Qiang people's marriage custom culture

The marriage custom culture of Qiang nationality is a fascinating part of Qiang culture. Traditional weddings are complicated and grand. It is roughly divided into two stages: engagement and marriage. The engagement process is divided into three steps: "opening wine" (matchmaking), "small wine" (preparing a banquet for the woman's next of kin) and "big wine" (agreeing on the wedding date). There are five days before and after the wedding, including "Flower Night", "Formal Banquet" (also called "Formal Wine") and "Thank the guests".

Qiang nationality is an ancient minority in western China, also known as "the ethnic group on the cloud". Mainly nomadic. Legend has it that Yan Di tribe fought against Huangdi tribe 5000 years ago. After the defeat, Yan Di led most of them to merge with the Huangdi tribe, forming the Huaxia nationality (Han nationality); A few of them migrated to the west and south, and merged with local aborigines to form Tibetans and Qiang people.

?

Qiang people mainly live in Maoxian, Wenchuan and Lixian in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County and Pingwu County in Mianyang City, and the rest are scattered in Songpan, Heishui and Jiuzhaigou counties in Aba Prefecture, Danba County in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Dujiangyan area in Chengdu, Ya 'an area in southwest Sichuan, jiangkou county and Shiqian counties in Guizhou Province, ningqiang county and Lueyang counties in Hanzhong City of Shaanxi Province, and parts of Fengxian County in Baoji City. Today's Qiang people are one of the ancient Qiang people who retain their names and some traditional cultures. With the Han, Tibetan, Yi, Naxi, Bai, Hani, Bo, Pumi, Jingpo, Lahu, Jinuo, etc., they are brothers, and all have some Yan Di tribal lineages.

?

The marriage custom culture of Qiang nationality is a fascinating part of Qiang culture. Traditional weddings are complicated and grand. It is roughly divided into two stages: engagement and marriage. The engagement process is divided into three steps: "opening wine" (matchmaking), "small wine" (preparing a banquet for the woman's next of kin) and "big wine" (agreeing on the wedding date). There are five days before and after the wedding, including "Flower Night", "Formal Banquet" (also called "Formal Wine") and "Thank the guests".

?

Qiang marriage form:

The marriage form of Qiang nationality is basically monogamy. Before liberation, young men and women did not have the freedom to fall in love, which was regarded as harmful to family style and marriage was not free. Feudal buying and selling marriages prevailed, and children's marriages were arranged by their parents.

?

An overview of marriage customs of Qiang nationality;

In the past, young Qiang men and women did not have the right to choose a spouse and fall in love freely, because when they were young, their parents engaged them on their behalf and even called their bellies marriage. When choosing a marriage, we should pay attention to choosing the right family and relatives. At the age of marriage, women are often older than men. Therefore, a folk song is popular in Qiang areas: "In June, the wheat blooms, and the husband is still a baby. When my husband grows up, the leaves will fall and the flowers will wither. "

?

There are three procedures when you get engaged. First, you "open your mouth", which means you can make drinks. When men and women are minors, the man asks the matchmaker to be a matchmaker with the woman in his mind. If he agrees, his parents will propose a certain time, and the man will hold a banquet at the woman's house, which is called "opening wine". At the banquet, the amount of money proposed by the woman was agreed by both parties, indicating the initial success of the engagement. A few months later, the man went to the woman's house to prepare a banquet for his closest relatives, which was called "small wine". At this time, he should send some bride price and put it on the altar to show his solemnity. On the "Big Wine Order", the two companies specially agreed on the wedding date, and the man should entertain guests and entertain the woman's relatives and friends. At this time, the man paid the dowry as agreed, and specially prepared a penny for his mother-in-law. During the whole engagement, girls are not allowed to appear, nor are they allowed to hide in their rooms or relatives' homes.

?

There are three kinds of wedding ceremonies: "Flower Night", "Formal Banquet" and "Xie Ke". On the "Women's Flower Night", the woman prepared two altars to entertain the guests who came to celebrate and give gifts, one for men and one for women, and everyone sang and danced to celebrate. A "formal banquet" is to marry a wife. The man prepares three horses to meet the bride, one for the bride and the other for the bridesmaid, who is the bride's daughter. The bride wore a special red wedding dress and red embroidered shoes made by her sister-in-law. Her brothers carried her out of the gate and got on the horse. The bride covered her face with her hands and cried. Some of them cried sadly, while others just pretended. Parents put the shoes and socks made for the groom in the back pocket and let their daughter take them to the man's house. At the end of the ceremony, the band blew suona to see the bride off. The bride-to-be picked up the box, lifted the cupboard and made a scene to watch the bride get married.

