Marriage Customs in Dongshan County, Fujian Province

I think the marriage customs in this area should be similar. I have some information here for your reference.

The counties and cities in southern Fujian are Quanzhou, Jinjiang, shishi city, Anxi, Yongchun, Nan 'an, Hui 'an, Dehua and kinmen county. Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Longhai, Xiao Yun, Zhangpu, Zhaoan, Changtai, Dongshan, Nanjing, Pinghe, Huaan, Longyan, zhangping city and Datian.

There are many kinds of dowry in Minnan marriage, including food, clothes, daily necessities and offerings to ancestors and gods. These dowries have special significance and are amazing. And it is also divided into several burdens! The first shipment was a gift of food. In dowry gifts, the most important etiquette is "pig's feet in front of sedan chair", and the front and rear legs should weigh ten to twenty kilograms to show the weight of the gift. Followed by the "four fruits", that is, rice fragrant sugar, wax gourd strips, rock sugar, tea and so on. It is called "Four Fruits Sweet" locally, which means happiness and sweetness. In addition, there are homemade sweet cakes and baked cakes in rural areas, which are called "pressing houses" and have the intention of starting a family. These things should be packed in two bamboo baskets, tied with red cloth strips or red paper strips, and sent to the hall and new house for worship, in order to have a baby early. In addition, you should also prepare meat, noodles, glutinous rice, cigarettes, wine and other foods. The second load is the suitcase for clothes. Things to wear will be relatively simple, and now there are not many clothes except those on the bride's back. However, if there are eight or ten sets of requirements in the era of ticket supply, there is a common saying that "nylon stockings needs four pairs and four shirts are authentic ..."! It can be seen that the bride's requirements for the number of clothes were tight at that time. Although we don't pay much attention to the number of clothes, some people have prepared antique red coats, red skirts, blue robes and white and yellow bodies (made of white and yellow cloth, two men and two women) for parents to use when they are 100 years old, to show that both men and women are kind and have a good family background. The third burden is the most ambiguous in dowry. It is a sacrifice to ancestors and gods. Generally speaking, there are several pairs of big red candles, several incense sticks, several strings of firecrackers, several packets of red envelopes (called "room head gifts"), and sacrifices such as rice cakes and snacks. All offerings should be even, such as the second, fourth and twelfth, for good luck. Then put them into two delicate red baskets, which are locally called "Hongsheng". In the nearby towns where Hakkas live, there is a custom of sending people's protection lamps (kerosene lamps) to the man's house, which is intended to make money and treasure. I use the most things, from color TV, refrigerator and motorcycle to sewing box. It is really everywhere. More traditional, it is called "three boxes". That is, a jewelry box is needed, which contains high-quality gold and silver jewelry and other valuables that parents marry to show that their parents are rich; Secondly, there are eight things in the dressing box, such as cuttlefish, rouge gouache, comb, mirror and red ribbon, which means that parents cherish their daughters; Thirdly, a sewing box contains scissors, a red ruler, needle and thread and other items used for sewing and cutting, which means that the bride is skilled and diligent. In addition, women's bath barrels (commonly known as "red-footed barrels"), pillows, towels, toothbrushes, cups, tea sets, washbasins and other daily necessities are readily available, which is the interest and feature of Minnan dowry. However, today, many customs have been replaced by modern marriage habits.

