The newlyweds would say prayers to their ancestors and bid farewell to the bride's relatives. With the groom in front, they would walk to his family's home, each holding an umbrella and singing in echo. The groom's parents would welcome them at the front door, completing the wedding ceremony. Centuries ago, Shes cremated their dead, but by the 1940s earth burial was common. In addition, the third day of the third lunar month is a holiday on which no work is done.
Ancestor worship is the center of another festival on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.
Traditionally, every clan was symbolized by a dragon-headed stick, a sign of the Shes' totemic beliefs. Legend has it that Panhu and the princess had three sons and a daughter, who became the ancestors of the Shes. Shes used to worship a painting of their legendary ancestors and make sacrificial offerings to them every three years. Until education became widespread after the founding of the People s Republic of China, Shes believed in hosts and spirits. Superstition used to hamper people's minds and production.