英语学院期末考查课论文
2012-2013学年第二学期
院、系：英语学院 姓名：时灿灿 科目：中西文化比较
班级：英教1001 学号：2101100317
论文中英文题目：
A Comparison of the Wedding Culture
between China and Western Countries in Modern Times
现代社会中中西方婚礼差异
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Abstract
There are many procedures in Chinese marriage custom. The book propriety and ceremony, which records earliest wedding ceremony, says that marriage includes six etiquettes, namely, proposing, asking the name, asking for fortune, sending betrothal presents to the girl's family, discussing the date of marriage and meeting the bride. In western marriage, there are four procedures. They are proposal, changing surnames, choosing the day and holding the wedding. As the different religions, cultural origins, marriage concepts and geographies, there are many differences existing in the two kinds of marriage customs. In Chinese marriage custom, the matchmaker functions almost all the time and youths have no right to choose and women are not on an equal footing with men. By contrast, in western marriage custom, the priest functions and the youths have legal right to choose whom they want to marry and men and women are equal. There also exist common things in the two sides. They have been maintained for thousands of years. But in recent years (especially after the founding of modern China), people have tended to discard some of the details and advocate simplified marriage procedures and wedding ceremonies.
Key Words : Marriage custom; differences; reasons
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摘 要
中国婚俗有着许多的仪式。最早记载婚礼习俗的《仪礼》云：“婚有六礼，纳采、问名、 纳吉、纳征、请期、亲迎。”而在西方国家主要有4个程序，即建议，改姓，选期和举行婚礼。由于宗教、文化根源、婚姻观念以及地理环境的不同在一定程度上导致了中西方婚俗的不同。在中国婚俗中，媒人起着决定性的作用，而作为婚姻当事人的青年男女却没有选择的自由和权力，而且男女在婚姻中的不平等现象也屡有出现。 在西方，是牧师在婚姻中起作用，并且青年男女有合法的权力去选择自己的夫婿或妻子。当然中西方的婚俗也存在相同的地方。它们存在了上千年之久。近年来（特别是新中国成立之后），中西结合的婚姻屡有出现。
关键词：婚俗；差异；原因
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Contents
Ⅰ. Introduction ··············································································································· 7 Ⅱ. Chinese and Western Different Wedding Cultures ………………………………….8 2.1 Custom …………………………………………………………………………..8 2.1.1 Three Papers and Six Etiquettes …………………………………………….8
2.1.2 Engagement ………………………………………………………………....8 2.1.3 Other Etiquettes and Customs ………………………………………………9 2.2 Ceremony Procedures…………………………………………………………….9 2.3 Styles and Dress ………………………………………………………………….9 2.4 Marriage Media …………………………………………………………………..9 2.5 Place ……………………………………………………………………………...9 Ⅲ. The Reasons for Differences……………………………………………………. ……9 3.1 Social Systems……………………………………………………………………10 3.2 Thought Patterns………………………………………………………………….10 Ⅳ. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………11 Ⅴ.Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………..12
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A Comparison of the Wedding Culture
between China and Western Countries in Modern Times
1.Introduction
Marriage is formed in a long historical evolution of the marriage custom in a nation. It is the regularity of the activities that restrains people's awareness of marriage and marriage. Marriage custom‟s binding does not depend on the law, and it can not rely on science tests neither, but on the force of habit, traditional culture and national psychology. During the development of human history, the institution of marriage and family system has experienced different processes of development. Human have experienced group marriage, the dual system of marriage and individual marriage system (monogamy). As a union of a man and a woman and a family formation stage, marriage includes not only marriage, but also the preparation phase for the marriage and the performance stage after the festivities. It runs through the whole process of life. These customs, as a national symbol and cultural development, plays a very important role in ethnic studies and the history of mankind.
China is a country with an ancient civilization and a long history, and many customs. Among so many customs, there is a particular marriage custom. This custom goes through various and long stages of development from ancient simple wedding ceremony to later complex ceremony, from feudal marriage custom to the modern free marriage custom. During these courses, people‟s ideas are progressing, though we can not say that their ideas are up to the top of mankind‟s ideas in all over the world at all over the time because there are still backward ideas existing in many places, in many people‟s mind and they maybe will still exist for a long time. However, they are up to the top of mankind‟s ideas in a certain stage of the uninterrupted development of ideas.
