英国婚俗研究论文

这篇论文说的中国和西方，尤其是英格兰结婚习俗的区别，你可以参考一下Wedding culture in two countriesThe wedding ceremony custom is in a country nationality's culture manifests, especially in wedding ceremony non- language behavior. In such multicultural time, the significance expression has gone far beyond the language boundary. For the purpose of through contrasting to China and the England wedding ceremony custom culture manifests the China and the West two kind of different cultures .To see the two syncretize and develop unceasingly in the modern multiplication culture time.Key words: Wedding ceremony China England CultureMarriage plays a greatly important role in social development .In the three ways of production，it is the only one to produce ourselves, and the only way to create ethic connection. Through marriage the lasting of human being is ensured, forming all kinds of relationship among and various costumes and social culture.The beginning of marriage is a wedding, as it is known to us all. People think a perfect start makes everything go successfully. A wedding is far more than a ceremony, but a change for a person’s life and divine as a symbol of culture from the view of a country.One the two kinds of wedding ceremonyWhat’s the traditional wedding ceremony in China and England?Pre-existing elements of traditional Chinese wedding ceremony is generally credited to scholars of the Warring States period, 402-221 B.C. The Three Covenants and the Six Rites, which were considered necessary elements of a marriage. However, the full ritual was too complicated, so even within the span of the Warring States period; the etiquette underwent changes and simplification.” What remained constant were the chief objectives: joining and enhancing the two families and ensuring succession with numerous descendants. Reverence to parents and ancestors, omens to encourage fertility and wealth, financial and social obligations contracted by both families at the betrothal, extensive gift giving etiquette, and the bride’s incorporation into her husband’s family are recurring elements.” 1There are six steps to form a completely wedding: The Proposal, The Betrothal, and Preparing for the Wedding Day, Day of the Wedding, Day After the Wedding, and Three Days after the Wedding .Before the wedding ritual, there are a lot to do, including The "Hair Dressing" Ritual which is done at dawn on her wedding day (or the night before). A “good luck woman”, woman with living parents, spouse and children, will come to help dressing up the bride’s hair. The woman should also speak auspicious words while tying up her hair in a bun, a style of married woman. Though this “hair dressing” ceremony, people give their best wishes to the bride so the bride will bring good luck to the groom and his family。