10 Chinese Wedding Traditions
Popular Wedding Customs in China
Whether you're looking to incorporate cultural elements into your wedding, or are just curious about the wedding traditions of other cultures, read on to learn about some popular wedding traditions in China.
- Parents exchange letters. In ancient times, the parents of the bride and groom would exchange letters arranging the marriage, and also to figure out details for the celebration ceremony and the engagement gifts. Although arranged marriages are rare today, some couples will still use beautiful stationery and present their parents with letters to honor Chinese wedding traditions of the past.
- Parents of the Groom cover the cost. In America, we think of wedding as being the bride’s big day; yet in China, it is traditionally considered the groom’s big day. Parents of the groom typically cover most of the wedding cost.
- Double Happiness, the melding of two Chinese characters, is cut out of a red piece of paper and put where the bride and groom will notice it during the wedding. This symbolizes that the couple will be happy together, and is pronounced “shuang-xi.”
- Red Bridal Gown: Perhaps the most well known of Chinese wedding customs is that a Chinese bride does not wear white; instead, Chinese wedding dresses are typically red. (Bridesmaids usually wear white). Red is the motif throughout the wedding, used for invitations, flowers, wedding favors, and other decorations. Brides' and grooms' homes were often decked out in red, as this vibrant color is thought to bring happiness, good fortune, and wealth.
- The Wedding Date: In Chinese wedding traditions, the date is extremely important. In ancient times, parents would seek out a fortune teller to help them choose the best date. Otherwise, they would look at an almanac or a Chinese calendar. Months and dates that were even numbers were usually thought to be the luckiest.
- Gifts. Clocks are thought to be bad luck, along with anything in a set of four. (This does present some difficulty for guests, if they are considering buying the couple a dish, glass or napkin set). Knives are another sign of bad luck. Consider giving the couple a gift card or spending money.
- Family Time. Chinese brides would often spend days with her family before the wedding. Though this does not typically happen nowadays, it is common for a Chinese bride to spend her final hours before the ceremony with her family.
- A wedding meal includes many courses. Roasted pig is usually a standard. (A roasted pig is also given to the family of the bride to promote good luck). A meal at a Chinese wedding would traditionally include about twelve courses, with soups, meats, rice, vegetables and other traditional dishes. A meal shared together (and paying for it) is one very important way that a Chinese family will show its gratitude for friends and family members.
- There are many animal symbols in Chinese culture, including the dragon (which represents the man), the phoenix (which represents the woman), and two chickens (which represent good fortune).These symbols often decorate wedding invitations.
- Tea Time. Traditionally, a Chinese bride and groom serve tea to the family on their wedding day. In ancient times, this is when the bride would be introduced to her new family. Couples today still practice this custom, showing reverence for their elders and respect for the past. The groom sits on the right and the bride sits on the left, and they should both kneel when serving the tea.
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