Lanzixie

In the traditional wedding custom in China, shoes are a kind of mascots, because they are homophonic with "shoes" and "opening", which is a symbolic folk custom. There is a gift as a wedding; It is necessary for marriage; Some of them became congratulations on the happiness of their new marriage. For example, young men and women of Maonan nationality are fond of each other. On the night of full moon, they are invited to the flower beds to tell each other their hearts and pour out their love, which is called "sitting at night". As long as both parties are willing to get married for a hundred years, they will give each other tokens when they sit together at night. Girls usually give boys a pair of "olive shoes", that is, cloth shoes with square squares formed by white lines on the soles. The young man usually gives the girl a "flower bamboo hat", and after giving each other tokens, it means that they have been married for life.

Childhood shoes

Among the Mulao people, shoes are also given to the younger generation by girls, token of love. The girl secretly measured the size of her lover's feet in the "walking slope" activity, sewed them with fine needles according to the size, steamed them in a steamer for more than ten minutes, took them out to dry, and gave them to her lover when they met later. He is a symbol of love. This kind of shoes are commonly called "shoes of the same age" because they are given to young people of similar age.

Huahuaqing

It is more interesting in the folk marriage customs of the Jing nationality. After men and women fell in love, the man asked the matchmaker to send a homemade lyric and a colorful clogs to the woman's house. The girl's family also took out a flower nest from her room. If the two sides are a match made in heaven, this pair of lovers is a match made in heaven; If it doesn't match, it means you can't be lovers. After the flowers are paired, they are sent to the gift box in time, commonly known as "sending flowers".

Silk and linen shoes

In the Han nationality, in some areas in the north, when getting married, the man's family should send silk and linen shoes to the woman's family, and the shoes must be in pairs, which means auspiciousness, harmony and never separation. At the same time, it also represents the bride to wear silk and linen shoes on the sedan chair, indicating that she misses her mother and does not forget her birth mother. Therefore, as a wedding gift, shoes also mean auspiciousness and harmony.

Tongxie shoes

In Wuhu, Anhui, when people marry a woman and prepare to get married, they must make a pair of shoes for the bride and groom, and integrate the bride's shoes into the groom's shoes. When the bride gets married, she takes her shoelaces to her husband's house. In Hefei, on the wedding day, the bride enters the bridal chamber to exchange shoes with the groom. The bride and groom wear each other's shoes, and "shared shoes" and "shared shoes" are homophonic, indicating that the wife and husband pray together.

Daoxu shoes

The "dancing shoes" of the Han nationality in Jiangnan area is the ceremony for the bride to enter her husband's family for the first time when she gets off the sedan chair, that is, the bride must put on the groom's shoes when she gets off the sedan chair, so it is also called "stepping shoes". "Shoes" and "Xie" are homophonic. It symbolizes the meaning of growing old together.

Shoes for changing feet

When the Naxi people in Lijiang hold a wedding, when the man marries the bride and enters the house, the bride first gives her in-laws a pair of shoes. When entering the bridal chamber, the person who saw the bride off deliberately threw a pair of shoes given to the groom by the bride into the depths of the new bed, forcing the groom to bend down under the bed to take them out and put them on. This kind of shoes is called "shoes for changing feet", which also means that husband and wife are together.

Grab the bride's shoes.

There is also a folk saying that wearing a bride's shoes to worship the world will bring good luck to her husband's family, and later it gradually evolved into an activity in a new house. For example, in Huizhou City, Anhui Province, when a girl gets married, her parents will specially make a pair of "bride shoes" for the newlyweds to wear when they worship heaven and earth. Before the bride dies, prostitutes always try their best to get "the bride's shoes" and force the groom to exchange cigarettes and candy for shoes to win everyone's laughter. There are many ways around; For example, among Ganxian people, people who "take off their shoes" do not hesitate to climb mountains and mountains, instead of staying at the only way for the bride to go to her husband's house all night, so as to seize the opportunity to grab shoes. In Xiuning County, when the bride's sedan chair entered her husband's house and the groom carried the bride out of it, the prostitute deliberately pushed forward and took off her shoes while the bride was unprepared. Because the bride's feet are forbidden to touch the ground, the groom has to carry her all the time.

Jiehuai take off your shoes

In Haizhou, Jiangsu, there is also a wedding custom of taking off your shoes. When the couple enters the bridal chamber and the deliveryman exits, the groom unbuttons a button for the bride, commonly known as "Xiehuai" (also known as "Xi"). It is generally believed that women start having children for fun); It means laughing early and being born early. After letting go of the chest, the groom sits on the edge of the bed, and the bride takes off her shoes and socks for the groom, commonly known as "taking off her boots", to show respect for her husband and take care of his daily life.

The bride wears tiger-headed shoes.

What is more interesting is the custom that brides in Chongming Island, Jiangsu Province wear tiger-headed shoes. On the island, when a woman gets married, she must wear a pair of tiger-headed shoes. It is believed that a tiger can subdue her husband by crossing the door.