What's it like to get married in Cixi?

When a man and a woman get married, the matchmaker, according to their parents' instructions, thinks that the door is right, and presses the exchanged "Geng Tie" (age and birthday) on the bottom of the net cup in front of the kitchen god statue to test God's will. If there are no "abnormal" situations such as broken bowls and lamps, disgusting meals, quarreling with family members, restless cats and dogs at home within three days, please ask the fortune teller to "arrange eight characters" to see if the year is appropriate and the zodiac is compatible. In the old society, some people were superstitious about the so-called six-year big rush and three-year small rush; Men get married at the age of two, and women don't get married at the age of nineteen; It is said that it is difficult to compare chickens with dogs (chickens are at odds with dogs), dragons with tigers (dragons and tigers fight each other), tigers with sheep (sheep fall into the tiger's mouth) and snakes with mice (snakes and mice swallow mice). It is considered that relatives can only be discussed if they are comprehensive.

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Discuss relatives before engagement, then discuss "small gifts" and bargain in the age of buying and selling marriage. Generally, it is "four magenta" or "six magenta" (four to six pieces of satin), two gold rings and a pair of gold earrings; Bridal gift, small gift 36, middle gift 64, big gift 120 (silver dollar); The quantity of food is "sixty-four", that is, 64 pairs of baotou, 64 oil bags, 64 biscuits and so on. There are 2 to 8 loads of old wine, so it is called "old wine bottle". After the engagement, the man carried the above gift to the woman with a barbell. The woman's gifts are mostly gold balls, oil bags and embroidery made by her daughter. The engagement certificate is given by the man as a "book", commonly known as "red and green book paper" (two layers of paper are red outside and green inside), and the woman recognizes it as "reply", commonly known as "Wen Ding". In the old society, couples quarreled, and my wife often said that I had a "red and green book" to restrain my husband. After the "Wen Ding", choose an auspicious day to get married, and the day shop will choose a "good day". Gifts from relatives and friends, weddings are mostly cash, or happy events, happy axes, and books such as "A Hundred Years of Harmony, Five Generations under One Family" and "A Match Made in Heaven". Most wedding gifts are embroidered or satin quilts, quilts or daily utensils, but there are also red dates, peanuts, longan and lotus seeds, which means "having children early".

In the old days, there was a custom that matchmakers could not drink tea for the first time, saying that "matchmakers don't drink tea", and drinking tea should dilute marriage. The matchmaker is also called "the matchmaker's wardrobe". If the matchmaker can eat a hundred meals, he should be rewarded with "wine to thank the matchmaker" However, if there is disagreement between husband and wife or between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law after marriage, the matchmaker has the responsibility to mediate.

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Please have a drink to celebrate the wedding. This day is called a "good day". As the saying goes, "Eat wine to worship life". A few days ago, the groom invited his elders and relatives to have a wedding banquet (good day wine) and used red paper to "Zhi Dan". The elders should write the word "Zhi" under their names. A few days ago, people used to wait for their husbands and wives to get married. Parents of both sides invited their children to eat steamed stuffed buns, clams, elbows, chestnuts and lotus seeds to win the prize of "five sons entering the Ministry". Three or five days before the wedding, the man gives the woman a "sedan chair", usually two geese, 1 square meat and two fish.

Seeing the bride price, the man goes to the woman's house to move the bride price (dowry), and the woman puts the bride price in the hall for people to watch, which is called "seeing the bride price". The utensils are hung with red colored lines, the clothes are smoked with sandalwood, and a few silver dollars are put at the bottom of the box, commonly known as "box money". The dowry is moved to the man and displayed in the hall for people to watch, also called "seeing the dowry". The woman's key bag is held by the grandmother, and the key is taken out of the box, commonly known as "taking out the box".

The day before the wedding ceremony, the man wanted to have sex. A "Quanfu" woman tied 24 pairs of chopsticks and put them under the groom's mat, which is called "going to bed". One to three nights before marriage, a little boy with both parents slept with the groom and was called the "best man". In the evening, I will give the little boy buns, peanuts and eggs, which means "having a son". On the morning of "Good Day", I will give him a red envelope, commonly known as "pulling out the urinal".

One or two days before enjoying the first good day, the man's family got sedan chairs and wedding utensils from the furniture store, hung lights and hung colorful decorations. These banquets were called "light meals". On the auspicious day of the fifth watch, the male family offered sacrifices to the "Master of Heaven and Earth" in class, commonly known as "enjoying the first". Eat "enjoy the first soup fruit" for breakfast.

