Wedding line, the groom to go by the hour to pick up the bride, with a small boy to call "pressure sedan chair", even if it is a free love must also find a Va Ke people walk. At this time the groom, the body can not bring keys, nail clippers and other "iron". Marriage customs on the groom's requirements are not many, the bride's requirements are more: in the wedding day, the bride can not eat outside the family meal, said not to eat two meals (from one to the end); out of the house to the sedan chair, is absolutely can not look back, this time to cry out, but also on the parents of a kind of comfort; on the sedan chair before the bride's siblings have to carry out a "pumping the sisters with the" ceremony; the bride's siblings have to carry out a "pumping the sisters with the "ceremony; the bride's clothes on the sewing needle (sharp), said the" Li is "; mother will let her daughter wear blasphemy, it is said that this is to show loyalty to the love of no" anti-bone "; the bride out of the sedan chair, the need to have a Virtue, many children of women to help the bride into the bridal chamber, called "holding the bride", through the door, the bride must also cross the burning culm fire to avoid evil; if the bride is already pregnant at this time, but also asked to carry a ladder to follow, which is also known as "the time to come to luck, marry a wife with a ladder to ", the Hakka language, "ladder", "tire" homophonic, meaning that the ladder step by step; welcome back the bride, in-laws to avoid, and so the stars are bright or the next day before you can meet; wedding feast, the bride is the largest, so the feast on the Chicken head is not eaten, because that is the "phoenix head"; if the guests accidentally break the bowl, the host family will be very careful to pick up the pieces one by one, wrapped in red paper to the kitchen, the host family of the white man does not ask for all the guests, even if the tolerance. Add a point: the bride's trousseau, there must be two sugar cane, said two pairs, sweet, sweet, from beginning to end, the bride in the sedan chair before, to sit in a vernacular called "mother bar" inside a very large bamboo basin, by a "bride of the grooming" women presided over the Dressing and grooming. It is said that when you step into the bamboo basin, you know that you are leaving the home where you were born and raised, and you are becoming a member of another family, and it is impossible to express your feelings at that moment. "Bride's combing" while combing and also say auspicious words, when the desert to see their own bride sitting combing time, too excited, that word but can not remember. Only know that she read a comb comb to the end, couple what what have a head and a tail really look like fun. After combing, everyone rushed on the package "on the sedan chair money" to the bride, on the sedan chair, by the "bride's dresser" to hold a rice sieve, like an umbrella like open in the bride's head, inside the bride's bag, the bag is filled with green "long life grass", which is too excited to remember. The significance of this is clear to all.
The Hakka wedding customs
First, complicated. From the men and women of the "eight characters of the birth" to choose a good wedding day to start, the man's family will begin to prepare for the wedding, some of the details in the middle of this will not go on, single day before the wedding. This day, the man should ask the matchmaker to send a "basket" to the woman's home, as to what exactly I am not sure it is not good to ask, but this basket is very elaborate, two baskets were put in rice (how much is not clear, must be related to the nine), nine eggs, nine apples, nine oranges, nine sugar and peanuts, nine cakes (now also used Want Want), nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of fish. Cookies instead), nine pounds of fish, nine pounds of meat (can also be replaced by money), there are a few red paper wrapped onions, garlic, etc., the matchmaker carrying the basket before leaving the groom's family, the groom's mother side to the matchmaker's red packet (which is to seek good luck) while saying: "there are to have a good time ...... ", then the basket can not be randomly in the middle, and the basket is not a good idea. Then the basket can not be placed on the ground, only to the woman's home can be put down (of course, I was sent in the car on the car). To the woman's home, the basket of things are not all left behind, but part of the collection to stay part of the specific how to collect is the meaning of the woman's home, but brought back to the man's home or to ingratiate themselves, with the basket to bring back the bride for the groom to buy a belt and wallet, I think the meaning of this is that from now on, I'm going to you firmly tied to my side, your money is also my money. Of course, bring back the woman's family gave me the red envelope Oh, know "have to come and go" meaning it? Oh! This is only the day before the wedding, the day of the wedding also have to put two baskets to carry to and fro, but pay attention to a little less, more than two umbrellas, when the bride and groom out of the door from the moment you will umbrella up until the groom's home before collecting umbrellas, of course, sitting on the float is not to hit the umbrella Oh. In short, a word, etiquette is very cumbersome with a very strong folk custom in the inside, but no matter what is for a good luck.