Greek civilization is the base of western culture. Britain plays an important role in western history and western culture, and of course marriage custom.
Comparing with each other, they are different in many aspects such as in right aspect and in freedom aspect and there are many reasons that result in these differences such as
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cultural reason and geographical reason.
2. Chinese and Western Different Wedding Cultures
2.1 Custom
2.1.1 Three Papers and Six Etiquettes
According to Chinese wedding customs, the first etiquette is Three Papers and Six Etiquettes, which is as important as the engagement at Western wedding.
Three Papers consists of the paper of engagement, the list paper of the presents to the bride‟s and the paper of fetching the bride. They are going to be used on the day of engagement, the bridegroom‟s giving the presents of marriage to the bride‟s and going and fetching the bride.
Six Etiquettes includes asking for engagement, asking for the name and births of the newlyweds, showing some presents for engagement to the bride‟s, giving the presents of marriage to the bride‟s, choosing a good date for the wedding and going and fetching the bride on the day of the wedding. All these etiquettes must be completely in proper order before the wedding, and then the formal wedding can be held.
2.1.2 Engagement
In Western countries, people always engage first and then they can hold the formal wedding. Many etiquettes and symbols need to be paid much attention to, especially the diamond ring at the engagement ceremony. Diamond is considered as the best symbol of forever love. The diamond is produced by heat energy and press, which makes it the hardest material discovered by human beings so far. Thus, the bridegroom must send a diamond ring to his bride to show his promise of forever unchanged love at their engagement ceremony.
2.1.3 Other Etiquettes and Customs
Etiquettes and Customs at the Chinese Wedding
In China, the parents always prepare some dowry for their daughter. The dowry means a good wish for their rich and nice life. At the bridegroom‟s home, there are also
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many things to be prepared. 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. Etiquettes and Customs at the Western Wedding
“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe”.
Each item in this poem represents a good-luck taken for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. “Something old” symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. “Something new” means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. “Something borrowed” is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family. “Something Blue” dates from the ancient Rome time, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity, as evidenced in proverbs like “Marry in blue, lover be true”. And finally, a silver sixpence dates back to a Scottish customs of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck, today it represents wealth and financial security.
2.2 Ceremony Procedures
Ceremony Procedures at the Chinese Wedding
There is a certain order in Chinese wedding. Generally speaking, the whole process of the wedding includes a series of details. ( 1 ) Going and Fetching the Bride On the day of the formal wedding, the bride is dressed up by the elders at her home, waiting for the bridegroom. When the bridegroom meets his bride, they are to say goodbye to the bride„s family members after worshipping the bride‟s ancestors. They bow down before her parents, after which the newlyweds can set off after the bride‟s mother drapes kerchief over for her.
( 2 ) Performing the Formal Wedding Ceremony
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In China, people will select a good date very carefully for a big event, especially for one‟s marriage or death, for there are many taboos to avoid and they think a good date may bring good luck. Usually, they consult professional Mr. Fengshui(The one who studies the geomantic omen professionally) for advice.
People paste congratulatory couplets and large red Chinese character on the doorframes and walls. And they also lay out red blanket on the ground. The bride and bridegroom will be led across the red blanket, the colorful paper strips and one kind of spray stuff will be setting off above the new couple‟s heads. They walk shoulder by shoulder to the front of their parents who have already sat in a row of chairs at the end of the blanket. They bow down before their parents three times, and then they bow to each other three times, too. After that they formally become a couple. ( 3 ) Disturbing the Nuptial After the wedding feast, some of their close friends will plan to make fun of the new couple in their bridal chamber, and usually they play games. The new couple can‟t have a rest until all the friends stop to left, and the whole wedding ends. ( 4 ) Going back to the Bride‟s Three Days Latter On the third day after the marriage, the bride must go back to her parents with her husband with roasted meat and some other gifts. There, they worship her ancestors again, and they can even stay for a period of time before they return their own home. Ceremony Procedures at the Western Wedding
Most Westerners are Christians, so Western wedding is always held in the church, presided by the priest. On the day of the wedding, the new couple‟s relatives and friends gather at the church to celebrate their wedding and to be the witnesses of their marriage.
