In anicient China, marriages were often arranged by the parents.
When the groom’s parents found a potential daughter-in-law, they will hire a matchmaker (媒人 mei ren), a spokeswoman, who will communicate their wish to the potential bride’s family.
(The matchmaker is usually an elderly woman who acts as midwives or spokeswoman for the groom’s family).
There are also times where the marriage have been arranged when both the bride and groom were very young (or not even born).
The Traditional Chinese Weddings follow customs that began between 402 and 221 BC during the Era of the Warring States or the Warring States Period (战国时代 Zhan Guo Shi Dai)
There are many customary rituals to follow. The three venerable texts, The Book of Rites, The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial, and the Bai Hu Tong (白虎通) were considered necessary elements of a marriage, and these were outlined in the Three Letters and Six Etiquettes, also known as the Three Covenants and the Six Rites, (三书六礼 San Shu Liu Li).
The following are further pages on Chinese Wedding Traditions.
- Three Letters and Six Etiquettes (三书六礼 San Shu Liu Li)
- Wedding Preparations – Setting up the Bridal Bed (安床 An Chuang)
- Wedding Preparations – Hair Combing Ceremony (上头 Shang Tou)
- The Wedding Day
- Post Wedding Activities – The Bridal Home Visit (三朝回门 San Zhao Hui Men)
- Double Happiness (囍)
- Auspicious Dates for Traditional Chinese Weddings in 2012
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