Two, waste. Other not to mention, such as the bride's jewelry, alone in the village the day before the wedding, please (after all, it is a village, there is still the old family) of all the old people to eat, this is free of charge, but not only the old man, with the main family have a little relationship with the whole family will go out, so that the banquet cost a lot. After dinner, the groom to invite all the relatives and friends to go to wash, cut hair, and then go to the hotel room singing K play, used to play to two, three o'clock when to prepare to welcome the family vehicle, now not so early, but also to choose a good time to go, of course, there used to be the custom of banging on the door to welcome the family, some people told me that they open the door to the tools have brought, which is what they say, "banging on the big luck! This is what they call "bumping into luck". Far from it, this day basically do things people are to send red envelopes, how much varies, even all the vehicles to welcome the bride can get red envelopes Oh. The wedding banquet is certainly spend a lot of la, not to mention here.
Three, the family thought. As I said earlier, from the day before the wedding to the wedding this night the whole family is eating "big family" (this is what I said), the wedding day, the groom's father's own brother's son daughter-in-law with the groom's family standing outside the hotel to welcome the guests, and other relatives to help arrange the guests to be seated. I remember when discussing who opened the car when someone mentioned the groom's brother-in-law, the groom's father immediately objected, said: "son-in-law, although I am very close, but after all, is an outsider, this car how to drive by their own brothers," look, there are other people son-in-law's must not be too much to take themselves as their own Oh, people are not so see.
Interesting Hakka marriage customs
1. The matchmaker explains to the woman's parents the man's family, the man's age, character, etc. If the woman's parents agree, they go further. If the woman's parents agree, they will further matchmaking, known as "family visits"; if not, they politely decline. The so-called "visit home" is the woman's parents invited a few close relatives to the male side to watch Lang appearance, to understand the family relocation, the male hosted a banquet and gifts. In the past, the daughter herself did not go. Upon agreement, the woman will be the daughter's birth year, month, day, time, commonly known as the "eight hours" written on a red post sent to the male family, so-called "send geng". The male family will be "geng post" in front of the ancestral tablet, within three days everything went smoothly, then further please fortune-teller "eight characters", such as "together", the marriage is set. Some women's homes for the same. So in the old days, young men and women for life, more than by parents, matchmakers, plus fortune-teller to decide, and some are also subject to the limitations of the conditions of the family, therefore, "first married after love" the majority of people, the same bed with a lot of different dreams.
2. Sent to the final (Zading)
After the marriage is suitable, the woman put forward the conditions, a number of bride-price, pigs, wine, chickens, fish, a number of orange cakes, sweets, rural areas to add rice, beans, flour, noodles, a number of; the male side of the dowry to be a number of dowry by the matchmakers in the men and women and the two sides and talk about the final. Rural areas are often in writing, called "writing a marriage contract" or "write the word marriage", the front side of the writing "word Turkic Xiang", the bottom side of the writing "heavenly marriage ", signed by both parents and matchmakers in-laws, each signing a copy. When writing, the man should prepare a feast. In Chengguan by the male party to send orange cake, candy and fabrics, shoes and socks, rings or watches and so on the woman's home, the woman's home back to send hats, shoes and clothes to the male party. In some cases, the male family also invited one or two tables of "engagement wine". From then on, the woman is the man's family. Sent after the fixed, festivals, the male party to send gifts to the female party, until the marriage.
The Hakka people around Meixian County, Guangdong Province, in addition to the general need to send gifts, but also to send a male and female two "rabbit". "Rabbit" is used to turn a pig belly, stuffed with rice bran made, and then do on the ears, eyes, realistic image. The woman received a male, back to the man a female. Commonly known as the "rabbit gift can be spit spit grandson".
3. Report the day and send the bride price
The man chose the "bucket bed" and the date of marriage, told the woman, called "report the day", usually one month before the wedding, while the man will be the bride price to the woman. Hakka people on the bride price of the end of the number like to use "nine", the figure of its harmonic "long" of good luck. The female side in the male side of the bed, to send pomelo and charcoal to the male family, containing the meaning of the birth of a son and warm the new room, commonly known as "tanzi tan grandchildren". The male party to do a lot of big meat round to the female party to give friends and relatives, to show that the bond.
