中西方婚礼习俗的差异___英语毕业论文

中西方婚礼习俗的差异___英语 毕业论文 毕业论文答辩ppt模板下载毕业论文ppt模板下载毕业论文ppt下载关于药学专业毕业论文临床本科毕业论文下载 中西方婚礼习俗的差异 【关键词】中国婚礼习俗;西方婚礼习俗;差异;影响 【正文】 ?. Introduction The 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 cultures of different regions are gradually spread and fused, such as the wedding customs of China and Western Countries. There are a lot of differences between Chinese and Western wedding customs from engagement to the end. Chinese wedding is much more complex than Western wedding, especially in the wedding ceremony. In the Chinese traditional wedding customs people stress more and they have many taboos, for Chinese people are more conservative and traditional, but the open-minded Western people?s wedding is much simpler. At the same time, their different religions and different attitudes to marriage influence their wedding customs much, too. Chinese people mostly believe in Buddhism but the Westerners have faith in Christianity, which decide the place where the wedding is held and how complex the whole process is. Chinese people?s marriage is relatively stable. Because Chinese people always consider marriage as one of the most important things in life. Westerners? concepts of marriage are extremely different from Chinese. They believe that marriage is purely a private matter, and no one can interfere. This thesis addresses the differences between Chinese and Western wedding customs by analyzing the wedding procedures and the influence of different thoughts, attitudes and religions on the wedding customs. 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 other, and respect each other's customs so as to get the best effect of communication. ?.Chinese Wedding Customs Chinese traditional wedding ceremony includes a series of procedures. From engagement to the formal wedding ceremony, every procedure must be taken into serious consideration. The course below mainly describes the Chinese wedding customs in order. A. 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. B. Order of Chinese Wedding There is a certain order in Chinese wedding. Generally speaking, the whole process of the wedding includes a series of details. Such as worshipping the ancestors，starting the trip，setting off the firecrackers, waiting for the bridegroom, Taoxi(The bride?s friends or relatives ask the bridegroom for money), saying farewell to parents and bride?s relatives and friends, setting out, the car for the newlyweds, throwing a fan, setting off the firecrackers, touching the orange, leading by the bride, Baitang(the formal ceremony of marriage at the wedding), the wedding banquet, sending-off the guests, disturbing the nuptial, and going back home three days later. 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. Before the bridegroom and his guard of honor start their trip, the bridegroom must hold the ancestor worship. After that they can start off, at the same time the firecrackers should be set off on the way to the bride?s. As they arrive at the bride?s, the bride?s friends must close the door in order to prevent the bridegroom seeing her at once. The bride can?t see his bridegroom unless he satisfies all the requests of the bride?s friends, no matter how hard their requests are. When the bridegroom meets his bride, they are to say goodbye to the bride„s people 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. On the way to the bridegroom?s, the firecrackers should be set off, too. For Chinese people like jollification and marriage is one of the most important things in one?s life, they are happy to show others their good things. At the same time some festive music will be played to celebrate the newlyweds and spread people?s happiness. All people will have a happy trip. 2. Performing the Formal Wedding Ceremony 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 studys the geomantic omen professionally) for advice. Mr Fengshui will choose a good date for marriage and a good time for the ceremony of the wedding, and then they begin to prepare for the wedding. People paste congratulatory couplets and large red Chinese character means “Happiness” in English on the doorframes and walls. And they also lay out red blanket on the ground. When the bride arrives at the bridegroom?s, two guys will light two strings of firecrackers (already bound on long bamboo poles) to celebrate the important moment. One of the bridegroom?s elders will go to lead the bride out, and then the most important time comes. The person who is in charge of the ceremony will start to preside over the ceremony with the wedding music playing on. 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. The Wedding Feast Nowadays, the combination of Chinese and Western wedding is quite popular in China, especially in big cities. And the wedding banquet is mostly held on the evening of the wedding ceremony. At the wedding banquet, the bride?s wedding dress can be removed and replaced by the evening dress to propose a toast at the table. The new couple propose toasts to everybody present to show their thanks and nice blessings, and the guests must drink the wine the new couple gave, which they think will bring them good luck and health. 4. Disturbing the Nuptial After the wedding feast, most of the guests leave, and then the crazy time comes. Some of their close friends will plan to make fun of the new couple in their bridal chamber, and usually they play games. Chinese people think that the more seriously the new couple is disturbed, the happier the new couple will be in their life. Therefore their friends and family make things difficult for the bride and the bridegroom in many ways. How seriously they will be made fun of depends on how seriously they fool other people at other?s wedding and whether the newlyweds are honest enough to people. The new couple can?t have a rest until all the friends stop to left, and the whole wedding ends. 5. 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. Although the daughter is married, she shouldn?t forget her own parents who gave her birth and brought her up. And as a new couple, the bride may not be accustomed to her new life, and then she will miss her parents. So she can go back to see her parents and thank them when they stay. C. Etiquettes and Customs at the Chinese Wedding In China, the parents always prepare some dowry for their daughter. The bride?s dowry includes a scissor, a ruler,some sugar tablets, vases, a copper pot and a pair of shoes, which indicate fortune. There are also pairs of quilts, bed linen and pillows, 72 sets of clothes and so on, which means a good wish for their rich and nice life. Every item has its different meanings.1 At the bridegroom?s home, there are also many things to be prepared. At first they must tidy and layout the bridal chamber, and the whole chamber must be decorated with red things, such as red candles, red quilts. People paste congratulatory couplets and large red Chinese character meaning “Happiness” in English on the doorframes and walls. And then they need to prepare some food, fruit, tea, and wine on the table, which will be used at the night of the wedding. 