The wedding is divided into two days. The first day is when the dowry is distributed, and the woman takes it to the man's house or new house. Also invite friends and relatives. Host a dinner party. No wedding candy. That night, the groom-to-be will find someone to hold the mat. There is someone sleeping with the groom. This person is particular and must be the groom's brother-in-law or brother-in-law. If you don't have a direct descendant or an uncle, you can only express it. If not, then I can only twist a bag of rice and put it on the bed.
The next day, the wedding day, is also an auspicious day. The man is going to the woman’s house to pick her up. There are also things to pay attention to, such as when the newlyweds should enter the house. Of course, this is superstition. But that's the custom. You can ask a Feng Shui master to figure it out. Get your car ready and go to the woman’s house. Accompanying you are a matchmaker (if you don’t have one, you don’t need one, but it’s better to find one as a token matchmaker) and a best man. There’s no such name in the countryside. Basically, they are brothers of the same generation, and sometimes they are looking for good friends, preferably those who can drink and eat well. You can also have one or two elders, such as uncles or uncles, go with you. Firecrackers will be set off on the road.
When he arrived at the bride’s house, the bride’s house was closed, and the groom stuffed the money (gift money) through the crack in the door. Then open the door and go in. As the saying goes, it is called opening the door through a crack. Then it’s time to have tea (snacks and the like) at the woman’s house. There is a detail here that most wedding car owners know, that is, they have to press on the mat at the door. I don't understand what's going on either. For example, the woman is carried into the wedding car. But it seems to be rare now. This is what I remember as a kid.
On the return trip, there were still firecrackers on the road.
Return to the groom’s house within the specified time. This time is the most important. The man must drive all his relatives and friends out of the house. Only family members (parents, grandparents) can be in the house, and some families even close their doors. This is necessary because you can't guarantee that any ignorant child will jump in. Country people are very particular about this.
After these instructions are given, it’s time to show the newcomers in. At this time, the bride and groom were still in the car. The best man and the like who are going with him must get out of the car first and set off firecrackers. The house is filled with incense. Set out refreshments. After everything is ready, the bride and groom get off the car.
What needs to be explained here is that there is such a rule that the bride must enter the house with her left foot first, and it is best to take a long step. Because in the past, the house had a threshold at the entrance, which was called "five poles" in the local dialect. It is considered unlucky if the bride touches the threshold or something.
Go directly to the new house. There is a custom in the countryside called making red eggs. A piece of red paper is covered on the window of the new house. After the bride and groom enter the house, they will signal to people outside. At this time, you can crack red eggs. The troublemaker must be a boy. Preferably a junior. Candidates come from the hall to the table. But now there are some young people who do not have such juniors yet, so they are replaced by their peers. This is no longer important. The only condition is that he must be a boy. The so-called red egg-breaking means that children use a bamboo pole with a plastic bag tied to the end outside the window to pierce the red paper covering the window. He also said, "The faster you pound it, the faster it will keep you healthy." Haha, this is a bit rude. Immediately afterwards, the groom puts red eggs into the bag in front of the pole through the open window. It can be 4 or 6, but generally not 8. Must be an even number. There are also wedding candies, two boxes, four boxes, or six boxes, which must also be an even number. Have refreshments in the room.
Of course, you can skip the tea and do other things and no one will know.
After everything is settled, it’s time to eat cakes with my parents and grandparents. This is all also done "behind closed doors".
Then, relatives and friends come in, eat sweets and rice, and give red envelopes (red envelopes). White rice with sugar is called sugar rice, and all relatives must eat it. The rule is, no empty bowls. This means that the banknote must be left in the bowl. No wonder it has been said that there is no free lunch in the world. The elders give big red envelopes, currently it should be two hundred per person. Of course, you have money, you love to show off, and at the same time you are not afraid of others looking at you differently. You can give one thousand, ten thousand, whatever you want. If you're an ordinary person, just think about it, 10 yuan or 20 yuan is fine. The juniors should also be considerate, but the juniors have money to take, so the newcomers must give red envelopes to the juniors. This is the rule.
At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom got in the car and returned to their parents’ homes. My mother's family is hosting a luncheon. There is no need to say this. During the banquet, happy smokes and sweets were distributed. A toast to the wedding.
Return to the groom’s house in the afternoon. It's not as grand as it was in the morning. Basically just waiting for dinner. The dinner can be hosted at home or in a restaurant. But now I am still used to staying at home in the countryside.
One thing worth noting here is the seating arrangement. Nowadays, meals are usually served at a large round table for 10 people. However, even if you host 50 tables, the table where the newlyweds eat must be a square table. This is important. It must be placed in the northeast corner of the main hall. Seating arrangement, the largest seat, that is, the one in the northeast corner, must be the groom's uncle. My uncle is the eldest. Of course, if the house does not face north or south, or if it is in a hotel, then the door facing the door should be larger, and the door facing south should be rotated.
During the banquet, the bride and groom distributed wedding cigarettes and candies. At the same time, toast to the wedding.
The dinner was over and the wedding was almost completed. Of course, there are many interesting things to do in the countryside. For example, the bride's father-in-law should be teased during the dinner party. There are many ways to make this trouble, and they are not exhaustive. Some father-in-law then disappeared during the dinner party. Very fun.
This night, the bride and groom slept together legitimately for the first time. Do what you want to do. No need to worry anymore.
Also the next morning, the bride must serve tea to her parents-in-law. This is your first time, so pay attention.
That’s basically it. This is the custom of weddings in the countryside. Of course there are others. For example, the bride is not allowed to visit other people's homes within one month from the wedding day, and people of certain zodiac signs are not allowed to enter the new house within one month, etc. The former is less valued now. A few days after the wedding, the groom's uncle, aunt, etc. can host a banquet to receive the newlyweds. The newlyweds must prepare "receipts" (gifts for each other when going to the banquet).
Another point is that the newlyweds are not allowed to look in the mirrors at home, including those in the room, the rearview mirror of the car, etc. within a month. All covered with red paper. The term is one month.