Wedding traditions have and will continue to evolve over the years, varying from region to region, country to country. Unique and enchanting wedding traditions around the world are a reflection of the past. The exquisite etiquette and elaborate arrangements that manifest China’s abundant culture and rich history are perhaps typified by the kind of marital union that would have occurred in a wealthy family during the Qing Dynasty from the late 16th Century until the end of the 19th Century.
多年來，婚禮傳統一直在並將繼續演變，因地區而異，因國家而異。 世界各地独特而迷人的婚礼传统反映了过去。 体现中国丰富文化和丰富历史的精致礼仪和精心安排，也许是16世纪末到19世纪末清朝富裕家庭中发生的那种婚姻结合的代表。
Prior to China’s liberation (1949) from the yoke of feudalism, every marriage was required to adhere to the overriding rule of “fu mu zhi ming, mei shuo zhi yan” (parents’ commands and matchmakers’ words) and follow the principle, “meng dang hu dui” (a couple of the same class). Liberal romance and marriage was frowned upon by conservative people and led to many love-struck couples either eloping or doing a Romeo and Juliet. Elders cherished a conviction passed on from generation to generation; “Marriage is for continuing the ancestral line and creating alliances between families, thus the duty is too important to be left in the rash hands of the young”. Youngsters were puppets, treated like pawns, without freedom or rights, constrained by feudalism and unable to savour the nectar of happiness.
在中国从封建主义的枷锁中解放出来（1949年）之前，每段婚姻都必须遵守“fu mu zhi ming, mei shuo zhi yan”（父母的命令和媒人的话）的压倒性规则，并遵循“meng dang hu dui”（同阶层的夫妇）的原则。 自由浪漫和婚姻受到保守派的不屑一顾，并导致许多失恋的夫妇要么私奔，要么做《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。 长辈们珍惜代代相传的信念；“婚姻是为了延续祖先的血统，并在家庭之间建立联盟，因此责任太重要了，不能留在年轻人的轻率手中。” 年轻人是傀儡，被当作棋子对待，没有自由或权利，受到封建主义的限制，无法品尝幸福的花蜜。
The matchmaker (normally female) played a leading role in every marriage, acting as a buffer between the two parties, picking the potential nubile candidates and undergoing betrothal negotiations, during which her witty tongue was crucial to the parental decisions of both parties. The names, birthdays and horoscopes of the selected couple were presented to fortunetellers or astrological experts; after the go-between’s recommendation and fortuneteller’s confirmation, it would some- times be arranged for the young man and woman to meet in the presence of their parents, but in most cases, their first meeting only occurred on the wedding day. On such a first visit of the groom-to-be to his future wife’s home, he was required to present betrothal gifts (money, jewelry or valuable antiques) to his future in laws and the value of these were perceived as a reflection of his sincerity and commitment to the marriage. After accepting the gifts, the parents of the bride-to-be would sign an agreement to confirm that the couple was engaged. Breach of this would result in the return of all gifts and often severe compensation from the man’s family. After referring to a Chinese almanac, both parties settled on a propitious date and began thorough preparations.
媒人（通常是女性）在每段婚姻中都发挥着主导作用，充当双方之间的缓冲，挑选潜在的女性候选人并进行订婚谈判，在此期间，她诙谐的舌头对双方的父母决定至关重要。 被选中的夫妇的名字、生日和星座运势被提交给算命先生或占星术专家；在中间人推荐和算命先生确认后，有时会安排年轻男女在父母面前见面，但在大多数情况下，他们的第一次见面只发生在婚礼当天。 在准新郎第一次访问他未来妻子的家时，他被要求向他未来的姻亲赠送订婚礼物（金钱、珠宝或有价值的古董），这些礼物的价值被认为是他对婚姻的诚意和承诺的反映。 接受礼物后，准新娘的父母将签署一份协议，以确认这对夫妇已经订婚。 违反此事将导致所有礼物的归还，通常由该男子的家人提供严厉的赔偿。 在提到一份中国年年事后，双方商定了一个好日子，并开始了彻底的准备。
Our ancestors abided by many auspicious beliefs, espe- cially for a wedding referred to as “da xi zhi ri” (red-letter day). A strict Visual Identity system dictated the colours red or gold; definitely no black or white, reserved for funerals and other ominous events. On the night before the wedding, the bride-to-be stayed in her own home having her last dinner with her family as an unmarried woman while the groom-to-be slept with a virgin boy (which presaged that he would be blessed to have a son in the near future). In the bridal chamber, the newly made red quilted bed was adorned with “hong dou” (red beans), “hua sheng” (peanuts) and “gua zi” (melon seeds), often referred to as “zao sheng gui zi”, all symbolising the birth of a son, traditions that reflect the deep-rooted concept of a son being the only suitable candidate to continue the family line.