The "Capping" Ritual “ that is performed at the groom’s home, where father of the groom place a hat decorated with cypress leaves on the groom’s head”. The groom will bring the bridal sedan chair, an equivalent of a limousine nowadays, and a group of relatives and friends to go to fetch the bride. This act also wishes the groom to have good luck. The Bride’s Journey to the Groom’s House which is do by the “good luck woman” or a dajin, employed by the bride’s family to look after the bride, carried the bride on her back to the sedan chair. Arriving at the Groom’s House and after stepping over a saddle or a lit stove, the wedding ritual comes to the emphases.In contrast to the elaborate preparations, the wedding ceremony itself is simple. The bride and groom are conducted to the family altar, where they pay homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God, Tsao-Chün. Tea, generally with two lotus seeds or two red dates in the cup, is offered to the groom’s parents.Then the bride and groom bow to each other. This completes the marriage ceremony, except in some regions, where both also drink wine from the same goblet, eat sugar molded in the form of a rooster, and partake of the wedding dinner together.Immediately after the ceremony, the couples are led to the bridal chamber, where both sit on the bed. In some areas, honey and wine poured into two goblets linked by a red thread. The bride and groom take a few sips and then exchange cups and drink it up.And the guests that are usually the relatives of the bride and groom, will enjoy separately rich banquet which is by either the bride’s parents or the groom’s. It is generally considered as public recognition of the union.Let’s see how the wedding in Britain is. Contrast to the Chinese one, the English is much simpler. In the traditional wedding culture of England, the bride will carry a calla in hand being typical of good luck. If the two persons live near to the church, they would get into it together with their guests and sprinkle orange flowers along the whole way. Their weddings are used to being celebrated in the afternoons, and then they would hold a party. The cakes they eat on that day are made of many kinds of fruits, they can decorate hogged nets. The top of the cake which stands for the naissance of bottle will remain until their first child come out.Two the different cultureAs we know, there are a lot of differences between these two wedding ceremony, which reflect the different culture of the two countries.Firstly ,the aims of the wedding are quite different .Chinese take marriage as “joint the two families together for the ancestor and for the offspring”(合二姓之好，上以事宗庙，而下以继后世也。). In order to bring more fame and make the families become larger and larger; marriage is a family affair more than private. So one of the most important steps is to see if the girl and the boy are fit to each other by checking their birthday .Because the wedding is usually connected with wealth, financial and social obligations, there is another thing that does not appear in a British wedding, the betrothal gift. The betrothal gift is the gift that the groom gives to the bride’s family, which often is some property or something like that. The experts say that it contains function below: First, the proposal by talking is a limited in sanction and some property as a keepsake is