4. Plate dowry The dowry varies greatly in abundance and frugality. In the old days, the general family married daughter's trousseau has five-color shirts and pants, dressing table, foot bucket, urine bucket, curtain mat, wooden or leather box, etc., the rich and noble family is added silk and satin, bedding blankets, gold and silver jewelry, etc., flaunted in the market, very showy. The dowry sender called "Qingniang", given by the male side of the red envelope. After the dowry was delivered, the male family invited relatives and friends to "see the dowry". Plate dowry time in the daytime, the specific date varies from place to place, the city off in the bride the day before the wedding, the countryside more in the bride the next day.
Hakka daughters get married when parents must solemnly some harmonic auspicious vegetables, such as celery, garlic, scallions, leeks, etc., one by one with a red rope or red cloth binding, as a dowry, in order to express the daughter son-in-law's best wishes. More interesting is the Hakka also use "long life grass" for the custom of dowry. Long life grass for a weed, tied with a red rope, married to the husband's family, hanging in the bedside of the cave in the bamboo basket, the next day planted in the vegetable garden, to show that the roots.
5. Receiving and sending relatives
Receiving relatives, also known as welcoming relatives, in the old days in the daytime, now more in the late night. The male party in the midday to prepare the pig's head, chicken, fish and incense and candles, the sound of happy guns to the female home to receive the bride. "I was carried to the husband's home in a sedan chair!" This is the old time women all their lives to be proud of. As the saying goes, "Even a broken fan has wind, and a broken sedan chair is also powerful." The people who go with the bridegroom should be in even numbers. The woman's home to see the marriage personnel to come to the gate will be closed, to be received three times after the firecrackers, took over the candle kindling, before opening the door to welcome. The woman should prepare a banquet to entertain the bridegroom, called "no block of seats", son-in-law, accompanied by a little chopsticks, do not eat. After the married girl takes a bath, she will be groomed by the matchmaker and the bridegroom. The female party should also send off an even number of people, usually there are the bride's brother and other relatives and friends of the bride's brother and the bride's felicitations. When going out, the parents of the female party should be avoided. To the male family, if the entry time has not arrived, the bride should first wait outside the door. Entrance, drums and cannons to welcome the male parents should also be avoided, to worship when they meet, in order to avoid "collision", resulting in future discord. Crossing the threshold, the cook slaughtered a rooster, called "stopping the door chicken". Some countryside custom under the threshold to put an axe, the bride stepped on the rice sieve into the new house.
Some of the Hakka people in some areas of the bride in the "drag the green" custom, that is, behind the flower sedan car there is a person dragging a banyan tree branches for a hundred children and thousands of grandchildren. When the palanquin on the road to meet the other family's palanquin, they will be in accordance with the rules of mutual exchange of branches, both sides back to wish more children and grandchildren, commonly known as "for green". Then each drag home, the banyan tree branches thrown to the back of their own roof tiles, borrowing the banyan tree, some places are exchanged saffron.
6. Worship and eat noodles bowl chicken, hand over wine
This is the final ceremony of the marriage, the bride and groom first with the worship of the sky, the second worship ancestors, and then couples worship each other. After worship into the cave with the cave room, the cave room red candles, the table with boiled chicken, noodles and two eggs, the bride and groom **** with the meal, eat the cup of wine. This is the first time the new entry with the groom to eat, need to choose an auspicious time. The new bed to put things to pay attention to, the city is generally put four pomelo, on the sticker, "pomelo" and "have son" harmonized. The countryside to put a red bucket, filled with white rice, as well as rulers and scales, abacus, scissors and so on, symbolizing the rich life after marriage, will be able to count; another red lamp, take the meaning of "add Ding".