我们的祖先遵守了许多吉祥的信仰，特别是被称为“da xi zhi ri”（红字日）的婚礼。 严格的视觉识别系统规定了红色或金色；绝对没有黑色或白色，保留给葬礼和其他不祥的事件。 在婚礼的前一天晚上，准新娘留在自己家里，作为未婚女性与家人共进最后一顿晚餐，而准新郎则与一个处女男孩上床（这预示着他在不久的将来会有幸有一个儿子）。 在新娘室里，新制作的红色绗缝床装饰着“红豆”、“花生”（花生）和“瓜子”（甜瓜籽），通常被称为“zao sheng gui zi”，所有这些都象征着儿子的诞生，这些传统反映了儿子是继承家族的唯一合适候选人的根深蒂固的概念。
The red-letter day arrives, and the groom, wearing a bright red gown with a big red satin-made flower pinned on his chest, heads for the bride’s home over long consecutive waves of ear-splitting firecrackers, used to drive away evil spirits. As the groom arrives, fire crackers are set off again to urge the guards behind the door to open up promptly. However they will not abide unless the groom is generous enough to slip a stuffed red envelope into each of their pockets. Meanwhile, the bride is waiting anxiously in her bedroom in a tailor-made bright red mandarin gown embroidered with auspicious symbols; perhaps a phoenix, peony and an exquisite coronet. Her face, richly adorned with rouge and scarlet lip balm, is veiled in red satin. This traditional adornment is used to conceal the bride’s nervousness; the privilege of unveiling belongs exclusively to her husband.
红字日到了，新郎身着一件鲜红的礼服，胸前夹着一朵大红缎花，穿过一长波震耳的鞭炮，向新娘的家走去，鞭炮用来驱赶邪灵。 当新郎到达时，烟花再次被点燃，敦促门后的警卫及时开门。 然而，除非新郎慷慨地将一个装满红包塞进他们每个人的口袋，否则他们不会遵守。 与此同时，新娘穿着一件绣着吉祥符号的定制亮红色普通话礼服，在卧室里焦急地等待着；也许是凤凰、牡丹和精致的冠冕。 她的脸上装饰着丰富的胭脂和猩红润唇膏，被红色缎子遮盖着。 这种传统的装饰是用来掩饰新娘的紧张；揭幕的特权完全属于她的丈夫。
The groom is provided with dim sum upon entering the house. After a short time, and on a full stomach, he carries his bride out and firecrackers are lit once more. The bride’s parents follow, spreading a handful of rice and spilling a bowl of water behind the sedan chair,
新郎一进屋就得到了点心。 过了一小会，他吃饱了，把新娘抱出来，鞭炮再次被点燃。 新娘的父母跟着，在轿子后面撒了一把米，把一碗水洒在了轿子后面，
implying that just as the water and rice is gone for good, their daughter nominally is no longer counted as a part of the family; belonging forever to another, even in death.
暗示就像水和大米永远消失一样，他们的女儿名义上不再算作家庭的一部分；永远属于另一个人，即使在死亡中也是如此。
The bride takes a new pair of chopsticks and embroidered shoes with her, indicating the start of her new life in a new home that would remain so for the rest of her life. With butterflies in her stomach and a mixture of emotions rising in her heart, she sits quietly alone in the sedan chair, recalling her dying girlhood, think- ing of her secret love for the last time (often the bride loved another man) and enjoying her last moment of peace before starting a regimented life in an unknown place, while all around the beating of gongs and drums resound in her ears.
新娘带着一双新筷子和刺绣鞋，标志着她在新家的新生活的开始，这个新家将在她的余生中保持这种状态。 她肚子里有蝴蝶，心里有复杂的情绪，她静静地坐在轿子里，回忆起她垂死的少女时代，想着她最后一次秘密的爱情（新娘经常爱上另一个男人），在一个未知的地方开始有纪律的生活之前，享受着她最后的平静时刻，同时锣鼓和鼓声在她耳边回荡。
Upon arriving at his house, the groom dismounts from the horse first and shoots a bow towards the sedan chair to dispel any unlucky omens encountered along the way. Holding her groom’s hand, the bride steps out of the sedan chair and, in another dispelling of ill will, is led to jump over a bowl of fire. The couple are invited to sit down to enjoy a dish of boiled glutinous balls with brown sugar that symbolise union and the wish to conceive a son.
到达他家后，新郎先从马背上下来，向轿子鞠躬，以消除沿途遇到的任何不幸的预兆。 新娘牵着新郎的手，从轿子上走下来，为了消除恶意，新娘被引导跳过一碗火。 这对夫妇被邀请坐下来享用一盘红糖煮的粘球，这象征着团结和怀上儿子的愿望。
Soon the grand wedding ceremony begins. Escorted by her father, the bride enters the hall to the curious and complimentary gaze and sincere blessing of all in attendance. The groom takes his bride’s hand from her father, stands upright facing the Master of Ceremo- nies and following his order the couple kowtows three times; first towards Heaven and Earth, next to their parents and at last to each other. They now kneel down for a few moments, the bride behind the groom as an indication she rests in the palm of his hand; an implication of obedience. After serving tea to the senior family members and receiving their red envelopes, the couple finally ties the knot.
