El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-27
Guests Give to Wedding Feasts
Chinese Make Eating the Most
Important Feature Of Their
Wedding Ceremony.
By Madison c. Peters.
FARR1AGE customs in CHINA vary

MI widely. but such a thing as being
\ Il present at the ceremony" but
not at the wedding breakfast, is un-
I heard of. The Chinese have reduced
| the business OF eating to an exact
j science. and the sign Of friendship is TO
invite man TO a meal Weddings and
funerals. in the mere after Of eating
often reduce all but the very rich to
poverty. The Chinese find their high
est expression Of 10y" in eating and
. marriage feasts are especially charac-
Z teristic Of the Chinese
Every guest contributes a share OF
1 the feast; not TO bring any cOntribu-
ton is a grave offence against de-
cOrum and guests are expected to give
I at least twice as much IS they eat A
person who comes from another city
would lose caste II he did not give at
I least twice as much as the native Of
the place where the feast is given
In some regions only the women con-
tribute their share OF the food, while
the men, at that part OF the ceremony
where the bridegroom salutes the
guests with a prOstratiOn, as the name
Of eahc guest is called TO be thus hon
ored. hand over their contributions,
from 5 20 IS cents.
All invited attend either in person or
by a representative and nearly every
woman brings the children along, who
give nothing. but add 10 the expense.
Bridegroom Not Necessary.
It IS not an uncommon instance IN
which a Chinese Is married without
himself being present at all It Is an
i'll omen to change the date set for
wedding. especially 10 postpone II, and
IL sometimes happens that the young
man. away from home, fails to return
in time, or an examination may con-
flict with the date set for the wedding
and the bride will be taken delivery
Of by older members Of his family
without disturbing his studies.
Marriages are arranged by the
parents. The husband pays a sum 20
the bride. which, in some parts Of the
country amounts to a purchase, but
the girl generally spends it on her
clothes The CHIEF ceremony consists
in the relations, on both sides, making
presents to the bride and bridegroom
The bride ordinarily brings neither
presents nor dOwry TO the groom The
parents Of the bride fix the nuptiaI
day-in the spring, the first moon OF
the Chinese year. February is pre-
ferred- when the peach trees blossom
The choice OF a lucky day is consid-
cred so Important that If the calendar
should be uufaVOrable the ceremony IS
postponed for several months
A short time previous TO the day
fixed, the bridegroom is invested with
a cap At the same time the bride,
whose hair has until this time hung
down in tresses, has it turned up On
the wedding day the bridegroom,s
friends send him presents, among which
are live geese, which are carried in
the procession
Marriage Presases Death.
The brides gifts are mainly finery, [
while her sisters and female relatives
weep with her for three days until II Z
is time for her 10 leave her parents |
home The Chinese look upon the mar ]
rage Of their children as a presage OF !
their own deaths.
Weddings are evening affairs and I
when the stars begin to be visible the I
bridegroom comes with an ornamented /
sedan, a cavalcade Of lanterns. flags !
and music to fetch his bride Reaching I
the brideErOom's residence, the bride /
is carried into the house in the arms I
Of matrons and lifted over a pan OF 4
charcoal at the door. the meaning OF i
which IS not clear She soon after 4
comes from her bridal chamber with her
attendants into the hall. bearing
betal-nut and invites all TO partake.
After some ceremonies. in company 4
with the bridegroom, she is led back
to her chamber when she 10 unveiled
by her husband. The cup Of alliance Is ]
drunk together by the couple A ma
trOn. the mother Of many children, pro-
nounces the benedictiou-
The next three days the couple
adore the household gods and pay their
respects TO their families Then they
return to their chamber. where they
hold a reception The first month is
one round of pleasure and leisure
Brides Never Wear White
In China il would be as preposterous
for a bride to wear white at a wedding
rs it would to wear black in America
Under the old regime, the emperor only
Jared 20 have more than one wife, but
Chinamau may have as many arfln-
ties as he can afford. but they must
be obedient to the wife and treat her
IS the head Of the house.
II the wife elopes from her husband. !
The IS whipped Should she marry an