness" to the Face

Bouyei ethnic group: songs throughout the wedding ceremony

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