7. Cave
Cave is not a wedding ceremony, with or without. Generally in the guests after the banquet, some young men and women friends and relatives into the new room with the bride and groom to amuse, to newcomers to rap and tease, such as the groom to hold the bride to bite the saffron (red packet), the bride and groom together to eat a candy, singing and dancing, and so on. In the past, there is also a "kan press oil pile" of bad habits, that is, one by one pressure to the bride. This phenomenon is more or less with the legacy of early human barbaric group marriage, has been eliminated. In the past, some places due to the new room is narrow, the room was changed in the hall held. Haunting room for three consecutive days, these three days, regardless of size, men, women and children can participate. The Hakka room, but also by the domination of a concept, that the more the more auspicious. The Guangdong Hakka people make trouble in the custom of the cave especially highlights say four sentences, to auspicious, blessing, jubilee play the language constitutes rhyming four words, throughout the whole process of making trouble in the room, elegant, funny. Such as saying four lines: moonlight, look at the bride, the bride belly shit round dingdang, this day under the seed, next year, August gave birth to osmanthus full of heavenly fragrance. This kind of both playful and blessed with the four words often lead to worship belly laugh.
8, round room
Taiwan's Hakka people are the most interesting, round room time, the bride and groom just lay down, under the bed will be heard rooster "Oh! Ohhhh!" Crowing, hen "cluck eggs" sound of birth. It turned out to be in the girl to talk about the marriage after its mother carefully fed a pair of chickens, with her date of marriage as a "road chicken" to the male family, straight to the wedding room under the wedding bed. After the chickens crowed, the groom would ask the bride: "How come there are chickens crowing under the bed?" The bride told him, "It's almost dawn, the rooster crows, the chicken laid an egg." The groom lifts up the bed sheet and sees that the hen under the bed has really laid a big egg. The groom was touched by the situation and hugged his bride tightly and said happily, "It's really good, it's born! Born! Good omen, we will also be born!" This custom is commonly known as "round room to promote birth".
Many of the old custom of the round room test chastity of the bad customs. The South, especially in Guangdong, in the three Dynasties back to the door with the gift of roast pig to show that the bride chastity intact, the bride to get the respect of the male family, the female family proud of this. "Eat roast pig" has become synonymous with the bride's chastity. Three days of the bridegroom accompanied the bride back to the door, the woman's parents look forward to seeing the accompanying "roast pig" only to let go of the long-suspended heart. Daughter is a virgin, son-in-law family has expressed satisfaction with her, parents only for their daughters to have a lifetime of trust and feel relieved. This old custom, there are Lingnan miscellaneous singing a cloud: Lvxiang who teach arm print red, cave flower shadow is always hazy; who is set for the Green Lodge ceremony, three burnt pig on behalf of the Palace.
9, please three Chao
Third day after the bride was married, the bride's family to set up a banquet to invite daughters, son-in-law. Daughter to return to the bride's home as a guest, can sit in the chief, after the banquet in public to take off the red shirt, change to wear ordinary new clothes. This day can not stay in the mother's home, no matter near or far to rush back to the husband's home, some countryside, the mother's family in a few days to invite some relatives (women) to the daughter's home as a guest; some of the wedding full moon, the mother of the daughter invited to go home to do the full moon wine. Men's and women's in-laws each choose a date, set up a feast and invite each other to drink, called "door-to-door". These festive aftermaths can strengthen the relationship between the two families.
Marriage banquet guests, commonly known as "happy wine", rituals are very grand, especially in the past to marry more. Wedding banquet set up in the hall, the table divided into seniority. Left on the chief, right for the second, sitting on the old man, the next guest. Guests according to seniority, near and far, young and old to be seated, foreign relatives respected, the clan inserted. The main guests, the groom must one by one in front of him to invite and bring to the prescribed seat, dedication bowls and chopsticks. Marriage feast by the bride's parents to invite guests. The bridegroom and the bride's maternal uncle as the guest of honor, sitting at the first table chief. Female guests to the man's home is called "big guest", they come, to firecrackers in front of the door to meet, they are not present, can not start the feast. The groom should be in the maternal uncle's first table pot, pouring wine from the maternal uncle. In rural areas, it is possible to marry without inviting the guests, while marrying a daughter without inviting her will be blamed by her relatives and friends because the man's family sends a large amount of chickens, wine, fish and meat to the woman's family. In addition to supplying guests with food and drink, wedding banquets are meant to allow guests to take some home to share with their families, or even with their neighbors, so in the past, towns used to invite large plates and bowls of wine, so that guests could take some back.