Tujia wedding customs in wedding programs

Folk custom, that is, folk custom, refers to the life culture created, enjoyed and passed down by adults of a country or nation. Marriage is the most basic system and activity to maintain human reproduction and social continuity, and as a folk phenomenon, its content mainly includes two aspects: marriage form and marriage ceremony.

In various regions of our country, the marriage forms of all ethnic groups are diverse, and the etiquette and customs that run through the marriage process are even more diverse and complicated. My hometown, Tujia people living in the mountainous area of Fan Jing in the northeast of Guizhou, is no exception. It has its own unique wedding customs and ceremonies. It does not depend entirely on the free love between men and women, nor does it listen to the words of parents and matchmakers. Generally speaking, it can be divided into three parts: recognizing ancestors, proposing relatives, setting up Geng, opening relatives, giving gifts, welcoming relatives and returning home.

When a couple's feelings enter the stage of talking about marriage, the man will invite an elder known by the woman as an introducer, and both men and women will go to each other's home to "recognize their ancestors and return to their ancestors", that is, formally meet their parents and elders. The introducer will also act as a matchmaker, be entrusted by the man's family, pull strings from it, propose to the woman's family, and "seek the age" to get the consent of the woman's parents and elders. In this way, the man can formally propose to the woman, that is, "hand over the book." "Book delivery" should be held on two days of each month. Men prepare meat and wine for women as gifts and "books". This book is folded with red paper and contains 12 yuan, which means that the moon in1February is red. Write "Please give Hong Geng" on the outside, write the date of birth of the man on the right side (Tujia people call it "Da Fang") on the inside, and fill in the date of birth of the woman on the left side. Then the man lets his husband "watch the day" according to the birth dates of both men and women, and the man and the matchmaker go to the woman's house to decorate incense, light candles and shoot guns, so as to determine the wedding date, that is, engagement. Men and women communicate openly until the wedding day comes.

? Three days or half a month before the wedding, Tujia newlyweds began to "cry for marriage", not only for their grandparents, but also for their relatives and ancestors, and poured out their feelings about leaving. All women in the family will come to "cry" and sing "wedding songs". At that time, there will be a singing venue in the hall, and all the men, women and children in the village will come to participate in backup singing and duet. Whoever sings a song, the singer will give him a needle, and in the end he will get more needles than anyone else, which is a good singer who is praised. But now that marriage is free, Tujia girls don't pay much attention to this wedding ceremony. Generally, they just cry to their parents before going out and getting on the bus, and then their parents will give them a red envelope and ask them to be sensible when they go to their in-laws.

The woman's family should prepare the banquet one day before the man. On the second day after the woman prepares the banquet, the man will ask an elder and matchmaker to take the lead in giving a bride price to her home, that is, sending the bride price to her home. Generally, it is necessary to prepare half a pig, two sets of clothes for the woman's parents, a dress and gold jewelry for the woman's wedding day. On the day before the wedding, the woman's family will hold a "flower banquet" for relatives and friends who come to congratulate, that is, the wine of the woman's family. The groom will pick up the bride and groom. In the evening, they will prepare oil tea for relatives and friends, and the two will start to arrange the bride's dowry. "Guan Ji's mother-in-law" will fill her box with dried fruits such as peanuts, longan and red dates. Aunties used to twist their faces to change clothes for the convenience of the bride, but now there is no such ceremony, just giving the bride some entrustment. When going out for good luck, the bride's dowry will be carried on the bus by the bride's relatives. The bride will put on her head, bow before the incense in the main room, and take the bride's umbrella. When the bride can't stand still, the bride's brother will get on the bus, put on new shoes, fire a gun, and set off for her husband's house with "seeing her off".

When we arrive at the door of her husband's house, a gentleman invited by her husband will set the table to chant Buddhist scripture, and then throw the rooster over the roof to ward off evil spirits. Then the bride was welcomed into the door. In the middle of the hall, she visited her parents with the groom, and then entered the new house. Two women in the marriage make the bed for the couple, and hide the dried fruits, wedding candy, wedding cake and red eggs brought by the bride in all parts of the bed. After drinking the wedding banquet, the couple will let everyone touch the red eggs, but only men can enter. At lunch time, the couple will toast their relatives and friends at the dinner party, give the shoes brought by the woman, and then the relatives and friends will give the bride red envelopes. At night, someone will make trouble in the bridal chamber until everyone is dispersed.

On the third day after marriage, the bride and her parents will give the bride and groom red envelopes, most of which are lucky numbers such as 60 yuan and 120 yuan. Then everyone had dinner together, and when the couple returned to their husband's house, the marriage was completed.

The above is the wedding I remember when I lived as a Tujia in my hometown, and there are still many incomplete places.

Marriage custom in marriage ceremony has its cultural connotation. As a folk activity, marriage custom is the intangible culture of all ethnic groups. They are not only the witness of the social and historical development of all ethnic groups, but also the cultural resources that reflect the spiritual outlook of all ethnic groups.