Chinese Contemporary Marital Customs.docx
- 文档编号:24160027
- 上传时间:2023-05-24
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:27
- 大小:36.72KB
Chinese Contemporary Marital Customs.docx
《Chinese Contemporary Marital Customs.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Chinese Contemporary Marital Customs.docx(27页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
ChineseContemporaryMaritalCustoms
ChineseContemporaryMaritalCustoms
Preface
Marriageandfamiliesfoundedthroughmarriageconstitutethebasiccellsofthesociety.Itinvolvesamulti-layerrelationshipbetweenneighborsandotherelementsinthecommunity,anditissoregardedbytheChineseasthetopissueofthemoralityofhumankind.
Weddingceremonyistheritualconductedwhenthecoupledecidestoestablishamaritalrelationshipandthroughwhichtheycanwinovertheapproval,recognitionandprotectionofthecommunity.Theprocedureoftheweddingceremonyactuallyreflectsthevarioussocialandculturalnotions.
TheweddingcustomsinancientChinaincludesthewholeprocedureofritualsfromthenegotiation,engagementtoweddingceremony.Everystep,everyactionandeveneverypieceofutensilusedinthewholeworkofweddingceremonyinwhichthefamiliesinvolvedattachgreatimportancetoaresocloselyrelatedtosocialcustoms,economicdevelopmentandculturalevolutionofthecountry.Thereforetheritualitselfconveysspecifichistoricalsignificance.
Chinahasundergonesomedramaticchangesintheeconomy,society,cultureandwaysoflifeinthepastcenturyandsohastheperceptionofweddingceremonybycontemporaryChinesecomparedtotheirancestors.Asaresult,thecontemporaryChineseemphasizemoreontheoutcomeofrelationship-seekingthanthatprocessofseekingit.Bytakingtheprocedureofnegotiation,engagementtoweddingritualsonlyastransitionalandceremonialactions,theyregardtheweddingbanquetasthecoreofthewholeceremony.However,itdoesnotreallymeanthepoweroftraditioncontainedintheoldfolkcustomshasfadedawayalongwiththechangeofceremonialforms,someofthetraditionalritualsandfolkcustomshavebeenpreserveduptillnow.
Withthisexhibition,ourintentionistoshowcasetheweddingcustomsofcontemporaryChina,exploretheoldelementsfrommodernweddingritualsandthroughthese,eventuallyexhibittoourdearaudiencesthechangeandinheritanceofthisancientculturalheritageofChina.
PartIToMarryoffaDaughter
TheancientChinaisatypicalmalepatriarchalsociety.Thesystemevendefinesmarriagedifferentlyforthebrideandgroom.Whenawomangetsmarried,theChinesecharacteris“嫁”.Thecharacteriscomposedoftworadicals,fromtheleft“女”,whichmeans“female”,andtotheright“家”,whichmeans“home”,combiningtogetheritmeansagirlleavesthehomeofherparentswhengettingmarried.Inspokenlanguage,itiscalledtomarryoff.
InancientChina,awomannolongerbelongedtothefamilyclanofherparentsaftershegotmarried,andshehadtoputherhusband’sfamilynamebeforehers.Fromthatdayon,herhonoranddisgrace,thesacrificetoherafterherdeathhadnothingtodowithherparents’familyanymore.Therefore,agirl’sparentswouldstrivetogiveheraluxuriousweddingceremonysincetheytookitasthelastthingtheycoulddofortheirdaughter,andbydoingsoitmighthelpsolidifyherstatusinherhusband’sfamily.Hence,thepreparationbeforetheceremonyturnedouttobethemostcomplicated.
IncontemporaryChina,thesocialstatusofwomenhasgreatlyupgradedcomparedtothatinthepast,andyettheterm“marryoff”isstillkeptinthedailylanguage.
1Match-Making
InChina,match-makerisalsocalledRedMaidortheOldManoftheMoon(GodofMarriage).
TherehasbeenatabooinancientChinaforyoungcoupletomakerandomacquaintance,andamarriagehadtobeproducedbymatch-makingonly.Eveniftheyoungcoupletheyloveeachotherandwishtogetmarried,ithastobearrangedbythematch-maker.Amarriagewithoutmatch-makingisimmoralandillegalinthecommunity.
Normally,theboy’sfamilysendsamatch-makertothegirl’sfamilytoraisetheproposal.Ethicalcustomsalwaysconsiderfemaleasrareondemand,thereforeit’simproperforagirl’sfamilytomakeaproposalevenifbothfamiliesenjoyequalsocialstatus.Wecanevenfinditstraceintoday’sChina.Thegirlpreferstheboytotaketheinitiativetogoafterherratherthanthecontrary.
EventhoughthefreedomofmarriageisverycommonnowinChina,therearestillroomsforsuchmatch-makers.Manykind-heartedpeopleorprofessionalmarriageagencieswillintroduceyoungpeopletoeachotherandhelpthemstarttheirownromance,becauseintheoldtradition,match-makingisstillaveryimportantconductofbenevolence.
2SizeupaProspectiveMateMeeting
Thefirsttimeamanandawomanmeetunderthearrangementofthematch-makerisreferredtoas“amatchmakinginterview”.