more powerful. The accepter will not pull back because they don’t want to lose the property, and the giver won’t pull back either. Second, it is a transition of labor force when the girl go .The gift is a compensate in economy. Third, the pay out of the groom is quite a lot for an ordinary family, and that will prevent the man abandoning the wife and getting another, and make the marriage more steadily. Fourth, the gift is usually paid by the parents of the groom, which means the housemaster can be in charge of a marriage.As mission of procreating, there are lots of details in a wedding having something to do offspring. For example, the Bed Making. Spilling some Chinese dates ,peanuts ,longans ,lotus on the bed, means having a boy as soon as possible(早生贵子)。What about the British wedding? It seems to pay more attention in love. The aim of a wedding is to make the lovers living together forever, so it is a private affair more than the family’s. There is usually a minister asking the groom and the bride if they are willing to marry each other, and ask if there is anyone against. The wedding will go on unless the two lovers say yes and no opposing. Obviously we can not see a similar step in a Chinese wedding, because the mastery is the parents but not the people getting marry .After the wedding is over, there is still an interesting ceremony: throwing the bouquet. It is said that the girl who comes to hand the bouquet will get marry soon .It is a pure-hearted wish to the girls .But in a Chinese wedding, the girls can not even be in charge of their life, their love, or their husbands. They usually have not seen their husbands until the night they marry, and the person can only be counted on is the matchmaker. These are all decided by the differences of the wedding..Secondly, the wedding dress is also different .In a Chinese wedding, the common color is red. The color red is considered as good luck, a strong color that which can drive away evil spirits. The traditional Chinese wedding dress in northern China usually is one-piece frock named Qi Pao, embroidered with elaborate gold and silver designs. Brides from southern China usually wear two-piece dress named Qun Gua, Kwa or Cheongsam, also elaborately adorned with golden phoenix and dragon. It is a tradition to wear Cheongsam with red dragon and phoenix design at the wedding day because dragon and phoenix design symbolizes the balance of male and female power.In the old days, a piece of red veil is part of the bride’s costume to cover her face during the wedding ceremony. Newlyweds would see each other’s face for the first time on their wedding night.The groom’s costume is a black silk coat worn over an embroidered dragon robe of dark blue. The headgear is a black hat with red tassels. Nowadays, most grooms’ wear has been simplified to a set of traditional outfit without the overcoat.And as we all know, the west wedding dress is often white. It means chasteness, beauty, loftiness, and civility. White dress, white posy, white veil, and the white cream cake, everything is so romantic.Thirdly, the