中国人婚姻礼俗 示范课程

中国人婚姻礼俗 示范课程 Chinese Marriage Etiquette and Customs

中国人称婚姻为“终身大事”，可以说婚姻在平民百姓生活中的重要性是排在第一位的。民间的婚姻仪式在千百年的时间里发展出了丰富的礼仪和礼俗，也呈现出多样的民间习俗。本篇介绍的是近世民间传统结婚的一些特点和相关礼俗。

1.什么是旧时婚姻的“六礼”？
What were the six-rituals of Chinese marriage in ancient times?

Chinese marriage is usually referred to as a“Great Event in Life-time (终身大事).”In ancient times, the marriage procedure usually consisted of the following“six rituals.”

A. When an unmarried boy’s family finds a prospective daughter-in-law, they will invite a“middle man”to approach the prospective daughter-in-law’s family, present gifts, and propose the possible marriage between the two families. If the proposal is declined, the gift is rejected.

B. If the girl’s family accepts the proposal, the boy’s family will write a letter to the girl’s family asking her date of birth.

C.When her family replies, the boy’s family will pray to their ancestors to ask if the couple will be auspicious. If the prediction does not feel right, the marriage will be called off.

D.If the couple appears auspicious, the boy’s family will arrange the“middle man”to deliver the marriage documents and wedding gifts to the prospective daughter-in-law’s home.

E.Once the boy’s family finalizes the wedding day, they will confirm the day with the girl’s family by sending a formal letter and more gifts. If the girl’s family refuses the gifts, another date must be found.

F.On the wedding day, the groom departs with a troop of escorts and musicians who play cheerful music all the way to the bride’s home. The bride’s father meets the parade outside the home. He would take the groom to the ancestral temple where they pray to their ancestors. At the same time, the wedding sedan chair is placed outside the home until the bride arrives. The groom bows his head low to invite the bride to take the chair, and then they both travel together for the wedding ceremony in the groom’s home.
It is said that these six-rituals were performed in the period between the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, the rituals were simplified into“four-rituals”or“three rituals.”In the Ming Dynasty many families of officials abided by the“six-rituals,”but non-official families still followed the“three-ritual”procedure.

Notes：1）procedure程序；2）prospective未来的；3）reject拒绝；4）auspicious吉祥的；5）call off取消；6）parade结队，行列；7）non-official非官方的