Take a sedan chair. Ningbo prostitutes get married and sit in sedan chairs. Legend has it that the well-off king (Emperor Gaozong) in the Southern Song Dynasty fled to Mingzhou, and the nomadic people pursued him. He was saved by a woman, and later he couldn't find a graceful woman. A woman married in Mingzhou was granted semi-riding treatment, wearing a rockhopper and sitting in a sedan chair. The sedan chair, commonly known as the "red sedan chair", can be carried by four people or eight people. In the 1920s, the son of Zhao, the owner of Ningbo Meiqiu Knitting Factory, got married, specially appointed a sewing machine shop and made a first-class sedan chair. More than 300 people carved the story of Qing Ji, and named it "Meiqiu Sedan". The sewing machine shop cost 5,000 yuan. The Zhao family used 500 yuan for the first time. This kind of sedan chair for eight people, the sedan chair people wear special satin mandarin jackets to show off for a while. Sitting in a sedan chair still implies that a woman is married, because she is married, and a woman can only sit once in her life. So, the husband and wife quarreled, and the wife brought a word to her mouth: I was carried into the door by a red sedan chair, not by the door, showing off my nobility. On the wedding day, the sedan chair went out and presented pure tea and four-color cakes to the "sedan chair god". Put spears and firecrackers, red lanterns open the way and blow along the way. The groom does not go to his father-in-law's house to meet the bride, but takes the wedding mother (farewell) as the messenger and goes with a name tag.

The bride's face is twisted by the bride's household five-color cotton yarn, commonly known as "open face" (including the present beauty meaning). Guests like to eat "open face soup fruit". When the sedan chair comes to the door, the woman sets off firecrackers to welcome the sedan chair, then leaves the door unlocked and "blocks the sedan chair door" until the red envelope is stuffed. When the sedan chair is parked, the door of the sedan chair must face outwards. Someone in the woman's house is lighting a red candle, holding a mirror and looking into the sedan chair, which means to expel the ghost hiding in the sedan chair, and it is called "searching the sedan chair". At noon, the woman's house is the main banquet wine, commonly known as "open noodles wine", also known as "wedding wine"

Before getting on the sedan chair, the bride was urged to make up three times by the man's favorite mother, pretending that she didn't want to get married and was too lazy to dress up (of course, some people really didn't want to get married), and then sat on her mother's lap. She fed her daughter sedan chair rice, which meant that she didn't forget to feed her kindness. There are three different customs: First, "get on the sedan chair and cry." The daughter got into the sedan chair and the mother sent her away in tears. Weeping words are mostly congratulations and exhortations. There is: "hey, hey, I can carry it, it's too noisy!" " Go alone, Nong, bring a tide! ""Nong respects her in-laws, her happiness and her husband's food "and so on. The bride moved her feelings and said goodbye with tears. Second, "carrying a sedan chair. "The bride was carried on the sedan chair by her brother. After entering the sedan chair, don't move her hips casually, which is safe and secure. Third, "throw fire and ashes." "There is a fire burning charcoal and spices under the bride's seat, and a mat is tied to the back bar of the sedan chair, commonly known as' the fire in the sedan chair, the seat behind the sedan chair'. In sedan chair, women set off firecrackers and sprinkled tea and rice on the top of the sedan chair. The bride's brother went with the sedan chair and called it "sedan chair delivery". In the city, the sedan chair has to bypass Chitose Square or Sanfaqing (place name) to win the titles of "Chitose" and "Sanfa". Brothers will come back on the way and light incense or cigarettes with kindling, commonly known as "pouring fire and scattering ashes" or "receiving kindling".

