Brief introduction to marriage customs

In China, people of all ethnic groups have their own national customs and festivals. People of all ethnic groups hold various celebrations according to their own customs, which have their own strong national unique style. Among them, marriage customs can best represent the cultural characteristics of all ethnic groups. In the old society (Ming and Qing dynasties), weddings of large families were very particular. The so-called "six gifts" are used to get married, that is, receiving gifts, asking names, receiving gifts, inviting parties, welcoming relatives and so on.

Nacai, also called Hangpin, is the first ceremony of the wedding. The man has a marriage proposal gift and sends it to the woman's house to ask for it. Before that, it has been arranged by the matchmaker. This is just a procedure and a formal proposal.

Ask the name-the man has an invitation, write down his name, and send it to the woman's house when he was born. The woman returned to Cambodia with her name, year of birth, month, date and time. It's called asking names.

Najib-formal engagement etiquette. After asking the name, it is advisable to set an auspicious day on both sides. The man prepares an engagement gift and sends it to the woman's house, which is considered as marriage.

Recruitment-that is, accepting employment, after engagement, after a period of time, both parties get married at the right age and time. The man brought a gift and told the woman that he was ready to be hired.

Date of invitation-after the recruitment, the woman has no opinion. The man chooses an auspicious day, writes a wedding invitation and asks the woman for permission. If the woman agrees to return the gift, the last ceremony can be performed.

Wedding-that is, wedding. On this day, the man went to the woman's house to greet the bride and pay homage to her.

The old "Geng Cambodia" (also known as "Geng Tie"), that is, the eight-character post, was made of a small piece of red paper. Yeah, fold it into a big envelope. The word "Geng Xin" is written on the cover.

Wedding invitations are also written on a piece of red paper.

The age of marriage is generally between "to 20". Most rich people marry their eldest daughter-in-law for their little son-in-law (10 to 16 years old). In the old society, a big family said it was right. After the matchmaker's words, parents' orders can get married. The primitive and ancient marriage custom The marriage of Leishan Miao nationality has its unique forms and customs. Although society has entered 2 1 century. But the way of getting married still retains the ancient customs. National customs and local customs are still very strong. Miao marriage customs are usually divided into the following six categories:

1, traditional marriage. This is a marriage decided by parents.

2. Awkward marriage. This is the marriage custom of Miao people living in Qiaogang, Zhangpi and Taojiang. When young men and women grew up, the media said they were engaged.

3, return to the mother's first marriage. This is the marriage between menstruation and her cousin, that is, her blood cousin.

4. Steal relatives. Made by free love.

5. Ancient and vulgar marriage. This is a common wedding phenomenon in the new era.

6. Midway wine. This is another form of Miao marriage custom. Ordinary people's wedding Before engagement, the two sides inquired about each other's portals, including family background, family style, body odor and sexually transmitted diseases, and thought that the family background was similar and was matched by the matchmaker. After the family members of both men and women agree, the matchmaker will take the woman's letter to the man's home, and the letter should indicate the date and time of birth. If a man asks a fortune teller or a private school teacher to calculate whether he is lucky according to the eight characters of men and women, it is commonly known as "marriage" Get married and report to the woman's house. Before the wedding, there were also "phase sons-in-law" and "phase daughters-in-law". After the exchange of Geng posts, the man's family prepared a banquet and asked the matchmaker to accompany the woman's parents and relatives to the house for blind date. During the dinner, the future son-in-law came out to visit. A few days later, the woman prepared a banquet and invited the man to her house for a blind date. During the dinner, unmarried daughter-in-law came out to visit. After the blind date, there is no problem. The man sent the wedding to the woman's house, and the woman was hospitable. At this point, the formal engagement.

If a man wants to get married, please ask his husband (a rural diviner) to look at the "good" (that is, look at the date), choose an auspicious day, write it on red paper, buy two packs of snacks, and ask the matchmaker to send it to the woman's house to discuss with her parents about "salute". With the consent of the woman, write down the date of salute. Some people also call the salute "Zhou Za", which refers to the etiquette handed down from the Zhou Dynasty.

The man still took two boxes, which contained roughly the same bride price as when he made a promise, but most of them were clothes used by the woman when she got married, and the quantity and quality were more and better than when he made a promise.

On the day of the salute, if the wife is a "mouth-biting person", she will find fault with the quantity, quality and even the gifts. At this time, incense can't be burned and guns can't be shot. If the matchmaker can convince the woman's family, if the disparity is large, the matchmaker will have to make a special trip back to the man's family to say that he knows. If the man accepts generously and promises to increase the gift money, the woman's family will do it. If the man is stingy and refuses, the matchmaker has to do the work of both sides. I don't know. Men's boxes can't be returned on the same day, and some have been parked in women's homes for three or five days. There was an argument about the bride price.

