THE PROPOSAL

The process begins with an elaborated marriage proposal and acceptance.

A Chinese marriage that does not observe proper Chinese customs is invalid in the eyes of most Chinese.

The important parties in a proposal and betrothal were the parents rather than the bride and groom themselves.

--- Information gathering:

    It is the investigation of the background of the bride and her family. The reputation and social status are important. The groom’s family needs are to be assured. The personality, character and behavior of the bride are above reproach.

   The boy’s parents would send the go-between to present the gifts to the girl’s parents and to sound out their feelings about the match. If the proposal was well-received, the go-between would obtain the date and hour of the girl’s birth recorded on a formal document.

   The groom‘s family would place this document on the ancestral altar for three days. If no inauspicious omens the information will be evaluated for an astrological expert to confirm that they would make a good match. If all both outcomes were favorable, the two families will exchange their family records/family tree.

--Negotiation:

    When both families are satisfied, the parents will negotiate on the amount of dowry expected, the tables allocated for the wedding banquet and choice of a suitable date for the marriage. Negotiations can be done directly or through a middleman.

--Engagement:

   After negotiations are ended, the engagement is announced. The bride and groom exchange rings and a dinner is held for close relatives.

--Wedding Dowry:

    The dowry will be presented to the bride’s family according the agreement. The dowry is a symbolic compensation to the bride’s family for the loss of their daughter. The dowry must comply with the status and wealth of the groom’s family. A notification of the date of marriage and further wedding details follow the presentation of the dowry.

  

Citation:

<!   http://www.chcp.org/wedding.html

<!   http://www.china-tour.cn/People-And-Customs/Chinese-Marriage.htm

The Chinese marriage perpetuates and ensures the survival of the family 

                 

 --Chief Objectives in the Chinese Wedding:

1- Joining and enhancing the two families and ensuring succession with numerous descendants.

2- Reverence to parents and ancestors.

3- Omens to encourage fertility and wealth.

4- The bride’s incorporation into her husband’s family.

  

   Since ancient times, Chinese wedding are steeped in traditions that add happiness to the wedding. It also gives blessings that no other wedding customs can replace. The Three Letters and Six Etiquettes have been a basic principle to marriage. It has been practiced since 206 BC making traditional wedding both impressive and unforgettable;

             

           --Three Letters:

  1-The Betrothal Letter . Formal document of the engagement.

  

 2-The Gift Letter  (It would be given to the girl’s family)

. a list of the types and quantity of gift’s designated for the wedding.    


3- The Wedding Letter  (It was prepared and presented to the bride’s family on the day of the wedding)

       . a document that confirmed and commemorated the formal acceptance of the  bride into the bridegroom's family. 

                                                                                                      

                         

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                   
                              --Six Etiquettes:

  1- Proposing:

         . The boy’s parents identify a girl as their future daughter-in-law through a matchmaker.

   2- Birth Date Matching:

         . The matchmaker assures the compatibility of the potential bride and bridegroom.

   3- Presenting Betrothal Gifts:

         . The bridegroom’s family present betrothal gifts and a betrothal letter to the bride’s family.

   4- Presenting Wedding Gifts:

         . Send wedding gifts to the bride’s family (depending on local customs and the family wealth).

   5- Picking a Wedding Date:

         . To select an auspicious date to hold the ceremony.

   6- Wedding Ceremony:

       . The bridegroom departs with a troop of escorts and musicians to the bride’s home, and after that

          she is escorted to the bridegroom’s home and the wedding ceremony begins: The couple vows to   

          Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors, and parents successively.

Citation:

-           www.chcp.org/wedding.html

-          www.chinatour360.com/culture/marriage-customs.htm

                                   “Chinese Wedding Traditions “

1       ) Introduction: Chinese Weddings are very typical and different from others

                          weddings.

2       ) The Proposal  (Niurka Hernandez)  

·       The process began with an elaborate marriage proposal and acceptance.

3       ) Preparing for the Wedding’s day ( Marcel Mollinedo )

·       The "Hair Dressing" Ritual

·       The "Capping" Ritual

·       The Bride’s Journey to the Groom’s House

4       ) Wedding day and Post-Wedding Ritual  (Yanelis Marin)

·       The Wedding Day 
·       After the Wedding

·       Three Days After the Wedding

In his first book of stories since The Bridegroom, National Book Award-winning author Ha Jin gives us a collection that delves into the experience of Chinese immigrants in America.

A lonely composer takes comfort in the antics of his girlfriend's parakeet; young children decide to change their names so they might sound more "American," unaware of how deeply this will hurt their grandparents; a Chinese professor of English attempts to defect with the help of a reluctant former student. All of Ha Jin's characters struggle to remain loyal to their homeland and its traditions while also exploring the freedom that life in a new country offers. Stark, deeply moving, acutely insightful, and often strikingly humorous, A Good Fall reminds us once again of the storytelling prowess of this superb writer.