Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-28
WEDDING IN CHINESE niGls
LIFE.
uatrImony Among the nongoI..


Among the pure Chinese, and especial.
" among the higher classes, wedding
is long and serious affair Flom the
almost Turkish strictness with which
females are secluded it is comparatively
rare that couple see each other previous
to betrothal and still more so that there
should be any acquaintance between
them. This has given rise to the necea-
sary employment Of character equiva-
lent to the Jazatan or marriage broker of
ancient Brittany, to Mr.. Foy's Partisan
Matrimonial Agency Office, or the daily
marriage advertisements of our own pa-
pers. If your wish is for marriage In
the abstract, the broker will find yon {.
fitting partner first, and negotiate the
transfer after. If you are less purely
philosophical. and wish to consult you,
own tastes rs well as the interests and
increase OF the nation, you are only to
name the party, and the broker becomes
your accredited ambassador. There is.
however, one preliminary point to be as
certained. Has your intended the sam,
surname as yourself? If so, it is n fatal
difficulty, MS the laws of China would
not permit the marriage. If, however.
she Is Chun and you are LIE, or she is
kwan or Yu, and You rejoice in any other
patronymic monosyllable, the next step
is for the broker to obtain from each n
tablet containing the name. age, date,
and hour of birth, etc. These are then
taken to diviner and compared, to see
II the union promises happiness if the
answer is favorable land crossing the
palm with silver is found to be as effectual
with fortune-tellers in China as it is else
wbere), and the gates nre equal, that is
if the station and wealth of the two fami-
lies are similar, the proposal is made in
due form. The wedding presents are
then sent, and if accepted the young
couple is considered as legally betrothed.
A lucky day must next be fixed for the
wedding, and here our friend the diviner
is again called upon. Previous to the
great day the bridegroom gets new hat
and takes new name, while the lady,
whose hair has hitherto hung down to
her heels in a single heavy plat, at the
same time becomes initiated into the
style of hair-dressing prevalent among
Chinese married ladies', which consist in
twisting the hair into the form of an ex-
aggerated teapot and supporting it in
that shape with narrow plate of gold or
jade over the forehead, and whole sys-
TEN Of bodkins behind it. On the we'd
ding morning presents and congratula-
tions are sent to the bridegroom. and
among the rest pair of geese; not sent
as we might imagine by some wicked wag
or irreclaimable bachelor, rs a personal
reflection on the intellectual state of his
friend, but as an emblem of domestic
unity and affection. The ladies', too, in
China, as well as elsewhere, indulge in
little fashionable crying on the occasion,
and 30 the relatives of the bride spend
the morning with her, weeping over her
impending departure, or, more probably
their own spinsterhood. They do not,
however, forget to bring some contribu-
tions for her trousseau. In the evening
comes the bridegroom with whole army
of his friends, procession OF lanterns,
n long red cloth or silk tapestry embroid-
cred with figure of the dragon borne on
pole between two men, and large red
sedan covered with carving and gliding,
and perfectly close. In this the bride is
packed up securely ont of sight, and the
whole procession, preceded by band of
music and the dragon, and closing with
the brides bandboIes, starts for home.
On arrival, she is lifted over the threshold,
on which pan Of charcoal is burning,
probably in order to prevent her bring
ing any evil influence in with her. She
then performs the kotou to her husbands s
father and mother, worships the ances-
trail tablets of her new family, and offers
betel-nut to the assembled
guests.
Up to this time she has been yelled, but
she now retires to her chamber, where |
she is unveiled by her husband she then
returns, again performs obeisance to the
assembled guests, and partakes of food
in company with her husband at this |
meal two cups of wine, one sweetened,
the other with bitter herbs infused in it, |
are drunk together by the newly married
pair, to symbolize that henceforth they
must share together lifes sweets and |
bitters. The bride then retires escorted
by the matrons present, some one of
whom recites charm over her, and ar
ranges the marriage couch. The next
morning the gods of the household and
the hearth are woishipped, and the six
following days are devoted to formal re-
ceptions at home Of different members of
the two families or equally formal visits
paid to the family, Of the bride. During
the whole of this period, she still travels |
in her red-and-gold sedan, and is still es-
corted by her band OF music and dragon.
Temple Bar.
A man should moi resiun-a AVIAN N up,hral