TheancientChineseisfastidiousaboutyoungpeople’sobediencetotheirparentsconcerningmarriagematters,whichmeansthatmarriagebetweenyoungpeopleshouldbedecidedbytheoldergeneration.Hence,theactionofamatchmakinginterviewusuallyinvolvestheparentsfrombothfamilies.Forinstance,theboy’sparentswillmeetthegirl,orthegirlsparentsmeetwiththeboy.Someopen-mindedparentssometimesallowtheyoungcoupletomeetinaninformalorcoincidentalmanner.IncontemporaryChina,youngpeoplehavethefullrighttomaketheirowndecisiononmarriage,sothemeetingcanbeaccomplishedbytheyoungpeoplethemselves.
Intoday’sChina,therearesomespecialwaysforyoungpeopletomeeteachother.SomeTVprogramsenableyoungpeopletochoosetheir“theotherhalf”throughplayinggamesandansweringeachother’squestions.Whilstwinningoverabigaudience,theseprogramsareproventobequitehelpfulinforgingloveaffairsformanyyoungpeople.
3.ToPledgeTheRelationshipofLove
Afteracertainperiodtimeofassociation,theyoungcouplewouldpledgetherelationshipoffiancéeandfiancé,soitiscalled“confirmationoftherelationshipoflove”.
TheChineseattachgreatimportancetotheconfirmationoftherelationshipoflove.Atthistime,theyoungfiancéeandfiancéwouldpresenttotheirbelovedonessomesmallportableitemssuchasfans,handkerchief,smallornamentsthatcanremindhim/heroftheirlove.Ancientscholarsprefertouse“readbeans”topledgelove,soit’salsocalledthe“loveseed”.Nowadays,thepopularwayoflovepledgingincludetheexchangeofrings,takingaphototogetherandsomeromanticwaysuchasplantingtreeastheeyewitnessoflove.
OntheTianDuPeakoftheHuangshanMountainincentralChina,thereisanastoundingviewthatthousandsoflockstiedontothesafetychainsofthepassageway,theyarecalledthelockoflove.Theyoungpeopleinlovewouldhooktwolocksontoeachotherandthenontheironchains,andthrowthekeysdownthevalley,symbolizingthatthetwolockswillstaylockedforeverandsowilltheirlove.
4MeetingoftheParents
Whentheyoungpeopleinlovestarttotalkaboutthewedding,itisacustomthattheparentsfrombothsideswillholdaformalmeetingaroundthelovepledgingday,whichmeansthatbothfamiliesapproveandconfirmthisloverelationshipofthetwoyoungpeople.Meanwhile,itisalsoagoodtimeforthetwofamiliestogettoknoweachotherandgetacquainted.Theceremonyiscalled“meetingofparents”.IncontemporaryChina,manyChinesefamilieshaveonlyonechild,themarriageofsonanddaughterreallymeansforgingalong-termrelationshipbetweentwofamilies.Soitisofgreatimportancetothemall.
Theothertangiblefunctionofthemeetingistodiscussanddeterminethedetailsoftheweddingdate,thedivisionofresponsibilitiesoftheweddingceremonyandtheshareofcost.Whenanagreementisreached,thetwofamilieswillstartworkingonthepreparationoftheweddingfortheirchildren.
5Pre-MaritalMedicalExamination
Normally,theyoungpeoplewouldgotohospitalandundergoamaritalhealthcheck-upbeforetheweddingincaseofanydiseaseunsuitableformarriageaspeoplepayhighattentiontoreproductivecapabilityandqualityofchildren.
InancientChina,therewasaspecialwayofthepre-maritalhealthexamination.TheancientChinesecalendarsystemisdescendeddownfromoldtimes.Aso-called“zodiaccycle”consistsof12yearsrepresentedby12differentkindsofbirthanimals.Whatthosefortune-tellersnormallydowastocollecttheyear,month,dateandexacthourofbirthofthetwoyoungpeople,aswellastheirbirthanimalstomakeajudgmentonwhetherthetwowillmakeaharmoniousfamilywithoutanyobstructiontoeachother.Oncethefortune-tellermadethenegativejudgment,bothfamilieswouldforbidthemarriageevenifthetwoyoungpeoplearedeeplyinlove.Suchcustomremainsinfewremoteareasasamaincauseofmanytragiclovestories.
Asveryimportantinformationintheprocessofmarriage,agirl’sbirthdatewasconfidentialtothestrangers,andprettymuchsotoday.Thereforenowadays,itisinappropriatetoaskagirl’sbirthdayunlessyouareveryfamiliarwithher.
6.MarriageCertificate
Afterthepre-maritalhealthexamination,thetwoinlovecanregisteratthelocalgovernmentagenciesconcerned,applyforthemarriagecertificateandbecomealegitimatecouple.
ThefirstlawissuedafterthefoundationofthePeople’sRepublicofChinawastheLawofMarriagein1950.Itdemolishedthefeudalelementsintraditionalmarriageandfoundedtheprinciplesforfreedomandmonogamyofmarriage,andadjustedthefamilyrelationshipdominatedwithrigiddistinctionsofstatusandfeudalelements.
Similartotheweddingcertificatetoday,inancienttimespeopleusedtomakethreewrittendocumentstoguaranteealegalmarriage,namelythe“documentofengagement”,whichwouldestablishthemaritalagreementbetweenthetwofamilies,the“OfferingsList”,whichwouldwriteoutallthegiftspresentedbythegroom’sfamily,andthe“Lettero
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- Chinese Contemporary Marital Customs
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)