What are the wedding customs in Shexian County?

A man proposes, a woman marries, and his son is old (not yet an adult in the old society). His parents say he is a daughter-in-law. Both men and women choose marriage on the basis of suitability, diligence, frugality and decency. After Anonymous was selected, she found someone who could talk to her family to propose marriage. Family members often secretly observe and inquire about her personality, appearance and family situation on the grounds of "waiting for an answer". During the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution, both men and women attached great importance to family background, and poor peasants were the best choice. It is desirable for people with skills to earn money. According to the date of birth, the two sides invited "Mr." to "get married" to see if the animals were harmonious. There are some sayings, such as "once a white horse committed a green ox, a sheep divorced a mouse, a golden rooster committed a dog, a sheep and a tiger failed to get to the end, a dog and a monkey got married, a tiger and a snake became enemies, and a dragon and a rabbit exchanged tears", "a snake dish rabbit", "a monkey rode a sheep" and "tiger and dog gold". After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the majority of young people scoffed and married.

A thank you is an agreement. The two sides agreed to choose two days to hold a thank-you ceremony. On that day, the woman's relatives and friends gathered at her home. The matchmaker led the man and his entourage to the woman's house with some colorful clothes, money and red ropes. So Xie Qin is also called "even the red rope". Later, the woman's elders accompanied her to the table. At the same time, the woman cooked noodles and sent them to her neighbors in bowls until she knew her daughter was engaged. There is a place in the county where "thanking relatives" is called "settling things". The procedure is quite simple. The man's matchmaker accompanied him to send the bride price and money to the woman, indicating that the matter has been settled.

After the engagement, the woman asks for the bride price through the matchmaker and refers to other families. If you want money and things, write a gift list on red paper, which generally includes furniture, cash, clothes, miscellaneous colors (that is, cloth and cotton), grain and oil, jewelry (not needed now) and so on. In the 1950s, marriage did not require a bride price, just two sets of clothes, a headscarf and two pairs of socks. In the 1970s, sewing machines and bicycles were added. In the 1980s, color TV sets and tape recorders were added. In the 1990s, refrigerators were added to those with good conditions, and gifts were made in duplicate, one for men and one for women. And agreed to give the woman money according to the content. Some "all-in-one" packages are discounted according to the gift list and paid to the woman herself. In the old society, when preparing the bride price, the man picked up a "vegetable pile" (a wooden container similar to a round cage) and gave it to the woman. Give it directly to the woman's house today. In addition, every Spring Festival, local temple fairs and spring and autumn seasons, the man will give the woman money to buy clothes, regardless of the length of time, until marriage, and the amount given will also follow the local "big stream".

Choosing a date means deciding the date of marriage. Ask the fortune teller to choose "Ji Yue" and "auspicious day" according to the date of birth. Any day in the twelfth lunar month is an auspicious day, which is called "rushing chaos". In the old "black year" (that is, spring is not seen at both ends of the year), there is also a saying that "no proposal will be made in the first month". In addition, both men and women created an auspicious day for sewing clothes and quilts, and invited four women with different surnames to help, avoiding widows and pregnant women. A man's family should wrap red flowers on his horns, which means "glory and wealth". In addition to sewing clothes and quilts, women have to make a pair of shoes for their husband's family. More than ten days before the wedding, the man sent the fried "dried sesame candy", commonly known as "powder" and "fruit", to the woman, who then sent it to relatives and friends to inform the wedding date and express his invitation, commonly known as "Xiao Hua". The "flower elimination" move was also carried out by the man. Similar classmates and colleagues just pass it on to each other, and then send quilts, washbasins and other things or money as gifts.

The day before the in-laws are invited, the man will invite the woman's grandfather, father or uncle to his house for dinner. On that day, the man also sent someone to pick a laundry list and sent all kinds of pasta and meat dishes to the woman's house the next day. In-laws are very popular in the county, but not in some parts of the county.

