Marriage Customs

Essay by NitaNotaHigh School, 10th gradeA, April 2004

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"My most brilliant achievement was...to persuade my wife to marry me." ("Wedding

Superstitions and Traditions") A quote from Winston Churchill. Marriage and it's customs are

very important parts of each culture. Every culture has their own special way to present a

marriage. Some customs may seem similar, while others are very different. Three of the different

cultures are the Chinese, the Jewish, and also American customs.

The Chinese can be very superstitious when it comes to marriages. They want all

the luck you can get to make, not just the ceremony, but the couples life together forever

as special as it can be. They have many different customs. They wrap the wedding

invitations in red and gold gift wrap, the colors of happiness and wealth. The Chinese believe

that you should choose an even number date for the wedding. They feel the more even

numbers the merrier. They also believe that nine is the most important number because in

their culture, nine means long and forever.

When giving the gift of Li Shi money, you

should either donate an amount of $99 or $999. The Li Shi is to be wrapped in a red

envelope. You must never give the couple a gift of a fan. Fan means disperse in Chinese,

which is a bad omen. Another thing you may not know about Chinese marriages is that

there is no formal wedding vowel in Chinese culture. The closest ritual to a wedding

vowel is that the newlywed couple must drink from two cups of wine that are tied

together by a red string. This is considered the gesture of binding commitment by the two.

A tea ceremony is a very important part of the Chinese culture. This is where the bride

arrives at the groom's home to serve...