How Are Chinese Weddings Celebrated?

China is renowned for having a rich history with a culture full of traditions that make an impact on all aspects of life. It is no surprise, therefore, that Chinese weddings have their own set of traditions and customs that should be followed. These traditions can influence everything from the date the wedding occurs on to the food that will be served on the day!

Save The Date

Like many events on the Chinese calendar, astrology plays a huge part in when couples can get married. Based around the lunar calendar, there are certain times in the year where getting married is discouraged as it may bring bad luck to the marriage. For example, weddings will be avoided during the first month of the lunar year, when new year celebrations are taking place, as it is thought that this will clash with the luck brought in by the Chinese New Year celebrations. The third, seventh and ninth months of the lunar calendar are also avoided, as this is when the negative yin forces are at their strongest. Plus, the seventh month contains the ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’ and the ninth month the ‘Tomb Sweeping Day’, so these are clearly occasions you will want to miss for your wedding date! Finally, the sixth month of the lunar calendar is also given a miss, as this month marks half a year, implying that those marrying then will only have half a marriage. It is unlikely that a wedding will be held on a date with the number four in it as well, as this number is also considered unlucky in general.

Traditions and Customs

• After the couple become engaged, most Chinese people will host a party to celebrate the engagement. Unlike Western traditions, the groom’s family will typically pay for the actual wedding, with the bride’s family taking the bill for the engagement party instead.
• When choosing bridesmaids, girls who have the tiger as their zodiac animal will not be able to take part in the ceremony, or even enter the bride’s room, as they are thought to bring bad luck to the marriage.
• Traditionally, Chinese brides would wear a qipao, a beautiful red dress, usually made from silk. In the past, white dresses were only worn at funerals, but more and more Chinese brides are switching to the western-style white dress for their wedding.
• The bride’s family will provide a dowry to the groom the day before the wedding. Traditionally this would contain clothes for each of the four seasons, bowls and chopsticks for the bride and groom, a pair of pillows and money wrapped in red string. Nowadays, the dowry typically just contains money and jewellery. Likewise, the groom’s family will prepare a ‘betrothal gift’, which they give to the bride’s family. This will be an amount of cash decided on by both sets of parents.
• Red is a lucky colour in China, so red paper is usually added to the couple’s bed for their wedding night. Loganberries and jujubes are also often sprinkled on, as these represent that a baby will soon be added to the family!
• Guests at the wedding will bring red envelopes full of money as a gift for the couple.

On the Menu

The type of food served at a Chinese wedding will depend greatly on what region of China they are in. This is often due to the kinds of ingredients that are locally available being different around the country. The wedding banquet provides a chance to go all out on the food though, so the best dishes possible will be offered up for the day! There are a number of foods that are commonly served though, as they have lucky connotations. Lobster and chicken are typically dished up to guests as these represent the yin and yang, and as such, the bride and groom. Scallops are also a traditional wedding dish, as the Chinese word sounds the same as that for the phrase meaning ‘bringing a child into your life’. Therefore, scallops are enjoyed as a way of wishing the couple to have a child soon!

Another popular wedding ingredient is noodles, as they symbolise a long and happy marriage! Some couples also choose fish dishes, as the Chinese word for fish is a homophone for the word ‘abundance’. In some areas, a whole duck will be served up. It is served whole as this represents the completeness in the marriage. The duck also acts as a symbol of peace, unity and fidelity.

If you are looking for alternative gift ideas for a wedding, take a look at our beautiful Chinese tableware and tea sets!

Image Credit: Kenneth Lu