Wedding Customs Differences 中西方婚礼习俗差异

Wedding Customs Differences

between China and the Western

Ⅰ. Introduction

The 21st century is dominated by science and technology, which makes the whole world develop quite rapidly. Along with the development of the global tendency, different nations increasingly communicate with each other. In order to promote a better understanding between different nations, it is worthwhile to know more about different cultures. Since wedding is a moment that the couple promise to go though the rest of their lives with each other. There is no doubt that the wedding day must be one of the most splendid and unforgettable days in one’s lifetime. Therefore this paper aims to explore the different cultures between China and Western countries from the point of view of wedding customs and will list the major differences of Chinese and Western wedding so as to find out the interior factors that result in the differences.

There are a lot of differences between Chinese wedding customs and Western wedding customs from preparation stage for the wedding to the end of wedding. Chinese wedding customs are much more complex than Western wedding customs, especially in the wedding ceremony aspects. In the Chinese traditional wedding customs people stress more, for Chinese people are more conservative and traditional, but the open-minded Western people’s wedding is much simpler.

Besides, their different thoughts, different religions and different attitudes to marriage influence their wedding customs much, too. Chinese people mostly believe in Buddhism but Westerners have faith in Christianity, which decide the palace where the wedding is held and how complex the whole process is. Chinese people’s marriage is relatively stable. Because Chinese people always consider marriage as one of the most important things in life. Westerners’ concepts of marriage are extremely different from Chinese. They believe that marriage is purely a private matter, and no one can

interfere.

This thesis addresses the differences between Chinese wedding customs and Western wedding customs by analyzing the wedding procedures and the influences of different thoughts, attitudes and religions on the wedding customs. It is extremely important to understand the different cultures between China and Western countries, which will help us to correctly understand the words and deeds of Westerners in the intercultural communication, fully understand, and respect each other’s customs so as to get the best effect of communication.

Ⅱ.The Differences of Wedding Customs between China and the West

2.1. Pre-wedding

In china, the parents always prepare some dowry for their daughter. The bride’s dowry includes a scissor, a ruler, some sugar tablets, vases, a copper pot and a pair of shoes, which indicate fortune. There are also pairs of quilts, bed linen and pillows, some sets of clothes and so on, which means a good wish for their rich and nice life. Every item has its different meanings.

At the bridegroom’s home, there are also many things to be prepared. At first they must tidy and layout the bridal chamber, and the whole chamber must be decorated with red things, such as red candles, red quilts. People paste congratulatory couplets and large red Chinese character meaning “Happiness”in English on the doorframes and walls. And then they need to prepare some food, fruit, tea, and wine on the table, which will be used at the night of the wedding. At the same time the bridegroom must prepare some money packaged in red paper bags to thank some people on the day of the wedding, such as his bride’s brother and people who helped him. People think the money in a red paper bag from the bridegroom will bring them good luck and nice life.

In Western countries, when it comes to the preparations, we must talk about Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue,

2.2. Wedding

2.2.1 Wedding Location

In China, the wedding location usually is a better hotel around which the transportation is convenient, and the space is spacious. Because all kinds of ceremonies will be held there and many friends and relatives will be receipted there, the space must be enough big.

While in the Western, in order to highlight the solemn and holy, the wedding is generally held in the church or other relatively quiet places in good order. Relatively speaking, the Western wedding is less exciting than the Chinese wedding. What