In the ancient China, before the wedding, there are several steps should be toke.

1. The proposal

A well-designed marriage proposal and acceptance process begins. This process is placed in the hands of the go-between, to act as a buffer between the two sides – a similar role in today’s real estate agent. In the proposed negotiations and the importance of engagement parties, the prospective groom and the bride’s parents, rather than the bride and groom themselves.

“Marriage and the family continued ancestral line between Union – is too important to be left in the hands of the young rash duties,” Costa explained. ”

When the boy’s parents found a possible bride, a go-between to send their gifts for the girl’s parents and the sound matched their feelings. If this proposal response, go-between, will be recorded on an official document of the girl’s birth date and time.

The groom’s family will be on the ancestral altar three days of this file. If you do not ominous, such as between parents or loss of property during that time had an argument, the parents will give information on a astrological expert to confirm the young woman and their son would make a good match. If the boy’s family found a favorable constellation, they gave the boy’s birth date and time of the go-between, the girl’s family, who would go through the same process.

Only two results are favorable, and the two families arrange to meet. Finally face to face, each family in appearance, education, personality and social status, assess other. If both parties are happy, they will begin engagement.

2. Engagement

The first intention of the parents exchanged family credentials token. Then, after extensive negotiations, the two families will reach the amount of money and goods, so that the girl’s family gifts. Proposed in the token, the go-between, will ask the bride’s family to choose between severalauspicious wedding date recommendations from the boy’s family, and set the date proposed dowry.

His family raised the money and betrothal gifts such as tea, a significant project, “Dragon (male) and Phoenix (female)” bridal cake, for men and women of poultry, sweets and sugar, wine and tobacco, along with an itemized statement of these gifts. Tea is the case in some areas of these gifts, they are called tea ceremony, the major component of the collective “tea gift.” Gift of food and clothing for the girl’s family returns.

This is the girl’s family’s habits, distribution in the form of the wedding announcement and invitation they received from the boy’s family, friends and relatives of the bride’s cake. Number to each cake is based on rigid etiquette, on the basis of qualifications and the establishment of intimacy. Those who received the bride cake, is expected to present gifts to congratulate the girl’s parents.

His family’s gift recognizes the efforts of parents, girls and accept gifts, the girl’s family commitments, her boy. Interesting to note that the family, not just the bride and groom. While the bride and groom may not reach, engagement was considered binding unless both families agreed to rescind the contract.

A few days later the dowry, the girl’s family sent to the boy’s home inventoried dowry porters. Dowry, including the actual project, including a chamber pot, filled with fruit and strings of coins on the occasion. The procession to the girl’s family the opportunity to show their daughters to their social status and their love, wealthy parents often included serving girls to attend their daughter, in her new home.

Engagement usually last a year or two, although the children engaged and will continue until the children grow to marriageable age.

3.Wedding

Instead of careful preparation, the wedding itself is very simple. Bride and groom to the family altar, where they visit heaven and earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God, Tsao-chun. , With two lotus seeds or two red dates tea cups, generally to the groom’s parents.

Then the bride and groom bowed to each other. This completes the marriage ceremony, except in some areas, all from the same cup of wine to drink, and eat sugar molded in the form of a rooster, partook together at the wedding dinner.

The Nuptial Chamber

After the ceremony, the couple immediately led to the bridal chamber, sat on the bed. In some areas, honey and wine poured into two goblets, connected by the red line. The bride and groom a few SIPS, then exchange cups, and drank it. In the wedding day (and sometimes the next three days), bed room is open to tourists, who indecent speech to tease the young couple.

The Wedding banquets

Under normal circumstances, separate bride and groom wedding festival of friends and family of their parents. Even in the feast, the men and women sit separately. There may be a single or a few days a series of holiday feast. However, the most important feast, because the wedding day the groom’s family. It is generally recognized that as a public league.