Traditions

Birthday Matching & Auspicious Day Choosing

: "Funeral" is a ritual for lamenting the deceased and the way to treat the remains. Funeral...

: The seventh day of the first Chinese lunar mouth is

: Tomb Sweeping Day, also called "Cold Food Day", is the most important day for people to offer...

The record of a person's horoscope indicates the sun's position at the time when the person was born. Therefore, based on the record and the five-element theory, the person's characters and future life can be foretold. In ancient times, when a man and a woman got engaged, they would have their horoscope records deduced to see if their marriage would be happy. The deduction result could either be "matching" or "conflicting".

If the engagement is confirmed, then an experienced person will be invited to choose a proper date for the wedding ceremony. The chosen date is believed to be an auspicious one.

Traditional Chinese Weddings

Traditional Chinese wedding customs are considered as the foundation of rites in traditional Chinese culture. A wedding is usually a grand occasion with overly-elaborate formalities. There are eight major procedures of a wedding.

Details

Matchmaking

Matchmaking

Matchmaking is a process of making a match of unmarried man and woman by a matchmaker...
Sending Dowry & Betrothal Gifts

Sending Dowry & Betrothal Gifts

When the two families agree to the marriage, the man's family is supposed to send some betrothal gifts to the woman's family...
Sitting in the Bridal Sedan

Sitting in the Bridal Sedan

In former times, rich families would use a bridal sedan to welcome the bride, while poor families which couldn't afford a sedan would use a cart instead...
Performing Formal Bows

Performing Formal Bows

Performing formal bows by the bride and bridegroom is also called "worshipping the heaven and earth"...
Lifting the Bridal Veil

Lifting the Bridal Veil

Also called "veil" or "square veil", the bridal veil is an important article for the bride at the wedding...
Drinking "cross-cupped wine"

Drinking "cross-cupped wine"

Drinking "cross-cupped wine" is one last interesting custom in the bridal chamber before consummating...
Bridal Chamber Pranks

Bridal Chamber Pranks

It's an important part of a traditional Chinese wedding originated in the Qin and Han dynasties in order to drive out evil spirits and bad luck...
Visiting the Parental Home

Visiting the Parental Home

According to ancient customs, three, six, seven, nine, ten days or one month after the wedding, the husband should carry some gifts and visit his wife's parents' home...