?

On the way to the farewell party, if you pass by relatives' doors, relatives will arrange tea seats and prepare cakes and fruits for the farewell party. The gunner will put three muskets to show his arrival, and the man's relatives will come forward with noodles to offer their condolences. The bridesmaids will enter the teahouse with the farewell party. When we arrived at the men's village, the whole village gathered at the head of the village to welcome the bride. When you arrive at the man's house, you should give the bridesmaid and the horse driver a small amount of money to dismount, otherwise you will not dismount. After dismounting, the groom scattered rice on the ground at the door, and the cook picked up a rooster, slaughtered it and sprinkled chicken blood on the door to ward off evil spirits. The bride and groom immediately enter the door to grab seats.

?

After the bride and groom entered the bridal chamber, the grand banquet on the open-air dam began. The distinguished guests sang and danced while eating and drinking. First, they sang a wine song "Praise the bride". The lyrics praise the bride's beauty from head to toe, and then sing "Praise the groom" to praise the groom's dignified and intelligent character. People sing and dance until late at night, even at dawn. The next day, the host prepared two more seats to thank the guests, and the whole ceremony was over. On the third day after marriage, the groom and his brothers take wine and meat to send the bride back to her parents' home, and the family should prepare "Huimen wine", and relatives and friends should give gifts to the newlyweds and give speeches and blessings. In some parts of the Qiang nationality, there is also the custom of "teasing the groom". That is, at the Huimen banquet, the bride's family will give the groom four feet of chopsticks, and some chopsticks made of potatoes will be added behind them. The groom will be asked to use these chopsticks and sandwich dishes made of diced meat and beans through several oil lamps. Chopsticks are too long to hold food, or oil lamps burn your chin, you will be fined. This kind of activity is not only a holiday dinner, but also a kind of entertainment.

?

On the first day of marriage, the woman holds "Flower Moon Wine", and the groom goes to the woman's house for dinner with his peers, relatives and references, and carries a sedan chair to the woman's house to receive relatives. That night, the bride invited all the girls in the village to "talk at night", sang songs and danced all night in the pot village. At dawn, the man's bride urged the bride to get into the sedan chair. The bride and her family were all wet with tears, and her brother carried her into the sedan chair. When the bride arrives at the groom's house, the groom's brother or cousin takes the groom into the new house and then visits the bride. After three days of marriage, the groom accompanied the bride back to her mother's house and brought gifts such as wine and meat. From then on, the bride stayed at her mother's house and didn't return to her husband's house until the 27th of the twelfth lunar month.

?

The marriage process of Qiang nationality;

be engaged in

The engagement of Qiang people goes through three procedures. First, they "drink", that is, make a drink. When men and women are minors, the man asks the matchmaker to be a matchmaker with the woman in his mind. If he agrees, his parents will propose a certain time, and the man will hold a banquet at the woman's house, which is called "opening wine". At the banquet, the amount of money proposed by the woman was agreed by both parties, indicating the initial success of the engagement. A few months later, the man went to the woman's house to prepare a banquet for his closest relatives, which was called "small wine". At this time, he should send some bride price and put it on the altar to show his solemnity. On the "Big Wine Order", the two companies specially agreed on the wedding date, and the man should entertain guests and entertain the woman's relatives and friends. At this time, the man paid the dowry as agreed, and specially prepared a penny for his mother-in-law. During the whole engagement, girls are not allowed to appear, nor are they allowed to hide in their rooms or relatives' homes.

?

marry

The wedding customs of Qiang people also have three kinds of ceremonies: "Flower Night", "Formal Banquet" and "Thank the guests".

?

On the "Women's Flower Night", the woman prepared two altars to entertain the guests who came to celebrate and give gifts, one for men and one for women, and everyone sang and danced to celebrate.

?

