Seven Steps of Ancient Marriage: The Wedding Process in Ancient China.

1. In ancient China, the wedding process was divided into six stages, which were called "six ceremonies" in ancient times, namely, accepting gifts, asking names, accepting oneself, accepting gifts, inviting guests and welcoming guests.

2. Accept talents: that is, the man asks the matchmaker to propose marriage to the woman's house. If the woman agrees to propose, and the man formally proposes to her, he must bring the live goose as a gift to make people accept his choice. "In the Soul of Li Yi's Poems" said: "When you are unconscious, geese gather."

3, ask the name:: Ask the name is that the man asks the matchmaker to ask the woman's name in eight characters to prepare for marriage. "In the Soul of Li Yi's Poetry" records: "What's your name, Bin Zhi Yan?" Most of the names asked are: "If someone orders them, they will be added to divination. Who dares to ask the woman's name? " If the woman agrees, send a gift; Men decide their luck by divination. If the eight characters of men and women match, proceed to the next step.

4. Najib told the woman the good news of divination marriage, which was also a gift to the goose-later generations mostly used gold and silver jewelry as gifts. Equivalent to the current engagement, commonly known as delivery, over-commitment, engagement.

5. Expropriation: that is, the man sends the bride price to the woman's house, which is also called paying money, hiring a big one, giving a big gift, etc. In ancient times, birds and animals were used as gifts. In ancient times, the whole deer was used as a bride price, and later generations simply used deerskin. Cui _ "Wedding Text" records: "A hundred birds drink goose with deerskin." The Book of Songs, Zhao Nan, said: "There are dead elk in the wild, and white grass covers them. There is a woman who loves spring, and Ji's family lures her. " It's about proposing to a girl with wild deer. Because in ancient times, hiring more geese was a betrothal gift, so the betrothal gift was also called "supporting birds". Of course, not all birds and animals were used as gifts in ancient conscription, as in "Self-protection Feng Wei", "Self-protection flies, silks wear clothes." When bandits come to trade silk, they come to me, which is an example of using cloth as a dowry Later, the collection of gifts became more and more complicated and became one of the most complicated processes in the Six Gifts.

6. Date of invitation:: That is, after the man chooses the wedding date, he will go to the woman's house to prepare gifts and ask for permission to get married. Now people commonly call it "raising the sun" and "sending the sun".

7, kiss:: that is, marry the bride. Their manners and manners are different, but most men go to the woman's house to greet their relatives. After returning to the man's house, the bride and groom eat in a tripod, and then cut a gourd in half. Husband and wife hold each other's drinks, which is called "marriage"-this is the origin of the toast of later generations. This process is one of the most colorful events in marriage custom culture.