Ancient Wedding Customs (Part 2)

The Three Core Rituals on the Wedding Day 1. Crying Bride and Hair Combing (Bride's Family) • Hair Combing Song: Before leaving, a 'Good Fortune Woman' combs the bride's hair while singing auspicious verses (e.g., 'Comb once for a smooth journey, comb twice for white hair side-by-side'). • Crying Marriage: Before leaving home, she must cry bitterly to express her reluctance to leave her parents. Folk belief also holds that 'the more you cry, the more prosperous your husband's family will be'; not crying is considered unfilial. 2. Warding off Evil Spirits Along the Wedding Procession • Stepping Over the Fire Basin and Crushing Tiles: Before entering the groom's house, stepping over a fire basin to dispel evil spirits with red fire, and crushing tiles to break bad luck. • Rice Sieve Shielding: When alighting from the sedan chair, the matchmaker uses a Bagua rice sieve to shield the bride's head (pregnant brides use a black umbrella instead to ward off evil), preventing the bride's divine status from challenging heaven and guarding against earthly malevolence. 3. Bowing Ceremony and Shared Drink (Groom's Family) • Three Bows: First bow to Heaven and Earth, second to parents, and third, the couple bows to each other, officially confirming their marital status. • Heqin Wine (合卺酒): Drinking wine together from a gourd split into two, tied with a red thread, in the bridal chamber. This is a precursor to the 'crossed-cups' wine, symbolizing sharing joys and sorrows. • Tying Hair: The couple each cuts a lock of hair and ties them together with a red thread, symbolizing a 'bound-hair couple' and eternal devotion.