A "formal banquet" is to marry a wife. The man prepares three horses to meet the bride, one for the bride and the other for the bridesmaid, who is the bride's daughter. The bride wore a special red wedding dress and red embroidered shoes made by her sister-in-law. Her brothers carried her out of the gate and got on the horse. The bride covered her face with her hands and cried. Some of them cried sadly, while others just pretended. Parents put the shoes and socks made for the groom in the back pocket and let their daughter take them to the man's house. At the end of the ceremony, the band blew suona to see the bride off. The bride-to-be picked up the box, lifted the cupboard and made a scene to watch the bride get married. On the way to the farewell party, if you pass by relatives' doors, relatives will arrange tea seats and prepare cakes and fruits for the farewell party. The gunner will put three muskets to show his arrival, and the man's relatives will come forward with noodles to offer their condolences. The bridesmaids will enter the teahouse with the farewell party. When we arrived at the men's village, the whole village gathered at the head of the village to welcome the bride. When you arrive at the man's house, you should give the bridesmaid and the horse driver a small amount of money to dismount, otherwise you will not dismount. After dismounting, the groom scattered rice on the ground at the door, and the cook picked up a rooster, slaughtered it and sprinkled chicken blood on the door to ward off evil spirits. The bride and groom immediately enter the door to grab seats. After the bride and groom entered the bridal chamber, the grand banquet on the open-air dam began. The distinguished guests sang and danced while eating and drinking. First, they sang a wine song "Praise the bride". The lyrics praise the bride's beauty from head to toe, and then sing "Praise the groom" to praise the groom's dignified and intelligent character. People sing and dance until late at night, even at dawn.

?

The next day, the host prepared two more seats to thank the guests, and the whole ceremony was over. On the third day after marriage, the groom and his brothers took the bride back to her family with wine and meat. The groom stays for a day or two, and the bride stays for a few days or even months. Some of them stayed for L ~ 3 years before being taken back by her husband.

?

Marriage characteristics of Qiang nationality:

A wedding ceremony in which the groom pretends to kidnap the bride

Qiang people also have the custom of robbing marriage. When the man's proposal was flatly rejected, he took the woman home while she was working or going out. The next day, the man brought pig fat and wine to the woman's house to propose again. Since the uncooked rice is cooked, the woman agreed. If the woman doesn't want to, she can go home secretly the next day, and the man generally doesn't pursue it. Snatching a marriage can rob a girl or a widow.

?

Daughter hemp

"Daughter Horse" is a unique marriage custom of Qiang people. No matter how beautiful Qiang girls are, if they don't sow their daughters' hemp in the land of love with hard-working hands, they won't bear rich fruits. Young Qiang men and women met and fell in love. After the two sides officially ate the engagement wine, the girl to be married began to prepare for planting her daughter hemp. The girl chose a piece of wasteland on the hillside for reclamation. After the spring, plant hemp on this land, weave it into cloth after the autumn harvest, sew it into new clothes or weave it into a belt to get married. No one is allowed to intervene to help, and the whole process is completed by the girl herself. If others help with farming, it will be considered that girls are unfaithful to love.

?

Therefore, in order to pursue beautiful love and form a happy marriage with the beloved young man, Qiang girls silently engaged in planting and harvesting. They go out early and come back late, avoid talking to others, and don't mention their daughter's hemp planting to anyone, relatives and friends, so that girls can remain shy before marriage, so as not to make people laugh or talk behind their backs. Where there is a daughter, no one is allowed to go at will to show respect for the girl. Before the wedding, Qiang girls woven their daughters into seven belts, tied them to themselves when they got married, and untied them by the groom himself on the wedding night. The daughter wove linen into clothes as a dowry for the girl when she got married. Then both husband and wife take this dress as a permanent memorial, and generally no longer wear it, but pass it on to future generations to educate future generations to maintain the traditional virtues of diligence and thrift of the Qiang people.

?

Modern marriage customs of Qiang nationality;

After liberation, with the strong support of the party and the government, the education level of the Qiang people has gradually improved. They abandoned the stale and backward side of marriage customs and kept the excellent side. In particular, the impact of the economic tide has greatly changed the thinking of the younger generation, and free love has become popular. Locals call it "playing with friends", and parents generally don't interfere. Once young men and women fall in love, they ask their parents to ask the "red Lord" to make a formal agreement, but ancient ceremonies will still be held. Therefore, the ancient marriage customs are still relatively complete.

?

(A) matchmaking (wine)

When children reach adulthood, parents begin to find partners for them, and some men and women tell their parents after they fall in love freely. If a man secretly loves a woman, his parents will look for opportunities to test her from the side by chatting. If the woman doesn't object, it is possible to get married. The man will ask Grandpa Red to bring wine and dried noodles as a "feel" to the woman. If the woman doesn't return the gift, it means there is still room for discussion.

?

(2) "Have some wine" engagement

After sending the first "feel" for a period of time, the man asked the "red master" to take the second "feel" (rich, with pork, dried noodles, wine, cakes, snacks and so on. ) Be a matchmaker for the woman and ask her birthday. The man's parents ask Duan Gong for divination, and once the horoscope of both men and women matches, they can get engaged. At this time, the woman did not invite outsiders, only her family and Grandpa Hong discussed the date of "drinking some wine" (engagement). On the day of "drink some wine", the man should give gifts to the woman according to the number of people in her family. The man usually sends "Red Grandpa" and his mother to take care of his son. Before drinking, the "Red Lord" should personally burn incense, worship gods and ancestors, tell the woman and ancestors about the marriage between the two families, and give the ancient rule of "talking about marriage". Later, the man will visit the woman and give gifts on holidays.

