Marriage custom in Pingliang, Gansu Province
According to the date of birth of both parties, the wedding will be held. The day before the wedding, the woman fetes relatives and friends, commonly known as adding boxes and sending more money to buy jewelry, clothes and utensils. It is relatively simple for the woman to host a banquet at home. She chose some close relatives to accompany the girl to the man's house. This is called Sike. According to the family situation, a girl's dowry is usually a pair of boxes, blankets, clothes, shoes and socks. A pair of bowls, called clothes and rice bowls, are indispensable, which means that she will continue to find her husband's family in the future. The woman also needs to bring gifts to her in-laws, relatives, elders, brothers and sisters, mostly pillows, shoes and socks. This is given when meeting relatives at a wedding, and is often called bringing a gift.
In the past, the man's family had to prepare at least two sedan chairs or donkeys and horses on the wedding day, and marry according to the selected auspicious time. Gansu people used to get married, but the groom should not marry himself. Married people are single, so it is important to get married in pairs. There should be a woman among them, called married grandma. This person should choose an animal belonging to this genus. Her parents, husband and children are all complete, commonly known as omnipotent. When you go to the woman, you should bring a thank-you rope, that is, a gift cloth for her parents, as well as a recipe for steamed stuffed bun meat and wine.
When the bride came to her door, her son and nephew deliberately closed the door. Men's wedding guests put money under the door, and they open the door to invite guests to the wedding. Gifts are displayed in the hall. Thank this woman for her kindness to the ancestors of heaven and earth, to the elderly lady, to the children, and to the adopted daughter. After the two sides made concessions, the woman accepted. Immediately, the wedding guests were invited to the banquet, and then the bridesmaid dressed the bride, who put on a tunic and a headscarf. Before you leave the bride's house, you should take a pair of chopsticks in your hand and throw them on the ground to show that you don't want to take the bride's money. Our family. At the same time, the woman's family will secretly hide the things on the sedan chair, so that the son-in-law can pay for the redemption when he leaves.
When the bride gets on and off the sedan chair, relatives should hold her, preferably her uncle, which is also commonly known as holding the sedan chair. The bride cries when she leaves home, which is called crying to get married. The more you cry, the better, or you will be laughed at. When the bride's sedan chair arrived at the man's house, two bridesmaids went out to greet her, set off firecrackers and beat themselves with colored paper flowers sprinkled with salt and food to ward off evil spirits. At this time, people who belong to the zodiac will temporarily avoid it. The groom is waiting in the yard to welcome the bride to get married. Generally, men and women kowtow three times, then the new couple worship each other, and finally the guests. At this time, the host should say some auspicious words such as making money, enjoying happiness, respecting the old and loving the young, and having a baby early.
Later, the newlyweds toasted and kowtowed to their parents and close relatives, which is called respecting relatives. Some things, after a woman gets married, let her sister-in-law open the box for everyone to see. This is called knitting, which also intensifies the trend of comparison to some extent. Make a dress or bring shoes and socks for your new son-in-law.
The night before the wedding, the groom's family also chose a healthy middle-aged woman with many children to make the bed for the new house. When making the bed, she said. Make the bed, have many children and grandchildren, be a teacher, be a reincarnated girl, always be rich and auspicious, and sprinkle walnut and jujube candy on the kang. This is called correspondence account, which symbolizes reunion and early birth. At the same time, the groom's family should find an unmarried man of the same genus to keep the bed, commonly known as the bed press.
Return home: On the morning of the third day after the wedding, the newlyweds return home with gifts to pay New Year greetings to their parents and relatives. Go back to the door as soon as possible to avoid being seen by passers-by, and the reception at the bride's house should try to return before noon. When the bride walks into the kitchen, she will eat a piece to show her hands and face. This is called a knife interview to evaluate whether the bride's tea and rice skills are agile and capable. Within one month after marriage, the man will also bring a wine gift to thank the matchmaker. At this point, a grand wedding is over.