TRADITIONAL CHINESE WEDDING: IS IT FOR YOU? Part 2 of 3
Getting engaged in Singapore might mean that you have contemplated whether you would like a contemporary wedding, a traditional Chinese wedding, or an intimate mix of both. There truly are numerous wedding customs from different cultures that date as far back as ancient times. Nonetheless, a lot of people still believe these traditions to be relevant to weddings in today’s time.
If you are of Chinese descent, you would be familiar with the unique Chinese wedding customs, ceremonies, and superstitions. Most weddings in Singapore include these Chinese wedding traditions to commemorate heritage and celebrate the richness of Chinese culture. Keep in mind that these rituals and traditions may differ across ancestral regions, so a Cantonese bride may engage in rituals that a Teochew bride won’t. We have previously described some of the popular customs in a traditional Chinese wedding. Below are the next two of these seven customs.
HAIR COMBING RITUAL.The hair combing ritual signifies the bride and groom’s passage from childhood to woman- and manhood. The hair combing ritual typicallyhappens the night before the wedding at the bride and groom’s respective homes. Before it begins, both of you are to wash yourselves with water that has been brewed with pomelo leaves, believed to have the power to ward off evil. After this cleansing, you are to put on a brand new set of pyjamas and underwear, and then be seated in front of a pair of dragon and phoenix candles. The bride also has to wear new bedroom slippers for this ritual. A woman of good fortune is to conduct the hair combing ritual. You will have your hair combed four times while the woman of good fortunerecites the blessings that each stroke represents.
FETCHING OF THE BRIDE.On your wedding day, the groom will travel to the bride’s family home to fetch her and bring him back to his home. This tradition is also known as “the customary gatecrashing”. But before the groom can get to the bride, he needs to get past her bridesmaids, also known as “jie meis”, and complete a number of tasks. The groom’s brothers, or “xiong dis”, are also present to offer the groom support as he tries to get past the bridesmaids. This obligatory “negotiation” between the bride’s and groom’s respective parties is a common practicein Singapore weddings. Traditionally, the gatecrashing serves as a “test” of the groom’s love and sincerity in the face of the bride’s family’s reluctance to give their daughter away. So it is typical for the bridesmaids to resist the groom’s party until the groom declares his undying love for the bride. The groom further needs to recite and sign a “contract” of his vows. Sometimes, too, the bridal party may ask the groom and his groomsmen to sing and dance to gain their approval.
However traditional you may decide to go, always remember that your wedding day will be memorable so do all that you can to make the affair as befitting and personal to you and your fiancé.
Document the wedding traditions you’ve chosen through the wedding cinematography video. All the prewedding events could be recorded in the PreWedding Videography Package as provided by your Singapore wedding videographer.Decide on aSingapore wedding photographer and videographer that truly appreciates the value of tradition in order to capture the moments that matter most andimmortalize every loving detail of your wedding day for you.