As the ceremony begins, the bridegroom and his groomsmen stand with the priest, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bridesmaids, followed by the beautiful bride, and the bride will be led into the church by her father. Then the priest will ask the new couple and all people to present several questions one by one, beginning with the bridegroom, and then they give their promises of marriage to each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.” After that they can exchange their rings and kiss each other. Finally, the priest will declare their marriage, which means
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2.3 Styles and Dress
A Chinese wedding is a very special occasion filled with bright red color everywhere. That's because red represents happiness and prosperity, and also it is a symbol of good luck, indicates the days after marriage is booming.
Western wedding trends to be romantic. The whole wedding is full of romantic atmosphere. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress, because white means jubilation in the West. The bridegroom wears a formal suit or tuxedo. For example, in the Andaman Islands, white was the representative of the status change. Traditional white wedding dress was the privilege of nobility in the early days. In Liberia times, most of the brides can only wear the traditional national costumes, and only the upper class can wear white dress at the wedding, which was the symbol of power and identity. Until modern times, after the privilege of nobility disappears the bride can wear white wedding dress ordinarily.
2.4 Marriage Media
In Chinese wedding, matchmaker is the compere of the wedding. Listening to matchmaker‟s proposals is the rule that people must abide by. They usually were women. The bride and bridegroom were directed by her to finish the ceremony.
But in Christian‟s opinions, wedding ceremony is considered as an important way to get god‟s save and wedding ceremony is a very important part of marriage. Priest plays an essential role in it. And marriage is not valid, unless the ceremony is hosted by priest.
2.5 Place
Chinese wedding is usually held in the bridegroom's house. The bride and bridegroom worship the heaven, the earth, their parents and each other in the hall of the house. The relatives and friends have dinner in the courtyard.
Most of the Westerners are Christians and they believe in God and regard him as the only master of the universe, so Western wedding takes place in church.
3. The Reasons for Differences
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3.1 Social Systems
China's emperors treat themselves as the Son of Heaven, but “No one is born noble.” Ancient China's political system is Centralized system that the autocratic centralization of power as the core. Despotic centralized system in China continuities 2000 years, and it had a profound impact on the China's reunification and development.
While in the West, the emperor and his people are in accordance with the sanctity of contracts under the name of God, and the emperor in accordance with God's will to control the country.
3.2 Thought Patterns
Chinese Thoughts
Chinese people are always more conservative, and they like to gather together enjoying the jollification and they have a relatively rigid mind. Thus there is not much change in the wedding customs in the thousands of years‟ Chinese history. Many traditional wedding customs and etiquettes remain alive. And the Chinese people‟s character of loving jollification is fully manifested in the Chinese traditional complicated wedding ceremony. In the end of the wedding, the couple will be disturbed by friends and family in their bridal chamber, and people think that the more serious the new couple is disturbed, the happier they will be in their life. Therefore, their friends and family use various methods to make things difficult for the bride and the bridegroom. Westerner’s Thoughts
Western people are more open-minded, and their requirement for the wedding is relatively lower. The climax of their wedding is in the church. With the sacred “Wedding March”, the bride is led by her father with a bouquet of roses in her hand stepping onto the red carpet, walking slowly to the bridegroom. The bride's father will put her daughter's hands in the hand of the bridegroom, entrusting her daughter's life to him. There sounds their oath in the sacred church and both the bridegroom and the bride exchange their marriage rings. After the priest declared the marriage, the bride and the bridegroom may go to the wedding banquet or to take their honeymoon without the complex etiquettes of the Chinese traditional weddings.
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4.Conclusion
Marriage is an important part of social life, we can make the wedding culture as a breakthrough point to know more about the differences between Chinese and Western culture. In the Chinese and Western weddings, the custom, ceremony procedures, styles and dress, marriage media and place are different and there are many reasons causing the differences such as social system, thought pattern, value orientation and religious views.
It is extremely important to know and understand the differences between them, so that we can understand the words and deeds of Westerners correctly and respect each other's customs in the communication, and then we can get the best effect of communication. In conclusion, the Western and Chinese culture is a vast field for Chinese and English learners to explore and study. We still have a long way to understand it deeply.
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