盛大的婚礼很快就开始了。 在父亲的护送下，新娘走进大厅，在场的所有人在场的人好奇和恭维的目光和真诚的祝福。 新郎从她父亲手中接过新娘的手，站直，面对仪式主持人，按照他的命令，这对夫妇鞠了一下三次头；首先朝向天地，在他们的父母旁边，最后向彼此。 他们现在跪了一会儿，新娘在新郎身后，这表明她坐在他的手掌上；暗示着服从。 在为老年家庭成员端茶并收到他们的红包后，这对夫妇终于结了婚。
To the newly-weds, what follows is the most expectant and to some couples who had previously not met, a crucial moment that could bring about joy or tears, rapture or desperation.
对于新婚夫妇来说，接下来是最期待的，对于一些以前从未见过面的夫妇来说，这是一个可能带来喜悦或泪水、狂喜或绝望的关键时刻。
Sitting on the bridal bed decorated by red paper cuttings, the groom uses a measuring scale beam to unveil the bride, an action known in Chinese as “chen xin ru yi”. They cut a lock of each other’s hair and bind them together, signifying the unbreakable family bond and after drinking the wedlock wine, the couple go out to welcome and toast guests at the banquet.
新郎坐在用红纸切割装饰的新娘床上，用测量秤的横梁揭开新娘的面纱，这种行为在中文中被称为“chen xin ru yi”。 他们互相剪了一绺头发，把它们绑在一起，象徵著牢不可破的家庭纽帶，喝完婚酒后，这对夫妇出去在宴会上迎接和敬酒的客人。
At night, guests rush to the bridal chamber where un- folds a frenzied and exhilarating “nao dong fang” (wedding horseplay).
晚上，客人们冲到新娘室，在那里拉开疯狂而令人振奮的“nao dong fang”（婚礼马戏）。
At the prompting of mischievous friends’, the couple act out a series of pranks, such as simultaneously biting the same apple. As bedtime approaches, guests shall be dismissed but the more playful will secretively stay outside to eavesdrop. The bride will not go to bed until the wedding candles have burnt out for fear of incurring bad luck. Should the unruly guests also escape with the groom’s clothes, the next morning he shall also need to slip them a red envelope to recover them.
在调皮的朋友的催促下，这对夫妇表演了一系列恶作剧，比如同时咬同一个苹果。 随着就寝时间的临近，客人将被解雇，但更爱玩的人会秘密地呆在外面偷听。 新娘不会上床睡觉，直到婚礼蜡烛熄灭，因为害怕带来厄运。 如果不守规矩的客人也带着新郎的衣服逃跑，第二天早上他还需要给他们一个红包来找回他们。
Fast forward to modern China where universal customs such as wearing red gowns and setting off fireworks are retained. Certain areas have also preserved their own traditions. In my hometown (Southern Jiangsu province), the groom will eat a poached egg with vermicelli (implying fertility and longevity) upon entering the bride’s house whilst in Fujian province, a wedding banquet usually lasts for three days with dinners set in both homes. In Shanxi, crying during the marriage ceremony is expected; the folklore goes that if the bride cries on her wedding day, accompanied by her mother and sisters, they will be blessed with wealth and good fortune in the future.
快进到现代中国，那里保留了穿红袍和放烟花等普遍习俗。 某些地区也保留了自己的传统。 在我的家乡（江苏省南部），新郎在进入新娘家时会吃一个加粉丝的荷包蛋（暗示生育和长寿），而在福建省，婚宴通常持续三天，两户家庭都安排晚餐。 在山西，人们期望在婚礼上哭泣；民间传说，如果新娘在婚礼当天在母亲和姐妹的陪同下哭泣，他们将来会得到财富和好运。
While modern Chinese weddings have in many ways copied the western format, the differences between them remain influenced by their distinctive culture and values. No matter where in the world it occurs, marriage is predominantly the joining of two individuals as a couple, with hope and expectation that two willing hearts be determined to stick together through thick and thin. While some may argue that the institution is outdated, time has not changed the wish of every young woman, Chinese or foreign; to walk down the aisle, or be carried in a red sedan chair, to her “zhen ming tian zi” (Mr Right).
虽然现代中国婚礼在许多方面都模仿了西方的形式，但它们之间的差异仍然受到其独特的文化和价值观的影响。 无论在世界何处发生，婚姻主要是两个人作为一对夫妇结合，希望并期望两颗愿意的心决心在风雨中团结在一起。 虽然有些人可能会争辩说这个制度已經過時了，但时间并没有改变每个年轻女性的愿望，无论中国还是外国；走在过道上，或者被红色的轿子抬向她的“zhen ming tian zi”（右先生）。