On the wedding day, the two sides hung red cloth on the eaves of the gate, and a couplet was posted on the door of the man's gate. The word "happy" is posted on the "wall" in the hospital, and the tree is wrapped in red paper. In some places, the water inlets and sewers on houses are covered with red paper to avoid bad luck. Stick red paper strips on both sides of the cave entrance, tie wheat straw and two black charcoal sticks to prevent evil spirits from getting in. In the morning, a dozen relatives of the woman's family sent the dowry to the man's house. When people are not free, put their belongings in the locker and leave for dinner. The man set off for the wedding. In the old days, officials played the role of "deacons" to clear the way, there were two sides of the dragon and phoenix generous table, and there were two sides of the "avoidance" and "silence" cards, which non-official people could borrow. Behind the juggling team are two eight-carried sedan chairs, a man with a red left shoulder and a flower arrangement on his hat, which is a metaphor for "marrying a daughter-in-law to go to school". After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the sedan chair was abandoned and the marriage was simple. During the "Cultural Revolution", it was emphasized that heavy make-up was not allowed, and people should walk home on the wedding day, and they were not allowed to see off guests and play, so they should be frugal. It is more wasteful to take a limousine now. In the wedding ceremony, the two brothers were all wrapped in red, including women in red clothes, women in red hoods and women in headscarves. Firecrackers rang to the woman's house and the woman's elders greeted the banquet. Married women put on red flowers and "sedan chair shoes" (these shoes can't touch the ground before entering the bridal chamber, so they can't be worn at the man's home in the future, so they can't be worn when they return home), and eat "monk meals" after makeup. After the banquet, let the man's younger brother steal a hip flask, a ball of cotton and a pair of chopsticks (taking the long-term flowering and bearing of children as an example). When the groom arrived at the courtyard, the woman wore red on her right shoulder, saying "red cross", and the bride covered her head with red cloth, which was carried from the kang to the sedan chair by her uncle. Not anymore. Relatives and uncles, aunts, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, brothers, sisters, etc. Then say avoid washing away the joy. When crossing a crossroads or bridge, burn a whip to ward off evil spirits. If another married couple meets, the mother will exchange gifts (such as towels and handkerchiefs). There are friendly people in the village who put wine glasses on chairs and call them "wine tables". The groom bowed to thank them and rewarded them a little. The sedan chair does not land until the door, and the man's aunt or sister-in-law wraps money for the bride with red paper, commonly known as "getting off the sedan chair." If there is less money, they will throw it on the ground until they are satisfied, and the drum music will stop. Those who are in tune with the bride avoid it. The bride holds a bronze mirror and a loom shuttle, and then her uncle or uncle takes her out of the car, crosses the saddle, crosses the plowshare and sprinkles "five grains" (five kinds of grain) on her body. The bride went to the bridal chamber kang and faced the "XiShen" table (in the predicted day, it was placed in the direction of XiShen). The groom, aunt and sister-in-law go in, close the door, uncover her hair and comb her hair. After seeing the guests off, they will go into the house to check the layout of the new house. If there are differences, bring them up with the matchmaker, and the man will correct them in time or give money, otherwise he will not attend the meeting. After the banquet, the man spent money to retrieve the locker key from the sender, commonly known as "unpacking money". Say goodbye to the bride and return. That night, the man held a banquet for the memory inheritor. After the invitation, men and women of all ages gathered in the new house to have fun, commonly known as "teasing the daughter-in-law" and "disturbing the bridal chamber" There is a saying called "three days without size". Sometimes the bride can't be angry, thinking that "the louder the noise, the happier." No one is making trouble, which shows that her prestige is low. The quarrel broke up in discord. Mother-in-law served "night soup" to her daughter-in-law, while aunts spread kang and put pillows on the couple. In addition to wheat straw, they also put chopsticks, red dates and walnuts, which means "early birth". Many people "listen to the room" in the candlelight night. If no one listens, my mother-in-law will put a broom outside the window of her new house as an audience and think it is lucky.

When the girl was sent away early the next day, her aunt or sister-in-law "put on her face", which means pulling the hair out of her face with two red lines, indicating that she is no longer a young girl. After dinner, the bride worships heaven and earth, her in-laws and her relatives and elders. All worshippers give money to kowtow, and there is a saying that "not kowtowing is short". Barry, accompanied by the groom, returned to her family. When a son-in-law meets his in-laws, he recognizes his relatives. Aunt, sister-in-law, elder sister and younger sister play with the groom by pushing and pulling, smearing pot ashes on their faces, buying candy money, etc., commonly known as "playing the son-in-law". Afternoon, grandma, mom, etc. Send their daughter to the man's house and the banquet will be back soon. The next day, for the sake of the amorous feelings of the county, I sent my daughter back to her family, not elsewhere.

On the third morning, the bride's brother (uncle in some places) went to the man's house. After a good meal, he told the girl to go back to her family, commonly known as "dog days". This woman is forbidden to bring back the clothes she wore when she got married. On the same day, the caller sent it back to her husband's house. On the ninth day, another person called and stayed for eight days before coming back, which is commonly known as "playing for nine days". There is a saying that "staying for nine is eight, and the two families are together".

1980, the procedure was simplified, and the clothes, wedding ceremony and daughter delivery were integrated in one day. With the promotion of new things and new offices, some young people abandon old customs and go out immediately after marriage, or choose national day, May Day and other anniversaries to invite friends to eat wedding candy, that is, to announce their marriage.