10 Chinese Wedding Traditions中式婚礼十大传统习俗

Lively and full of color， Chinese weddings are lavish affairs that are as much about the happy couple as they are about their respective families. A celebration marked by rituals and traditions， many symbolic aspects focus on blessings of prosperity， abundance， and happiness for the couple from both friends and family members.

中式婚礼是一场生动有趣、丰富多彩的盛事。不仅幸福的新婚夫妻参与其中，双方家庭也共同参与这场庆祝。中式婚礼颇为注重礼仪和传统，充满了来自双方亲友寓意繁荣兴旺、殷实富裕和幸福美满的祝愿。

To learn more about Chinese weddings， we consulted experts Celia Yu and Nicole Froelich.

为了对中式婚礼有更多了解，我们请教了专家西莉亚·于（音译）和妮科尔·弗勒利希。

The betrothal

订婚

Known as the Guo Da Li， before the wedding ceremony the groom will present betrothal1 gifts （gold jewelry， dragon and phoenix wax candles， tea leaves and sesame seeds， wine or brandy， etc.） symbolizing prosperity and good fortune as a formal proposal to the bride’s parents. They， in turn， will return half of the gifts as an acceptance of the proposal and show that they wish to have a good relationship with the groom’s family.

订婚又称过大礼，即：婚礼之前，新郎将象征着繁荣兴旺和好运的订婚礼物（金首饰、龙凤蜡烛、茶叶、芝麻、葡萄酒或白兰地等）送给新娘父母，代表正式提亲。新娘一家会返回一半礼物，也就意味着接受了提亲，并希望与新郎一家友好相处。

Choosing the wedding date

选定婚期

The date of the wedding ceremony isn’t chosen by chance. The couple’s Chinese zodiac sign， birthday details （the bride’s birthday is preferred to the groom’s） will play a big role in choosing a date that is the perfect fit.

举行婚礼的日期并非随机选择。主要根据男女双方的生肖、生辰八字（新娘的生日比新郎的生日更重要）择定良辰吉日。

The invitation

喜帖

The Chinese wedding invitation is typically red with gold lettering and bears the Double Happiness symbol. Inside， it’ll include dates for the wedding banquet， order of birth， and names of the bride， groom， and respective parents. Details for the dinner venue， the timing for the cocktail reception and dinner will be included as well.

中式婚礼的邀请函通常为红底金字，用双喜字装饰。邀请函内含婚宴的日期、家中排行，以及新郎新娘和各自父母的名字。婚宴地点、酒会和用餐时间等细节也包括在内。

Preparing the marriage bed

安置婚床

The An Chuang usually takes place on an auspicious day and time， two to three days before the wedding. “This tradition is carried out by a female relative of good fortune—one with parents， husband， children， and grandchildren—where the bed will be dressed in new red color beddings and pillows with a mix of dried fruits and nuts such as longans， persimmons， and red dates，” explains Yu. The combination symbolizes a sweet and long-lasting marriage blessed with fertility and well wishes. Yu also explains that no one can sit or sleep in the bed until the couple returns together at the end of the night of the wedding.

“安床”通常会选在婚礼前二至三天的一个黄道吉日。“这一传统由一名好命的女性亲戚来完成，好命的意思是父母双全、丈夫健在、子孙满堂。给婚床铺上新的红色被褥和枕头，摆满干果和坚果，例如桂圆、柿子和红枣。”于解释道。这些物品放在一起，象征婚姻甜蜜久长——儿孙满堂、幸福美满。于还解释说，新郎新娘在婚礼当晚一起回来之前，任何人都不能坐在婚床上或者躺在上面睡觉。

Hair combing ceremony

梳头礼

A ritual performed the night before the wedding to symbolize the couple entering a new stage of adulthood in their respective homes. The bride and groom will shower with pomelo leaves to cleanse off bad spirits and change into new red clothes and slippers. The bride will sit in front of a mirror （or a window）， while the groom sits facing the inside of the house. The respective parents will prepare a pair of red taper candles and scissors， one stick of incense， a wooden ruler， a hair comb， and red yarn with cypress leaves.

梳头礼是婚礼前一晚由新郎新娘在各自家中完成的仪式，标志着二人从此进入人生新阶段。新娘和新郎会用柚子叶煮水沐浴，驱邪除晦，换上红色新衣和新拖鞋。新娘会端坐在一面镜子（或窗户）前，新郎则面朝室内。双方父母各准备一对红烛和剪刀、一炷香、一把木尺、一柄梳子和红绳缠绑的扁柏叶。

A woman of good fortune will light one stick of incense and a pair of red taper candles and start the hair combing ceremony. While she is combing the hair， she will recite blessings to the bride or groom：

一位好命婆将点燃一炷香和一对红烛，开始行梳头礼。一边梳头发，一边为新人诵读祝福：

May the first comb bring you a long-lasting union

一梳长长久久

May the second comb bring you a harmonious union

二梳和和美美

May the third comb bring you an abundance of descendants

三梳儿孙满堂

May the fourth comb bring you prosperity and longevity

四梳富贵长寿

After the bride or groom’s hair is combed four times， the woman of good fortune will clip the red yarn with cypress leaves on their hair and the ceremony is officially completed.

为新人梳头四次之后，好命婆将缠有红线的扁柏叶插在他们头上，梳头礼正式完成。

Lucky colors and auspicious symbols

幸运色和吉祥标志

Red and gold play a critical role in all Chinese wedding decorations. The former is linked to love， success， happiness， prosperity， luck， fertility， honor， and loyalty， while the latter is a symbol of wealth.

红色和金色在中式婚礼装饰中非常重要。红色象征着爱情、成功、幸福、富贵、好运、儿孙满堂、荣誉加冕、忠贞不渝，金色象征着财富。

The Double Happiness symbol， composed of two identical Chinese characters meaning joy， appears in all Chinese weddings. “It can show up as traditional décor， made out of fresh red roses as a wall hanging for the tea ceremony， or as neon signage for an after-party，” shares Froelich. Other auspicious symbols include dragons， phoenixes， and mandarin ducks2 as they denote happiness and loyalty.

见于所有中式婚礼的双喜字标志由两个相同的汉字“喜”构成，意思是喜庆。“双喜字是一种传统装饰。由新鲜的红玫瑰摆成的双喜字可以用来装饰墙壁，营造敬茶礼的喜庆氛围，也可以作为婚礼之后余兴派对的霓虹灯牌。”弗勒利希说。其他的吉祥标志还有龙、凤、鸳鸯，这些都象征着幸福与忠诚。