?

(3) "Drink a lot of wine" and set a wedding date.

If the man thinks that both men and women are old enough, and the man has made all material preparations, it is time to hold a wedding, please ask Grandpa Hong to bring a gift to tell the woman and appoint a wedding date. This is called "eating big wine". At that time, the man will take a certain amount of wine, meat, rice and things worn by the woman, such as headdress, earrings, bracelets, gold hoops, silver pendants, clothes, pants, shoes and socks, all of which are double. The bride price depends on the local rules, and the woman should be satisfied anyway. It used to take months to years from "drinking a lot of wine" to picking up relatives.

?

(4) get married

Once the wedding date is fixed, we should be ready to get married. A few days before the wedding, both men and women invited the family and neighbors in the village to drink "open wine", that is, they formally asked for help. Agree on everyone's responsibilities, put on new clothes for their shrine and clean the house thoroughly. On the wedding day, the man was composed of nearly 20 people, including Grandpa Hong, the groom's elder (uncle), peers, brothers and sisters, suona players and so on. On his back, he likes wax, wine, firecrackers, wedding posters, money and so on. When they arrive at the woman's house, the woman's house will try every means to prevent the wedding procession from entering the woman's house, and the man will give red envelopes to the girl of the woman's house again and again. After entering the door, the woman sings a happy song, the man gives money, and then sings and gives it again until she is satisfied.

?

In addition, the man will give the woman 1 sun steamed stuffed bun with 1 white cloth, 1 red cloth, 1 wool and 1 coral beads hanging on it. The man put the gift on the table in front of the shrine in the hall, and the father-in-law in red said a "greeting" and said in the Qiang language, "Everything in the world has a reason, and the Qiang people said it from the beginning. Those who don't say they don't know must tell everyone about it. Since ancient times, both men and women have been married. This system was initiated by Mu Jie (the ancestor of Qiang nationality, Shenmu Zhu Jie). She made all the rules, and later generations dared not add or subtract them. The ancient rules passed down from generation to generation by the Qiang people must be observed ... ". The woman replied: "The distinguished guest came to my house hard and came to my house on the wedding day. Since the beginning of the world, it has been decided that both men and women should marry Mujie ... According to ancient rules, the home is well equipped. Please forgive your guests if the reception in the main room is not good. " After thanking them, the woman treated everyone with the biggest banquet. Call it the "main seat". That night, the bride will invite all the girls in the village to spend the night at home.

?

(5) hold a "flower night" for men and women.

When Qiang people get married, "Flower Night" is the most grand. It is usually held the night before the wedding, that is, an entertainment party for the couple. The man's party is called "Men's Flower Night" and the woman's party is called "Women's Flower Night". The man celebrated his marriage and the woman sent him away. "Women's Flower Night", the bride hall is brightly lit, with two square tables in the middle and benches around. There are wine and 12 "dry dishes" on the table, that is, peanuts, walnuts, red dates, persimmons, apples, oranges and sweets, which are filled with a perfect, auspicious and festive atmosphere everywhere. There are some dishes, which are very rich. At seven or eight o'clock in the evening, when night begins, the bride will sit on the table, the sisters will take turns to sit, and the relatives of the man will also be present. As soon as the bride comes to the table, she will cry and pour out her parents' kindness.

?

Sisters began to sing, mainly in the following three ways: 1, "happy as flowers", for example: tonight, the sisters are all seated (yo, happy as flowers), and the whole family sings a song (yo, here comes Jill), so long as they have a belly in their hearts (yo, here comes Jill). 2, "Song", such as: The bridesmaid asked: Can you explain this song (yo, happy as a flower), what is curved (Er Ji comes, yo, alas) and the sky turns (yo, Ji Ji comes)? Answer: Let me explain this song (Yo, happy as a flower), the moon is bent (tut, tut, alas), the sky is turning (tut, tut, tut) ... 3. "Meg, yo", for example, the bride's maid of honor asked: (Meg, yo, yo) What do the couple pack (Meg, yo)? The bride's girl replied: (Meg Yo) The bride's bride package, this is a green handkerchief (Meg Yo). Q: (Meg) What do the newcomers wear (Meg)? (Meg Yo) The couple are wearing green shirts (Meg Yo) ... The wedding planner will also sing "Happy as Flowers" to entertain the guests until midnight, and the people who join in the fun will gradually disperse. The man also holds a flower night party, which is similar to that of the bride, except that the groom should be promoted by his mother and uncle. 4. The crown is a red spike round double-layer hat shaped like the official hat of Qing Dynasty, with a pair of red hi cards inserted on it. My uncle promoted the groom's official and gave him a new social role, which indicates that he has entered the ranks of adults and is about to get married. Then hang up the first red for the groom and give a speech: "A pair of golden flowers are brilliant. Today I brought He Xinlang, one on the left and one on the right. Children and grandchildren enter the DPRK. " Then, the mother, uncle and family hang the groom's red in the order of generations, then the groom's family hang the groom's red in the order of generations, and finally the groom's parents hang the red, that is, "worship." Everyone should say a blessing, wishing the bride and groom a happy life.

