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1、A Comparison of the Wedding Culturebetween China and Western Countries in Modern Times IntroductionThe 21st century is dominated by science and technology, which makes the whole world develop quite rapidly. With the constantly increasing economic globalization and international exchange, the culture
2、s of different regions are gradually spread and fused, such as the wedding cultures of China and Western Countries.It is clear that Chinese wedding and Western wedding differ from each other in many aspects: custom, ceremony procedures, styles and dress, marriage media and place.This thesis discusse
3、s the differences between Chinese and Western wedding cultures. It is extremely important to understand the different cultures between China and Western countries, which will help us to correctly understand the words and deeds of Westerners in the intercultural communication, fully understand each o
4、ther, and respect each others customs so as to get the best effect of communication.1. Chinese and Western Different Wedding Cultures1.1 Custom1.1.1 Three Papers and Six EtiquettesAccording to Chinese wedding customs, the first etiquette is Three Papers and Six Etiquettes, which is as important as t
5、he engagement at Western wedding.Three Papers consists of the paper of engagement, the list paper of the presents to the brides and the paper of fetching the bride. They are going to be used on the day of engagement, the bridegrooms giving the presents of marriage to the brides and going and fetchin
6、g the bride.Six Etiquettes includes asking for engagement, asking for the name and births of the newlyweds, showing some presents for engagement to the brides, giving the presents of marriage to the brides, choosing a good date for the wedding and going and fetching the bride on the day of the weddi
7、ng. All these etiquettes must be completely in proper order before the 11.1.2 EngagementIn 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. D
8、iamond 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 engageme
9、nt ceremony.1.1.3 Other Etiquettes and CustomsEtiquettes and Customs at the Chinese WeddingIn China, the parents always prepare some dowry for their daughter. The dowry means a good wish for their rich and nice life. At the bridegrooms home, there are also many things to be prepared. At the same tim
10、e the bridegroom must prepare some money packaged in red paper bags to thank some people on the day of the wedding, such as his brides 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 th
11、e 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 w
12、ith the brides family and the past. “Something new” means optimism and hope for the brides 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
13、 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 g
14、room putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck, today it represents wealth and financial security.2Taboos at the Chinese WeddingOn the day of the wedding, people cant say bad words. People say it will bring something bad if they dont follow the customs. Everything prepared for the wedding m
15、ust be in pairs.When the bride arrives at the bridegrooms, she cant touch the threshold when she goes across, or she will bring bad luck.The pregnant women and the women who lose a parent or her husband recently cant attend the wedding, and they can not touch the brides new clothes and all of the it
16、ems in the bridal chamber. If they did this, she had to crawl through the new couples unmarried brothers legs before she can go out.Taboos at the Western WeddingThere are also many taboos at the Western wedding, especially concerning the brides wedding dress. White wedding dress must not be matched
17、with red shoes, because red shoes means to jump into the fire pit. Red flower, red belt and other red things mustnt be matched with white dress, either, since white symbolizes pure while red is the opposite. White wedding dress should match white, golden or silver shoes.The bride must cover her face
18、 with a veil at the ceremony, for it is not only a decoration but also representing a dividing line, and it cant be exposed by other people except the bridegroom. The bridegroom always stands on the right of his bride, in order to avoid others from grabbing his bride away. When the new couple goes b
19、ack to their bridal chamber, the bridegroom must hug the bride into the house and put her on the bed, avoiding her getting into the house with her left foot first, for they think that may bring bad luck to the new family.1.2 Ceremony ProceduresCeremony Procedures at the Chinese WeddingThere is a cer
20、tain order in Chinese wedding. Generally speaking, the whole process of the wedding includes a series of details.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 3her paren
21、ts, after which the newlyweds can set off after the brides mother drapes kerchief over for her.In China, people will select a good date very carefully for a big event, especially for ones marriage or death, for there are many taboos to avoid and they think a good date may bring good luck. Usually, t
22、hey 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 r
23、ed blanket, the colorful paper strips and one kind of spray stuff will be setting off above the new couples 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
24、they bow to each other three times, too. After that they formally become a couple.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 cant have a rest until all the friends stop to left, and
25、 the whole wedding ends. 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 t
26、he Western WeddingMost Westerners are Christians, so Western wedding is always held in the church, presided by the priest. On the day of the wedding, the new couples relatives and friends gather at the church to celebrate their wedding and to be the witnesses of their marriage.As the ceremony begins
27、, 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 4then they give their promises of marriage t
28、o 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 the end of the wedding.1.3 Styles and DressA Chinese wedding is a very special occasion
29、filled with bright red color everywhere. Thats 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 beauti
30、ful, 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
31、 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.1.4 M
32、arriage MediaIn Chinese wedding, matchmaker is the compere of the wedding. Listening to matchmakers 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 Christians opinions, wedding ceremony is considere
33、d as an important way to get gods 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.1.5 PlaceChinese wedding is usually held in the bridegrooms house. The bride and bridegroom worsh
34、ip 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.52.1 Socia
35、l SystemsChinas emperors treat themselves as the Son of Heaven, but “No one is born noble.” Ancient Chinas 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
36、 Chinas 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 Gods will to control the country.2.2 Thought PatternsChinese ThoughtsChinese people are always more conservat
37、ive, 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 peoples character of l
38、oving 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 thei
39、r life. Therefore, their friends and family use various methods to make things difficult for the bride and the bridegroom.Westerners ThoughtsWestern 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 “
40、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 brides father will put her daughters hands in the hand of the bridegroom, entrusting her daughters life to him. There sounds their oath in the sacred
41、 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 62.3 Value OrientationChinese Value Ori
42、entationPeoples marriage is relatively stable because Chinese people always consider marriage as one of the most important things in ones life. They choose it carefully, and once they decide to get married it will be not easy to change. And as Chinese people always regard marriage as something serio
43、us as well as moral; they think its immoral to destroy others marriage.Chinese peoples marriage is much more a rational choice and it is doubtful how much love there is in such a rational choice of marriage. Therefore, the Chinese peoples marriage is much less romantic than the Western peoples. Of c
44、ourse, Chinese people have love, too. But there is no inevitable connection between love and marriage. Love and marriage are two entirely different matters, Chinese people can marry someone they love or they do not love. Westerners Value OrientationWesterners believe that marriage is purely a privat
45、e matter, and no one can interfere. They have the right to choose a favorite person to live together, and they will have a second choice once they find the existing marriage is a mistake.It can be said that the Westerners marriage is in more need of love, and love is the basis of marriage. Whats why
46、 there are the categories of “Golden Marriage” ,”Silver Marriage” and "Honeymoon", which look so romantic. In the Western countries, love is the most sacred part of human beings emotion, which can never be sullied. And this makes it as sacred and absolute as the religious idols. At the sam
47、e time, it is the extreme emotion of human beings. Thats why they make a life promise to each other at the wedding and exchange the diamond rings to witness their love.2.4 Religious ViewsChinese Religion and Its Influence on the Wedding CustomsIn China, the traditional moral and religious beliefs ar
48、e always the most important cornerstone of marriage and stable family. The most popular religion in China is Buddhism whose teachings greatly influence peoples thought. This is reflected in Chinese customs, such as the wedding customs.7secular life, and to be good people. For example, they prepare things for the wedding in pairs, and they decorate the whole wedding with red items that means goodness. Therefore, Chinese people pay much attention to the etiquettes at the wedding, they stress much and they have many taboo
