Introduction to Social Sciences

Topic:

 Difference between old and new matrimonial traditions in different cultures.

 The culture chosen is:
o Chinese Culture

Submitted to:

 Ma’am Afshan Manzoor

Group no# 3

Group members:
 Qura tul ain (BSF1600479)
 Syeda fariha bukhary (BSF1600276)
 Sunbal javed (BSF1600184)
 Sidra (BSF1600
 Zarish faiz butt (BSF1600332)
 Ruqqia saeed (BSF1600409)

BBA (hons)

Semester 5th

Section B
 Chinese matrimonial Traditions, old and new
Every culture has unique wedding traditions. An African American bride and groom might “jump the
broom" to symbolize their union. German newlyweds might saw a log in half to represent their first
challenge as a couple. An Indian bride's sisters might steal the groom's shoes for ransom.

Chinese weddings have their own traditions, from complex ancient rituals no longer practiced to
contemporary customs. Traditional Chinese weddings have slowly adopted more contemporary features
over the generations.

Tradiional weddings:

The ancient rituals of a Chinese wedding were created by Zhou Gong a prince during the reign of Zhou
Wu Wang (1066-1063 B.C.), that set the six rules in the Book of Rites for the union of a couple.

There are six traditional rites that are in common.

Before wedding:
 Nacai (納采) – formal proposal
o Old:
A marriage was to be “mei shuo zhi yan, fu mu zhi ming” means listen to the marriage
broker and obey the command of the parents. Marriage was completely arranged by the
parents of the future bride and groom. A young couple did not have to meet and fall in
love before they were married because the purpose of a union then was to continue the
family line. When a boy’s parents found a prospective bride-to-be, they would send a
matchmaker to the girl’s family to discuss the possibility of the union.
o Modern:
Today, the majority of Chinese couples find their own match
and marry for love. Their “other half’ could be their classmate,
co-workers, internet pal or even a soul mate they have just met
yesterday!
Marriage brokers still operate in some Asian countries although
their role in marriages is different from the past. They work in
matchmaking agencies helping people who have difficulties in
finding a marriage partner or lack the opportunity to meet the
right partner. These agencies introduce the couples to one
another and do not analyze the suitability of birth dates or other traditional metrics.
Instead, they use computers to match those with shared interests along with similar
family backgrounds.
 Wenming (問名) – giving of the eight characters of prospective bride to the groom’s side
o Old:
The second rite was the presentation of the girl’s name and
other details. The compatibility of the eight characters such as
year, month, day and time of birth of a couple and the family
background were important considerations when deciding to
marry. It was important that this information be gathered by a
marriage broker and that the dates of birth are assessed by a
geomancer/matchmaker.
o Modern:

In modern Chinese wedding, this ritual “giving of the eight characters of prospective
bride to the groom’s side” is not considered important.

 Naji (納吉) – placement of the eight characters at the ancestral altar to confirm compatibility
o old:
If the horoscopes, eight characters and elements of birth of the couple were compatible
they would be blessed by prosperity, posterity and good health. In contrast, if there was
not compatibility the couple would be unhappy and their marriage filled with bad luck.
Once the birth dates are found in harmony the parents agreed to arrange the marriage.
Then, the presentation of betrothal gifts would take place.
o Modern:
Checking compatibility between bride and groom is also not common in modern
weddings

 Nazheng (納徵) – sending of betrothal gifts to the bride and return gifts to the prospective
groom
o Old:
In China traditionally, the groom's family should present the betrothal or "Grand Gift"
which is various proposal gifts representing fertility and prosperity to appreciate the
girl’s parents’ efforts in raising the girl, this also acts as the groom’s formal proposal to
the bride’s family. The bride’s family will often agree to entrust their daughter into the
groom’s care.
Betrothal gifts include betrothal letter, clothes, jewelry, gold, silver and money etc.
During the period between the wedding date settlement and welcoming the bride, the
bride’s parents will deliver the bride’s dowry a few days before the wedding, including
pillows, new clothes for the bride in a suitcase, a tea set for the wedding’s tea
ceremony, two pairs of red wooden clogs, gold jewelry given by bride’s parents, etc.
This “return gift” is intended to express the wish to uphold positive relations between
 the in- laws and to display their support and love for their daughter. The betrothal and
dowry are considered to be an important part in sealing the marriage, only by then the
two are considered officially engaged.
o Modern:
Betrothal gifts and bride’s dowry have also been simplified and become more symbolic.
Many families give gold jewelry or gift sets as betrothal gifts and dowry. Today when a
couple is preparing to get married, they probably already had an apartment or a house
provided by the groom parents and a car provided by the bride’s parents. As for the
“Grand Gifts” are largely replaced by money, especially in “sixes”, ”eights” and 'nines' as
they symbolize” well”, “wealth” and 'forever'.

 Qingqi (請期) – selection of an auspicious wedding date

o Selecting auspicious date is same in old and modern wedding traditions of china:
The fifth rite is often carried out after years of engagement and consists of choosing an
auspicious day for the wedding. If the engagement is confirmed, the two families would
invite an experienced person to choose a proper wedding date according to tung shing,
a Chinese divination guide and almanac. The chosen wedding date is believed to be
auspicious, which could bring good luck and happiness for the new couple in the future.
Couples typically base their chosen wedding day based on their birthdays and keep
away from certain dates and seasons deemed to be unlucky.
o A few days before the wedding takes place, the bridal bed will be built and close friends
of the bride-to-be will cover it in dried longans, red dates, lotus seeds, persimmon, a
sprig of pomegranate leaves, and some money. The bed, once installed, is off-limits to
anyone but the married couple.
 o The night before the big day, both the bride and groom typically undergo a hair-
combing ceremony separately in their respective homes.
The hair is combed four times; each time a line of a poem is recited by whomever is
doing the combing:

May your marriage last a lifetime,

May you be blessed with a happy and harmonious marriage until old age,
May you be blessed with an abundance of children and grandchildren,
May you be blessed with longevity

 Qinying (親迎) – wedding ceremony

The final ritual would be the wedding ceremony where bride and
groom becomes a married couple.