Generally speaking, on the day of salute, the bride's family will hold a rich banquet (eight seats and eight seats-eight dishes and eight bowls) to entertain the matchmaker. Most of the visitors are female uncles. Relatives of the woman came, and some sent jewelry, clothes and so on. , also known as "framing".

After the woman's family accepted the wedding day, the man's family began to prepare for the wedding: suona class, sedan chair, manager, chef, food preparation and so on.

The wedding day is the most prosperous day.

Men's families are generally divided into two groups: one group is people who entertain guests, including twenty or thirty people, such as shopkeepers, cooks, cooks, buns receivers, custodians, waiters, table cleaners and dishwashers. They are arranged by the general manager, posting the list of deacons in advance and performing their duties. First, a group of married people. Lu is more particular about the choice of welcoming guests. There is a saying that "the aunts don't meet, the aunts don't send each other, and the scorpions jump forward". One is too early to go to the woman's house to count a few people and carry a dowry, commonly known as "carrying a box." After that, this group of people accompanied the groom to visit his aunt. The groom rode a horse or took a sedan chair (one of which was reserved for the bride). There are two "brides" in front and two "aunts" (young women) in the back, commonly known as "pressing the head". When we set out, the firecrackers were deafening, the gongs and drums were loud, the suona class was in front, gongs, horses, goose-carrying cards and invitations were placed inside, and sedan chairs crowded around and came to the woman's house. The bride and groom were welcomed into the guest house and served ten bowls of dishes. Before they started to move chopsticks, the bride and groom took two buns, took out the pulp of the buns and put some meat on them. Two steamed stuffed buns wrapped in red cloth and tied with red rope were taken back by relatives and prepared for the newlyweds to eat after entering the bridal chamber.

After dinner, the groom will go to the woman's ancestral tablet to burn incense accompanied by relatives.

Leading relatives to dress the groom in red and arrange flowers (with golden flowers in his hat), and the groom bowed to the coffin and offered three glasses of wine. Then the groom will be led to the yard by the horse-puller, and the parents and elders of the bride will bow and return to the guest room after the ceremony. At this time, the musician began to play the trumpet. The bride wore a rockhopper, a red yarn, a red silk coat, green silk trousers, a crimson or pink satin skirt around her waist, embroidered shoes embroidered with satin flowers on her feet, and a mirror (commonly known as a demon mirror) in her hand. My brother or elder brother carried her into the car. In some villages, people are supported by their closest relatives. Three shots, that is, the groom is invited to mount the horse, the sedan chair rises, and all the married people return in turn. If the man is carrying a box, he can carry a hanger, put on curtains, towels and the like accompanied by the woman; Another man was carrying an oil lamp and a kettle. There are two girls in the woman's family who send their aunts to ride horses, and the others send their relatives to protect sedan chairs. In case there is a funeral procession or a new grave on the road, the roof should be covered with red carpet. When encountering a roadside well platform, cover the well with red felt. When entering Nanjia village, three shots were fired. Before the bride's sedan chair landed, one person lit firecrackers, walked around the sedan chair, and then got off the sedan chair. Her family sent relatives to send the bride to the hospital. Along the way, the ground was covered with a red carpet, and the man's house was holding a grain basket (including grass knots, dates, walnuts, etc.). ) Walk with the bride. Commonly known as spreading grain and entering the rich door, it is also called uncovering the veil. In a village without a red carpet, the two were padded with red horses and rotated to the front. The bride entered the room and sat on the bed facing the West God (corner). Then hold a banquet to entertain the guests.

entertain guests

When the newlyweds left the room, they stood together at the table of heaven and earth and fired three shots to make people play music. The singer (emcee) began to sing: first, to worship heaven and earth, second, to worship Gaotang's parents, and third, to worship relatives and guests; According to the size of generations, pay homage in turn (relatives give money to worship). After bidding farewell to heaven and earth, the couple went into the house to eat noodles and raise their glasses. Then, peers get together for fun, commonly known as "noisy rooms." At the same time, the in-laws (relatives) and (uncles) of both men and women went to the main room for the post exchange ceremony. The woman handed in a dowry red wedding invitation, and the man handed in a thank-you invitation. After exchanging posts, the two sides showed off their guests and bowed to each other for generations to thank them. After the guests left, the two relatives, a man and a woman, sat down to set a banquet again, and then the harem came back.

The wedding night is very noisy.

The wedding night is noisy, young people and children are crowded with new houses, and there are people on the underground kang. Some call newcomers tongue twisters, some call them carts, and some call them "crossing the overpass" ... humorous and naughty.

On the second day of their marriage in Shanxian and Mianchi, the woman's brother and sister-in-law went to her husband's house to "comb their hair", and on the third day, the husband and wife went to recognize their relatives. In most counties, on the third day after marriage, the woman's family came to pick her up and "go through the back door". Send it back to the man's house the next day. There are also people who come to the door the next day and return to the man's house on the third day.