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. D. Taboos at the Chinese Wedding At the Chinese traditional wedding, there are a lot of taboos. On the day of the wedding, people can?t say bad words. People say it will bring something bad if they don?t follow the customs. Everything prepared for the wedding must be in pairs, such as the candle etc. When the bride arrives at the bridegroom?s, she can?t 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 can?t attend the wedding, and they can not touch the bride?s new clothes and all of the items in the bridal chamber. If they did this, she had to crawl through the new couple?s unmarried brother?s legs before she can go out.2 The main color of Chinese wedding is red. The whole wedding is presided over by the master of the ceremony, under whose command the newlyweds bow down to the god, their parents and themselves, and then go into the bridal chamber. Chinese wedding is relatively complex, filled with laugh and happiness, which reflects the rackety character of Chinese people. Chinese wedding is also conservative, they stress a lot and there are many taboos at the wedding. But Western wedding is much simpler and different from Chinese wedding. ?.Western Wedding Customs A. Engagement In Western countries, people always engage first and then they can hold the formal wedding. Many etiquettes and symbols need paying much attention to, especially the diamond ring at the engagement ceremony. Diamond is considered as the best symbol of love, but why? The diamond is produced by heat energy and press, which makes it the hardest material discovered by human beings so far. In ancient times, human beings couldn?t cut diamond for they didn?t have such tools and skills. So the diamond naturally became the symbol of forever love, at the same time the heat energy that gestates the diamond means the passionate love. Thus, the bridegroom must send a diamond ring to his bride to show his promise of forever unchanged love at their engagement ceremony. B. Order of 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. When the happy time comes, the bride will be led into the church by her father. The newlyweds go to the priest after her father gives her hand to her bridegroom, and then begins the ceremony. At first, the priest will ask the new couple and all people present several questions one by one, beginning with the bridegroom, and then they give their promises of marriage to each other. 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. C. Etiquettes and Customs at the Western Wedding 1. 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. As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to Western weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true". And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is definitely English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era. It may date back to a Scottish customs of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.3 2. Dress of the Bride at the Western Wedding At a wedding not only the ceremony needs to be complied with customs but also the dresses. In Western countries the bride always wears a white dress. White means jubilation in the West, the bride wears a white dress in the church wedding is a symbol of purity. Since Roman times, the white was a symbol of celebration. From 1850 to 1900, the white is a symbol of prosperity. By the beginning of this century, the meaning of white is pure far more than the others. The west consider that the white is contacted with pure and virginity. In ancient Rome, the bride wore a white dress, covered with a yellow veil, which symbolized the flames of passion. In the Western Catholic tradition, white represents happiness; in some other regions, white in the wedding and funeral instructs a variety of ceremony and significance. 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.4 D. Taboos at the Western Wedding There are also many taboos at the Western wedding, especially concerning the bride?s wedding dress. White wedding dress must not be matched with red shoes, because red shoes means to jump into the fire pit. Red flower, red belt and other red things mustn?t be matched with white dress, too, 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 with a veil at the ceremony, for it is not only a decoration but also representing a dividing line, and it can?t 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 back 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.5 ?.Reasons of These Differences A. Different Thoughts between Chinese and Westerners 1. Chinese Thoughts The above differences in wedding customs of Chinese and Western countries are directly related to the differences in their ideologies and the way of their thinking. Chinese people are always more conservative, and they like gathering 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? history of China. The Chinese traditional culture didn?t have great changes until the Western culture was spread into China in the beginning of the 20th century. Many traditional wedding customs and etiquettes remain to nowadays. And the Chinese people?s character of loving jollification is fully manifested in the Chinese traditional complicated wedding ceremony.6 Besides the marriage banquet, there is a luncheon before the bride leaves according to the Chinese traditional wedding customs. 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. 2. 