There are many other rituals that take place before, during and after wedding:

Sending out Wedding Invitations

 Old:

The couple sends out their wedding invitations. It can be just a red
card with their name and wedding reception details on it, or a delicate
card with their weeding photos on it.

 Modern:
Today, many couples would post a video invitation made by their wedding photos (e-invitation)
through Wechat or QQ.

Chinese Wedding Decorations:

Wedding decorations are same in old and modern weddings of china:

Red is the wedding color of China, because it signifies love, joy and prosperity. When decorating the
wedding, the character for happiness (xi) would be hanged, which symbolizes happiness in the future.
The banquet:

 Old and modern traditions of banquets are almost same:

Once upon a time, multiple banquets were given. The parents of the bride and groom hosted
separately, often several times over several days. But the main banquet was given by the
groom’s side on the day of the wedding, similar to today’s practices. The menu includes about
twelve courses as follows: appetizer, roast pig, shark fin soup, fried rice or noodles, dessert, and
fresh food. As the soup is served, the couple goes from table to table toasting each guest.

Chinese Wedding Dress

 Old:

In the past, Chinese wedding dresses were mainly

Zhongshan suit or Mao suit for the groom and
Qipao for the bride. The main color would be red
and the dresses would be decorated with
embroidered dragons and phoenix or peony
flowers for wealthy wishes. Bride should wear
phoenix coronet and robes of rank, new red shoes
and a red covering veil. Groom should wear a big
red flower made by a nice piece of silk in front of
his chest. While white is traditionally an unlucky
color (it symbolizes death).

 Modern :
Today many Chinese brides choose three dresses on
the wedding ceremony. The first one will usually be a western white wedding gown when they
standing at the wedding reception lobby welcoming their friends, then bride will wear a delicate
Chinese long fenggua to compete the wedding ceremony on the stage, after which an elegant
Qipao will be wore as the couple get mingled and start toasts with their families and friends
under the stage.
On the Wedding Day

The wedding ceremony is mainly composed of the following parts:

Obtaining the Bride:

 Old and modern:

o In Chinese culture, it was customary for firecrackers, loud gongs, and drums to mark
the start of the procession (and fend off evil spirits) from the groom's home to the
bride's house. The groom would lead a procession, accompanied by a child (to symbolize
future sons). Attendants with lanterns, as well as banners, musicians, and a dancing lion
would follow.
o While today the ceremony and reception are the focus.

Arriving at the Groom's House

 Old:

As the couple made their way back to the groom's house,

firecrackers would be set off just before the procession
arrived. A red mat would be placed before the sedan chair
for the bride so that her feet wouldn't have to touch the bare
earth. The entire household would be waiting to receive her.
The bride would be required to step over a saddle or a lit
stove to cross the threshold - the fire was thought to cast out
evil influences.

 Modern (Bowing to Heaven and Earth):

Once at the groom’s home, the bride and groom bow to heaven and earth in front of the
groom’s family altar first, the groom’s parents second, and to each other last.

Traditional Tea Ceremony

 Old:

Wedding ceremonies of yore were simple. At the family altar, the bride and groom paid homage
to heaven and earth, ancestors, and the Kitchen God, which protects the hearth and family. The
couple then served tea to the groom’s parents, and then bowed to each other.

After the tea was offered and a sip was taken, the couple would receive lucky red envelopes
filled with money or jewelry. This was considered the formal introduction of the families. The
elder’s acceptance of the tea indicates that the family has welcomed the bride into the groom’s
family.
  Modern:

Nowadays the tea ceremony is often incorporated as a special homage to both sets of parents,
whether before, during, or after the main ceremony and festivities.

The Day after Wedding

 Old:

On the day after wedding, the bride wakes up early and pays a visit to the groom’s relatives. It is
only then that she is formally introduced to the grooms’ relatives, while the bride would receive
small gift from the groom’s relatives.

Three days after the wedding, the bride and bridegroom will pay a visit to the bride’s family, at
which point the bride would be received as a guest as opposed to a member of her former
family.

 Modern:

Today, many Chinese couples go for a honeymoon holiday after their wedding like the Westerns
do. In this case they can visit the wife’s parents earlier or later after they come back. But, this
tradition is indispensable.

Modern and ancient superstitions:

Superstitions and customs aren’t followed as much as in ancient times, but people can still choose to
incorporate them into their weddings. A few are:

 Wearing red to symbolize delight

 The bride crying with her mother to show that she is reluctant to leave.
 An old women tieing the bride’s hair up with a red ribbon.
 The groom must overcome challenges that were set in his path on purpose.
 The word xi (happiness) being placed around to symbolize the joy to come.
Have wedding been influenced by modern culture:

Modern Chinese wedding have been influenced a lot by western traditions. For example:

Brides wear a western-style wedding dress. There is also a large reception after the ceremony that
comes from western traditions. In china culture is very important to them, so that’s why lot of traditions
are still followed during a wedding.

The variety in Chinese weddings is based on the cultural differences among provinces, marriage laws that
have been created and the influence of Western culture and ideology.