A Wedding in South China

Abstract

A wedding in South China is characterized by gay and noisy parades, and big and elaborate feasts. It is more attractive and expressive of merriment than an American wedding, but is less solemn and almost too trivial to mark the turning point of the history of two lives. There is no occasion, unless it is New Year, in China which gives a greater pleasure to youths and children than a wedding. There is nothing which grown people as well as children so thoroughly enjoy. Every person in town may enjoy seeing the parades and every friend or relative, no matter how distant, is invited to participate in the feasts which are prepared at the wedding. Since a wedding is such an elaborate affair, it is not confined to one day. ceremonies begin at least ten days before the actual marriage. They begin with what is called in the Cantonese dialect The of the big parade. This passing of the big parade is a gift made by the bridegroom's parents to the bride's family. Unlike the gift which is either delivered by the postman or expressman, it is one that is carried in trays measuring three feet by six by twenty or thirty men dressed in festive costume. gift consists largely of eatables, such as cakes, candies, nuts, ham, both cooked and live geese, chickens and ducks. Besides the eatables there are two or three articles which are meant especially for the bride. They are ornaments for the hair and a small sum of money. bride's family accepts almost everything in the trays. In order to show their gratitude and appreciation they send back in the trays their good wishes, which are expressed in small red packages of money and also baked pigs, which are a sign of prosperity. As both families are unable to consume all the eatables on hand, they distribute them among their friends and relatives. While they are making this distribution they take the occasion to invite the wedding guests. From the time the invitations are issued to the wedding day the two families are busily engaged in