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 led by her father with a bouquet of roses in her hand steps 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. Everybody is looking at the new couple who are filled with happiness. Today she is the most beautiful bride. There sounds their oath in the sacred church, exchanging their marriage rings. When the priest says: "You can kiss your bride…… marriage is a covenant of one lifetime, you should hold your oath in your rest life. Lord Jesus said: „People matched by god are inseparable. Today makes this one lifetime love perfect.?" After this 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. B. Different Attitudes to Marriage 1. Chinese Attitudes to Marriage Chinese people?s marriage is relatively stable. Because Chinese people always consider marriage as one of the most important things in one?s life. They choose carefully, and once they decide to get married it will be not easy to change. And Chinese people always regard marriage as a serious moral matter, they think it?s immoral to destroy other?s marriage.6 Chinese people?s marriage is much more a rational choice, it is doubtful how much love there is in such a rational choice of marriage. Therefore, the Chinese people's marriage is much less romantic than the Western people?s. Of course, Chinese people have love, too. But there is no inevitable contact between love and marriage. To many traditional Chinese, love and marriage are two entirely different matters, they can marry someone they love or they do not love. These are the differences between Chinese and Western people?s attitudes to marriage. 2. Westerner?s Attitudes to Marriage Westerners? concepts of marriage are extremely different from Chinese. They believe that marriage is purely a private matter, and no one can interfere. That?s why they can decide their marriage themselves without their parents? interference. They have the right to choose a favorite people to live together, and they will have a second choice once they find the existing marriage is a mistake.8 It can be said that the Westerners? marriage is more of the need for love, and love is the basis of marriage, so there are the categories of “Golden Marriage” ,”Silver Marriage” and "Honeymoon", which look so romantic. In the Western countries, love is the most sacred. It is the most sacred part of human being?s emotion, which can never be sullied. And this makes it as sacred and absolute as the religious idols. At the same time, it is the extreme emotion of human beings. That?s why they make a life promise to each other at the wedding, and the diamond rings witness their love. C. Different Religions 1. Chinese Religion and It?s Influence on the Wedding Customs In China, the traditional moral and religious beliefs are always the most important cornerstone of marriage and stable family. The most popular religion in China is Buddhism whose teachings greatly influence people?s thought. This is reflected in Chinese customs, such as the wedding customs. The Buddhism teaches the common people to enjoy a reasonable arrangement of a good secular life, and to be good people, which is the reason of they preparing something that represents fortune and happiness. 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 taboos. The Buddhism also tells people to respect the heaven, the earth, the King, their parents and the persons who teach them, that?s why Chinese people must bow down before them at the wedding ceremony. At the same time, religion is the barometer of the society, which is the most important spiritual resources to uphold the social justice. It teaches people how to be a good wife or husband, how they should respect their elders and grow their kids, and the way of making a harmony marriage. Thus, Chinese people always treat marriage as one of the most important things in one?s life, and they can keep a steady family. From these we can see that the Buddhism has much influence on Chinese wedding customs. Then, how about the influence of the Western religion on the Western wedding customs? 2. Western Religion and It?s Influence on the Wedding Customs Most of the Westerners are Christians, they believe in God as the only master of the universe. Christians pay serious attention to marriage. According to the Bible, the Christians have two views: firstly, marriage is sacred, because the origin of marriage is the creation of god himself; secondly, marriage should insist on the principle of monogamy, that?s why God created Eve for Adam. Because of the sanctity of marriage, people are required to take monogamy and the Christians do not advocate divorce. Christians traditionally believe that the premise of divorce is one of the couple committed the crimes of lascivious or one leave voluntarily for different believes, mentioned in the Bible.10 From this we can understand why the bride and the bridegroom make a lifetime promise to each other with a diamond ring, and how much they pay attention to the quality of the marriage. ?、Conclusion The main color of Chinese wedding is red，which makes the wedding jubilating. The bridegroom?s parents are sitting on the upper sides (the end of the house towards the gate), and the bride and the bridegroom hold the wedding before them. The whole wedding is presided over by the master of the ceremony, in whose command the newlyweds bow down to the god, their parents and themselves, and then into the bridal chamber, which is the climax of the whole wedding. The bride has to stay in their bridal chamber alone, waiting for her bridegroom who is drinking with his friends and relatives outside. After the bridegroom and the guests leave the tables, everybody starts to make fun of the bride and the bridegroom. They have to play various games that required by others……like this, the wedding ends in people?s laugh. Western wedding is typically romantic, which is full of romantic from start to the end. Generally, the bride's dress is white and the bridegroom is in black suit, making the whole wedding solemn and serious. The whole wedding ceremony in the church is the most important part. As the wedding march play on, the bride walk to her bridegroom led by her father. After her father delivered her hand to the bridegroom the priest begins to chair the wedding. He will ask the bride and the bridegroom to make a lifelong oath to each other, which is the climax of the whole wedding. Then they will exchange their marriage rings and kiss each other in the blessing of everyone. At the end of the wedding, the bride would throw the flowers to the present female guests, and it is believed that the girl who receives the flowers will be the next bride soon. The whole wedding ends after the new couple?s leaving for honeymoon. In a word, there are a lot of differences between Chinese and Western wedding customs, and the different thoughts, religions and attitudes to marriage between Chinese and Westerners influence the wedding customs a great deal. 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. This thesis focuses on the differences between Chinese and Western wedding customs by analyzing the whole wedding procedures and the influences of different thoughts, attitudes to marriage and religions in China and Western countries on the wedding customs. But there surely are inadequacies because of the limit of time and resources. In the future study, I will continue to collect materials in this area so as to make this research more profound and comprehensive.