THE WEDDING CEREMONY
Tears, the Bridal Sedan and Motherly Advice
The Wedding Ceremony Begins with the Bridal Sedan. Before the
bride would leave to go to the bridegrooms home, the good luck
woman would lead her to the sedan chair. On her way to the chair,
one of her sisters would shield her with a red parasol, while
another sister would throw rice at the sedan chair. On the back of
the sedan hung a sieve and a metallic mirror that were believed to
protect the bride from evil.Before the bride got into the bridal
sedan chair bound for her new home, it was common practice for the
bride to cry to show that she did not want to leave her parents.
She would cry over the love and care her parents had given her for
so many years. At this moment, the brides mother would pass on to
her daughter the secrets of how to be an adequate wife and
daughter-in-law, how to handle the household with thrift and
decency as well as make herself pleasant to every one of the new
family.
Going to the Groom's Home with the Bride
The day before the wedding, it was customary for the bridegroom
visit the brides family and greet all the family members of the
bride, but he could not see his bride. On the day of the wedding,
after various rites were performed, the bride was carried to the
sedan chair by her father or elder brother with the bridegroom
standing by. When everything was all right, the bridegroom could
leave. The bridegroom had still not seen his bride at this point in
time. Her face and hair covered by a red silk veil.Now it was time
to take the bride to the bridegrooms home. Usually a crowd of
friends would escort the bridegroom and musicians would play joyful
tunes during the entire trip. Dancing lions proceeded the troup
followed by the honor guard that the bridegroom had sent to the
brides home earlier in the day, followed by the bride in the bridal
sedan. In ancient times, a decorated donkey was used to transport
the bride if the family could not afford a bridal sedan.
Chinese Wedding Ceremony - Formal BowsAfter the wedding party
arrived at the bridegrooms home, the bridal sedan would stop in
front of the bridegrooms bridal chamber. An elder woman who had
many offspring would take the hand of the bride and help her out of
the sedan chair. The old woman would feed boiled rice dumplings to
both the bride and bridegroom as the round shape of the dumplings
signified harmony and union. Then candles and incense were lighted
and the bridegroom and the bride held the two ends of a red ribbon
and met on the red carpet. The would bow to each other and then
drink from the nuptial cups. Next, came the climax of the whole
ceremony. The bride and bridegroom were led to thefamily altar
where the couple kowtowed in succession to Heaven and Earth , the
family ancestors and parents. The bride and groom once again bowed
to each other andwere then led to the bridal chamber. The ceremony
continued under the prompts and applauses of the audience.
Teasing Games in the Bridal Chamber
The games began when the newly wed couple entered the bridal
chamber after the wedding ceremony. Usually all the young men would
participate except for the brides brother-in-laws. The funny and
silly games were to help ease the tension, as in ancient times, the
newlyweds had never met each other b efore the wedding.
Greeting Family and The Bridal Chamber
By the evening of the wedding day, or failing that, the next
day, the bride would customarily greet the uncles and aunts of the
grooms family. Then she would be led by the younger aunt to greet
all the family elders. The next evening, the new couple would have
their supper (known as Bridal Chamber Supper) together in their
bridal chamber for the first time. On the third day, the bride and
groom would salute the memorial tablets of ancestors, which meant
to show that the marriage was not only for the bridegroom, but more
importantly, for continuing ancestral life.
Bride Returns to Parent's Home
Traditionally, three days after the wedding, the newlyweds
return to visit the brides parents. A month after the wedding, the
bride would visit her pa rents home again accompanied by her
husband and bringing many kind gifts. The bridegroom would return
home the same day, but the bride would stay at her parents home for
several days.