Marriage customs in Min and Qing Dynasties

1. In the Minqing Dynasty, there was a custom of "looking at the family fortune" when getting engaged, that is, the woman's family went to the man's house to see how well his family was doing and whether the family was prosperous. The woman sends 7 or 9 people, and the man has to prepare the food and wine for the reception, as well as red envelopes and a cigarette as a return gift for the accompanying people.

2. On the day of engagement, you need to write a marriage contract, commonly known as "agreement". Four respected old people in the village are invited to bear witness. The marriage contract mainly agrees on some marriage matters. The woman can write in any requirements she has. After writing it in, the man must do it so that he can pick up the bride when they get married.

3. When getting engaged, the bride should give the groom a pen and notebook as tokens of love, which means that the groom will be in charge of the family’s account books in the future and will be the head of the household.

4. When welcoming a bride, the number of people receiving the bride must be an odd number when going and an even number when returning.

5. In the early years, it was a custom for girls in Min and Qing Dynasties to "swear the matchmaker" before they got married or on the day of their wedding. The girl pointed at the matchmaker and scolded him in public.

6. On the wedding day, it is customary for a girl to stay in bed, which is called "staying in bed". Some people say that it is difficult to let go of the deep love for flesh and blood, and always want to delay it for more time.

7. On the wedding day, the groom’s wedding party will first eat dessert after arriving at the bride’s house, which symbolizes the sweetness of life.

Extended information

Wedding etiquette: All relatives and friends who give gifts are included in the banquet. Those who see off a bride from her mother's side must sit in the chief seat and go to the banquet, and go home immediately after the banquet. On the third day, the bride's brothers or nephews come to welcome the newlyweds to their parents' home, which is called "returning home". After dinner and wine, he returned to his husband's house, saying that "the room will not be empty for three days." Throughout the wedding process, there are many trivial symbolic studies.

If peanuts, chestnuts, and red dates are scattered on the bed in the bridal chamber, it is a good omen for "early birth of children" (dates and chestnuts) and flower embryos (alternating birth of sons and daughters). Putting the bride and groom's shoes together symbolizes that the two will grow old together, etc.