Visiting the door of the sedan chair, the male family played music and set off firecrackers to welcome the sedan chair. After parking the car, remove the car door. A five-or six-year-old makeup artist (commonly known as "the little girl who got off the bus") welcomed the bride to get off the bus and pulled the bride's sleeve three times before getting off the bus. When the bride leaves the car door, she first steps over a wooden "saddle" painted scarlet, steps on the red carpet, and stands on the right side of the wedding hall with the help of the bride. At the right time, the groom heard the sedan chair enter the door, that is, pretending to be hiding somewhere else, being invited (found) by a small candle and standing on the left. The layout of the wedding hall is the same as other places, but the ceremony of visiting the wedding hall is slightly different. There is a fragrant father-in-law, mostly by the groom's grandfather or grandfather. The main incense burner, the bride and groom all followed the praise. The saluter shouted: Go to the temple to watch the ceremony and play music! (Cheer up) May everyone kneel before the incense table! Incense, two incense, three incense! Lie down! Lie down again! Lie down three times! The devotee then sang: get up, stand up, reset! Kneel down, it's brittle! Sing: Sheng, goodbye! Me, goodbye! Me, goodbye! Sing again: kneel down, all crisp, read the vows! A 13-or 14-year-old boy knelt on the bench on the right hand side and finished reading. The admirer sang again: Sheng, goodbye! Me, goodbye! Me, goodbye! The whole process is always called "three kneels, nine knocks and six liters of worship". Finally, Acura Sang: After the ceremony, get off work and send it to the bridal chamber! In the meantime, when the bride and groom visit the church, there is a custom of kneeling before grabbing, saying that whoever kneels in front will be able to control the latter in the future, resulting in a joke that the groom kicks the mat while worshipping, and the groom refuses to worship.

After the complicated ceremony, two little girls hold dragons and phoenixes and candles, and the groom holds colored balls and ribbons to lead the bride into the bridal chamber. Feet must walk on sacks, usually five, and there are 10 sacks. After passing one, Xi Niang and others handed it to the front and laid it on the road, meaning "carrying on the family line" and "five generations under one roof". After entering the bridal chamber, the man and the woman sit on the edge of the bed, which is called "sitting on the bed". A long-lived and happy woman patted the bride on the head with a balance beam, and then took off the "hijab", which means "satisfied" and "asked for a square towel". The groom sits down and goes out, the bride changes her makeup, and the guests eat "makeup soup". Then, the bride and groom make a "face-to-face ceremony" and bow to meet each other in the order of closeness and inferiority, which is called "seeing the size". During worship, there are two big seats in the class, where worshippers and couples sit together. If one of them is dead, he will also sit on the left and right, and the other one will be empty. Give the bride a red envelope after visiting the church, commonly known as "meeting money" In-laws don't give red envelopes, which is called "daughter-in-law's own home". The bride bowed when she met her companion. If the younger generation visits, the bride also gives "meeting money". After that, a "waiting banquet" was held, with the bride sitting at the top and four waitresses accompanying the banquet to persuade her to eat. Most brides don't really eat. After the banquet, Xi Niang accompanied the bride to the kitchen for "circumcision", and there were customs such as catching fans and touching loach, which were called cooking.

In the evening, the man's family will sit together and drink to celebrate a beautiful day. This wine is called "He Lang wine". The bride must pour wine for her elders and guests table by table. The wine should be filled and not dripped. Wine red, the name of the dish is Yuanyang, the birds are playing with the phoenix, and the dragons and phoenixes are auspicious. During the dinner, when the bride serves hot dishes (changing soup), the bride shouts: The bride bows for changing soup (changing makeup)! After the banquet, Jia Xi invited two blessed and virtuous guests to the bridal chamber to give the bride and groom a "three drinks and easy drinking" ceremony, and exchanged glasses each time they entered the wine (the couple only took a sip). The host must sing He Lang's words, which are both witty and peaceful, such as: He Xinlang, the first glass of wine, what gossip is said in the room, I'm afraid everyone in the room will listen. He Xinlang, the second glass of wine, discuss things in the room in case others want to see it. The third glass of wine, He Xinlang, I wish the husband and wife a long life together, and the first scholar will be born early.

It's night, and it's a custom to have a new house. As the saying goes, "three days without size." On the wedding day, the bride doesn't talk much to the guests. When quarreling, let the bride speak first and look at the buttons of her clothes. Five buttons say "Wuzi was admitted". Look at the head of her ankle and say that she is looking at the old birthday girl. Didn't break up until midnight. As soon as the groom goes out to see the guests off, the bride begins to lay bedding, and the bride is rewarded with a red envelope. If the bride doesn't think it's enough, she will pretend not to leave until she finishes adding it. The bride closes the door and the couple share the "fruit in bed". When the groom goes to bed, the bride "sits on the candle". Candles must not be blown out, candles can only sleep. There are still hands and feet during the day, and at night, they pry the door and jump into the new house, taking off the groom's clothes. If the room is noisy, the couple will be fined candy and cigarettes.