woman’s status in a wedding is different. In a Chinese traditional wedding, because of the aim of that wedding, the woman usually has a low status .The man can have more than a wife, but once the wife is just a tool for birthing and sex. So after the wedding, there is a ceremony in which the groom must see her mother-in-law, accept her enlighten, to serve the husband as a master. But in west, we can see it is fairer and more democratic. They will be asked if they would like to be his/her wife /husband no matter rich or poor, health or sick until die. They change their rings to mean possessing

首先，是在传统结婚仪式上面。中国的传统婚俗有“三书六礼”“三拜九叩”这些繁俗礼节。所谓“三书”，就是指聘书、礼书、迎亲书。（聘书：订亲之书，男女双方正式缔结婚约。纳吉（过文定）时用。 礼书：过礼之书，即礼物清单，详尽列明礼物种类及数量。纳征（过大礼）时用。 迎亲书：迎娶新娘之书。结婚当日（亲迎）接新娘过门时用。）而“六礼”是指纳采、问名、纳吉、纳征、请期、亲迎。（纳采：古时婚礼之首，属意女方时，延请媒人作谋，谓之纳采，今称「提亲」。 问名：男方探问女方之姓名及生日时辰，以卜吉兆，谓之问名，今称「合八字」。 纳吉：问名若属吉兆，遣媒人致赠薄礼，谓之纳吉，今称「过文定」或「小定」。 纳征：奉送礼金、礼饼、礼物及祭品等，即正式送聘礼，谓纳征，今称「过大礼」。 请期：由男家请算命先生择日，谓之请期，又称「乞日」、今称 「择日」。 亲迎：新郎乘礼车，赴女家迎接新娘，谓之亲迎。）而在这之间更有换庚谱、过文定、过大礼、安床等一系列的活动。而在这些活动中有着大量的禁忌和礼俗，比如新娘嫁妆中要有剪刀（蝴蝶双飞）、痰盂（子孙桶）、尺（良田万顷）、片糖（甜甜蜜蜜）、银包皮带（腰缠万贯）、花瓶（花开富贵）、铜盆及鞋（同偕到老）、龙凤被、床单及枕头一对、两双用红绳捆着的筷子及碗（有衣食）、七十二套衣服，用扁柏、莲子、龙眼及利是伴着（丰衣足食）等物，每样物品都有其不同的含义。同时，在婚礼进行时也有一定的顺序，按一般的情况，在整个婚礼过程中有：祭祖（男方在出门迎娶新娘之前，先祭拜祖先。）、出发（迎亲车队以双数为佳。）、燃炮（迎亲礼车行列在途中，应一路燃放鞭炮以示庆贺。）、等待新郎（礼车至女方家时，会有一男童侍持茶盘等候新郎，新郎下车后，应赏男孩红包答礼，再进入女方家。）、讨喜（新郎应持捧花给房中待嫁之新娘，此时，新娘之闺中密友要拦住新郎，不准其见到新娘，女方可提出条件要新郎答应，通过后才得进入。）、拜别（新人上香祭祖，新娘应叩拜父母道别，并由父亲盖上头纱，而新郎仅鞠躬行礼即可。）、出门（新娘应由福高德劭女性长辈持竹筛或黑伞护其走至礼车，因为新娘子在结婚当天的地位比谁都大，因此不得与天争大。）、礼车（ 在新娘上礼车后，车开动不久，女方家长应将一碗清水、白米撒在车后，代表女儿已是泼出去的水，以后的一切再也不予过问，并祝女儿事事有成，有吃有穿。）、掷扇（礼车起动后，新娘应将扇子丢到窗外，意谓不将坏性子带到婆家去，扇子由新娘的兄弟拾回，掷扇后必须哭几声，且在礼车之后盖「竹筛」以象征繁荣。）、燃炮（由女方家至男方家的途中，同样要一路燃放礼炮。）、摸橘子（迎新车队到达新郎家时，由一位拿着橘子或苹果的小孩来迎接新人，新娘要轻摸一下橘子，并赠红包答礼。这两个橘子要放到晚上，让新娘亲自剥皮，意谓招来「长寿」。）、牵新娘（新娘由礼车走出时，应由男方一位有福气之长辈持竹筛顶在新娘头上，并扶新娘进入大厅。进门时，新人绝不可踩门槛，而应横跨过去。）、喜宴（时下颇流行中西合壁式的婚礼，大都在晚上宴请客人同时举行观礼仪式，在喜宴上，新娘可褪去新娘礼服，换上晚礼服向各桌一一敬酒。）、送客（喜宴完毕后，新人立于家门口送客，须端着盛香烟、喜糖之茶盘。）、闹洞房（新人被整之灾情大小，端视新人是否曾在其他的婚礼上戏弄别人，或平素待人够不够忠厚等。）、三朝回门（在婚后第三天，新妇由夫婿陪同下，带备烧猪及礼品回娘家 祭祖，甚至小住一段日子，然后再随夫婿回家。）。有此可以见到我国文化的繁琐，但不要以为繁琐是我国婚礼的特有特征，其实，不同国家虽然有不同的婚俗，但从繁复的细节与用品的喻意，都可见对婚姻的尊重和期许无分国界。在西方国家中，婚礼时有旧（Something Old）、新（Something New）、借（Something Borrowed）、蓝（Something Blue）等习俗。旧是指母亲传下来之婚纱，头饰或首饰，代表承受美好的一切；新是指朋友送的礼物如裙子，饰物，象征新的生活；借是指可向任何人借东西回来，据说从富裕亲友借来金或银放在鞋内，象征带来财运；蓝是指新娘的一些小饰物或花束用蓝色，意味着新娘的纯洁及贞洁。而在进行婚礼时，西方亦有大量的习俗。比如，在结婚时新娘总要带着一方手帕，西方人认为白手帕象征好运。根据民俗说法，农夫认为新娘在磨擦婚当天所流下的泪能使天降甘露，滋润家作物。后来，新娘在新婚汉天流泪，就变成她将有幸福婚姻的好兆头。而在婚礼典礼时，新娘总是站在新郎的左边，据说，古时候，盎格鲁撒克逊的新郎必须保护新娘子免得被别人抢走。在结婚典礼时，新郎让新娘站在自己左边，一旦情敌出现，就可以立即挥出配带于右边的剑，吓退敌人。在进行结婚晚宴时，要特别定制结婚蛋糕，根据历史记载，自罗马时代开始，婚礼结束时，人们会在新娘头上折断一条面包的材料----小麦象征生育能力，面包屑则代表着幸运。新人必须以糖霜，就形成今天的结婚蛋糕了。由此可见，西方的婚俗并不比中方简洁。 其次是在服装方面。在进行婚礼不只是有仪式习俗需要遵守，在穿着方面也有讲究。中国传统婚礼进行时新郎和新娘具着红色的礼服，象征的吉祥如意，预示在结婚后日子红红火火。而西方的新娘则穿白色的礼服。自罗马时代开始，白色象征欢庆。1850年到1900年之间，白色亦是富贵的象征。到了本世纪初，白色所代表的纯洁意义更远超其他。西方认为白色与童贞有关。古罗马的新娘穿着白色的婚纱，蒙着鲜橙黄色的面纱，象征着激情的火焰。在西方的天主教传统里，白色代表着快乐；其他一些地区，白色在他们的婚礼和葬礼里指示各种各样的通路典礼和意义。例如，在安达曼群岛（Andaman Islanders），白色代表一种地位的变化。“传统”的白色结婚礼服，在早期是贵族的特权。在多利亚女王时代，大多数的新娘只能穿传统的国家服装，只有上层阶级才能穿代表权力和身份的白色婚纱。一直到近代，贵族阶级的特权消失以后，白色的婚纱才成为普通新娘的礼服。而相对于西方白色婚纱的历史，中国婚礼中的大红色的凤袍的历史则较简单。