?

(6) Marriage and marriage

The day after "Flower Night" is the wedding day. The woman made a pair of sun and moon buns and put them in a bamboo basket. A boy with both parents was sent to the man's house with his bride on his back. The steamed stuffed bun is engraved with patterns of pine and cypress, which symbolizes that a couple will live like the sun and the moon and evergreen pine and cypress. When it's time to see the bride off, "Mourning Song" is played in Suona, and the bride is crying in the boudoir, accompanied by her mother and sister-in-law. The women in the man's wife's team advised her not to cry. A girl with both parents helped the bride to the shrine, wept and worshipped her ancestors, parents, elders and sister-in-law, and turned to the gate. At this time, the old woman repeatedly reminded the bride: "

?

At the same time, shibi station was at the door, holding a bun with a small white flag high. The bride came out from under the bun, and the bridesmaid sang a wedding song instead of the bride's parents. When the farewell party arrived at the man's house, the groom's aunt, aunt, etc. were already waiting outside the door. They held incense in one hand and wine in the other, and then toasted the people who saw them off. Then they explained this practice, saying, "Heaven and earth have opened and new people have come, which is great luck and prosperity …", "There is a Qingyun in the east, a Ziyun in the south and two flowers. The groom beats the bride with uncooked rice upstairs or at the gate, and the bride is helped by two girls to smash an upside-down bowl on the threshold, and then enters the door to show off. In front of the man's shrine, the husband and wife worship the pioneering grace of their ancestors, the nurturing grace of their parents, the longevity of their husband and wife, and the strength of their children and grandchildren. Respect the guests again and help the people. Finally, the husband and wife say goodbye to each other. The groom unveiled the bride's red veil and they entered the bridal chamber.

?

Then we began to entertain guests, inviting the bride's close relatives, her husband's mother and uncle, the elders at home, distant guests, neighbors and the groom's close relatives to dinner in turn. After dinner, dance "Sharon" and sing "Praise the Bride and Bride", such as: "My sister is eighteen years old, and today she is a fairy. Good character, ability, internal and external training. Black hair, clever dress, everything is well dressed. The silver earrings are ready and the rings are complete. " Praise the couple, then the couple knelt down and raised their waists. Everyone sprinkled rice, wheat, highland barley, peanuts and red dates to bless the couple. The author believes that the "hymns" of both men and women contain profound cultural connotations and fully show the self-esteem and self-confidence of the Qiang people. They yearn for truth, goodness and beauty, and look forward to the happiness of every family. At the same time, they also care, love and praise the young men and women of their own nationality, which reflects the modesty and frankness of the Qiang people.

?

The wedding procedure of Qiang nationality is very complicated, and the wedding process is very long, often as long as six months to several years. In order to achieve a sense of identity in marriage, the families of both men and women have launched a long and tedious process of rendering and contact. From the recognition of the woman's parents to the recognition of the woman's relatives, we can see the breadth and depth of this marriage propaganda. At the same time, in the in-laws communication between the two sides, they gradually got to know each other and established certain feelings, which laid the foundation for the maturity of their children's marriage and the harmony after marriage, fully demonstrating the importance that the Qiang people attach to blood inheritance.

In addition, in the whole engagement process, the man has always been in an active position, and he has to give gifts to the woman's family many times, which shows the value of the woman's family and its social status in the marriage relationship. "Girls' Flower Night" is the biggest activity held by the woman's family, and it is also the best opportunity for newly married women to earn face. It shows that Qiang people attach great importance to the consanguinity and quality of matriarchal families in their lives. On the one hand, it shows that the Qiang people attach importance to weddings, on the other hand, it also reflects the Qiang people's great investment in life etiquette and the profound influence of ethnic religions. Through the wedding ceremony, the traditional culture of the Qiang nationality has been refined, sublimated and developed, thus being passed down.