In Minnan folk weddings, there is always a "mother-in-law" who sings very well (also called "mother-in-law" who presides over the wedding), singing loudly throughout the wedding, which is solemn and humorous, adding a festive, peaceful and joyful atmosphere to the wedding. The first ceremony of the wedding is a symbolic grooming in the hall. The bride and groom comb their hair three times each. This is called "superior", which means that it has officially reached adulthood. At the bride's house, the "seeing off the bride" invited the bride to the class and shouted, "Please leave the class, please leave the class, and be a good person." When the bride sits down, she should sing: Sit up straight, sit up straight, the new person hurts. When matching tea oil, sing: tea oil is black. This year, this year, you will have Chap. Sing when combing your hair: three wooden combs and two grates (grates, that is, grates) give birth to a good character. At the head of the wedding procession, someone carries a bamboo with branches and leaves, commonly known as "sweeping bamboo", which means that the bride has "chastity" (chastity). A piece of pork is tied to bamboo. It is said that this is a sacrifice to the white tiger god who came to make trouble during the wedding ceremony, but it can turn evil into good. Then there is the bride's sedan chair (or sedan chair). At the back, someone chooses a "child bucket" in a cloth bag, which means that the bride has a baby long ago, and the person who chooses it can get a big red envelope, but I wish Song to be good at reciting: "Child bucket, lift it up, there will be consequences in the front garden." The bride must cry a few times before getting on the sedan chair (car) to show her reluctance, so that she can be happy after marriage, commonly known as "crying for a good life." The "wedding mother" wants to cover the bride with a purple handkerchief and sings: "The purple handkerchief covers the head, the bride is virtuous, and the groom can. In front of the cover, the bride is very popular; After the cover is finished, the couple will eat old, eat old and eat old. " After a few steps in the sedan chair, the bride will throw a folding fan from the sedan chair (car) into the road, which means to abandon her bad sexual addiction, commonly known as "putting the fan on the ground" (homophonic "releasing sex"), and "farewell to her married mother" sings: "Put the fan on, put the fan on, and the bride will have a good child." The wedding procession is back, but the sedan chair (car) can only be parked outside the threshold of the main room. At this time, the man's nephew held two oranges (homophonic "Ganji") in his hand, leading to the bride and being covered by an umbrella or rice screen, commonly known as "crossing the rice screen". "Send the bride" shouted loudly: "The bride please get out of the sedan chair and have a baby." When the bride enters the groom's house, she must first cross the "stove" burning with charcoal fire. In Minnan dialect, "charcoal production" and "reproduction" are homophonic in order to prosper. "Send the Bride" sings: "Smoke and fire, every spring, holding tea and grandchildren (boys) every other year. After meeting, the husband and wife are 100 years old. " Both the bride and groom worship heaven and earth, their ancestors and their parents. After the worship, I entered the bridal chamber. Then eat: "banquet" (also called wedding banquet). There are twelve dishes on the table, which means that every year is twelve months, and every month is happy. "Send the Bride" sings to the bride: "Eat pig's heart and love it * * * *; Eat pork liver, and the groom will make a fortune to be a big official; Eat chicken, and you will get married (start a family); Eating red dates is good every year. " Then there is "Bride Tea" ... On the second day of the wedding, the bride goes out of the bridal chamber to meet her relatives in the main room, commonly known as "going out of the hall", which is the end of the wedding. Later, "seeing off the bride" accompanied the bride to familiarize herself with the future labor path and place, indicating that the brides in southern Fujian love labor. Send your mother to get married symbolically instructs the bride to sing a song loudly when she is familiar with every job. When the bride arrives at the stove, she will sing, "Seven Morning Jun, the fire doesn't smoke. If you cook porridge, you will roll. " When the bride arrived at the well, she sang, "The well is clear, and the bride's hands are spiritual; Well water is clear, and the birth of Sun Fu will not stop. " The bride went to the pig feed tank to "send the bride" to call the pig? Huh? ,? Huh? ..... ",singing:" Stir the pot (swill) and it will float. Feed pigs like cows. Throw the pot on the wall, a nest of twelve little pigs. " The bride returns to her family for the first time after marriage, commonly known as the "first guest". Time varies from place to place, such as the next day, the third day and the twelfth day. The groom also goes with her and must come back at dusk. Commonly known as "sneaking around and giving birth to Chap (a boy)". The woman's family will send a pair of chicks to guide the way and two sugarcane with roots and tails (meaning sweet from beginning to end), which means that future generations will prosper; I also sent rice cakes (meaning step by step) for my son-in-law to take back, and the marriage ended here.