龙凤在中国的神话中有着重要的地位。龙主阳凤主阴，而阳则代表男子，阴就表示女子。因此新娘就用凤表示。所以在红色的礼服上绣着凤也就很容易理解了。 还有就是在一些小的习惯上面，中西方的婚俗有相似的地方。例如，中国古代有抛绣球迎亲的习俗；而西方的新郎新娘在教堂举行婚礼后，会把手中的鲜花抛向空中，如果有人接到的话就预示着他将很快结婚。 中西方在婚俗上面有以上种种的差异，这和中西方人在思想思维的差异有直接的联系。中国人比较保守，喜欢热闹，思维较古板，所以在中国历史几千年的时间里整个婚礼的习俗并没有多大的变化。直到近代西方的文化传入以后，中国的传统文化才开始向西方转化，但在很大的程度上任有中国传统婚俗的礼仪。而中国人爱热闹的性格在中国传统婚礼中可以得到充分的体现。除了中西方都有的结婚晚宴以外，在中国的传统婚俗中，还有一个为新娘饯行的结婚午宴。其次在婚宴结束以后，新人的亲朋好友会去新房中闹洞房。认为在新房中越热闹，新人在婚后的生活越幸福。因此闹新房的成员们无不用所其极，用种种方法刁难新郎新娘。西方人的思想则比较开放，对于婚礼的要求也比较低，他们婚礼的高潮则是在教堂中：随着神圣的《婚礼进行曲》步入鲜红的地毯，娇美的新娘手挽着父亲捧玫瑰慢慢向新郎走去，新娘的父亲将女儿的手放在新郎的手上，将女儿的一生托付给你，所有人的目光注视着这对新人，幸福洋溢在他们的脸上。她是今天最美的新娘。 在神圣的教堂上空，他们的誓言在回荡，带上永结同心的婚戒，只到神父说：“你可以亲吻你的新娘了…… 结婚是一生的盟约，你是要为之坚守一辈子的誓言。 主耶稣说：上帝所配合的人便不可分开。 这一生一世的爱情，因为今天而完美。”然后新郎新娘或是去晚宴地点或是去渡蜜月，并没有中国传统婚俗的种种礼节。另一个造成中西方差异的原因是中西方不同的宗教。中国是以佛教为主，而西方则是基督教为主的。所以西方的婚礼是在教堂中举行而主婚人则是神甫。中方的传统婚俗中的最重要环节就是拜天地，拜了天地以后就算是礼成了。西方的婚礼是属于浪漫型的,整个婚礼从开始到结束到充满了浪漫气息。新娘的礼服一般为白色,新郎是黑色的礼服,使整个婚礼显的庄重严肃.到教堂去举行结婚仪式是整个婚礼最重要的环节.首先,随着婚礼进行曲的节奏,新娘挽她的父亲的手走到新郎面前,由她的父亲将她亲手交到新郎手中.牧师会要求新郎新娘对对方作出一辈子的承诺,这也是整个婚礼的高潮.然后他们会在牧师和众人的祝福下,交换结婚戒指并亲吻对方。而新娘手中的花球也不是一般的装饰用品.在婚礼结束时,新娘就会抛给到场的女宾客,如果谁接到花球,谁就是下一个结婚的人,这就使整个婚礼在欢声笑语中结束了。 中国的婚礼就不同于西方,整个婚礼的主色调是红色,这也是中国的传统的代表喜气的颜色。这也就使婚礼变的喜气洋洋.在传统婚礼中,新娘一般穿着红色罗衣,头戴凤冠,上面还有一块红色丝巾.而新郎就穿着红色的长衫马褂,头戴红色大沿帽。新娘乘着大红花轿在后,新郎骑着马在前,随着红娘和迎亲队伍到新郎家中拜堂.双方家长坐在上堂,而新郎新娘在下堂成婚.整个婚礼由司仪主持,在他的指挥下,新郎新娘一拜天地,下拜高堂,然后夫妻对拜,送入洞房.闹洞房是婚礼的高潮,新娘先回洞房等待新郎,而新郎就在外招待客人,酒足饭饱后,新郎在一大堆人的簇拥下来到洞房.众人就开始闹洞房了,新郎新娘在大家的起哄下做各种游戏……这样整个婚礼就在一片笑声中结束了。

By studying the differences between Chinese and Western wedding, I understand their characteristics: Western wedding is pure romantic, and China is happy wedding; Western wedding is feeling valued, and China values the ceremony. In the West because of their different customs, have also formed their own characteristics wedding customs. Though, have different customs, but no matter where the wedding was all full of blessings and laughter. Wedding days are often considered the most important day of many people’s lives. For this reason alone, throughout the past and into modern day, numerous customs and superstitions have developed around the wedding event, in hopes of creating ‘The Perfect Day!’ A very common custom still honored today is in reference to a time-old saying, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence inside your shoe’. So old is this that tracing it back to its origination is nearly impossible. Some contribute it to Victorian times, others say it is even older than that. The ‘old’ is believed to be the friends and family attending the wedding. The ‘new’ is represented by the couple themselves, as a ‘new’ union. The ‘borrowed’ is something from the families that is to be returned, such as the bride's wedding dress, or the veil, borrowed from her own mother. Something ‘blue’ is often interpreted to represent the bride’s virginity, as in the opposite of red, which throughout time has come to represent a woman of many men. Modern day brides often wear a bit of blue material tucked out of sight. The sixpence can be any form of money, tucked into the bride's shoe, this to bring wealth, both in monetary means and love, to the union.