揭祕:中國式婚禮的N個爲什麼
Traditional Chinese weddings are always filled with red things to bring auspicious blessings and respects. And even wedding customs reflect traditions from Chinese philosophy.
中國傳統婚禮中總是用紅色的東西來表達吉祥、祝福和隆重的意味。其實婚禮習俗也反映着中國的傳統哲學思想。
1. Favoring red comes from worship of the sun
喜歡紅色來自太陽崇拜
The Chinese regard the color red as the symbol of happiness, success, luck, faith and growth. They like red very much, which comes from worship of the Sun. In traditional Chinese weddings, there are double Xi characters in red, red scarves, red flowers and the bride wears a red coat.
中國人將紅色看做是幸福、成功、好運、忠誠和繁榮的象徵。他們很喜歡紅色，其實是由於對太陽的崇拜。在傳統中國婚禮上，有紅色的“囍”字、紅色的絲帶、紅花和新娘的紅衣。
2. The wedding ceremony shows harmony between nature and people
婚禮傳達出“天人合一”的思想
A marriage is not only a merger of the couple; traditionally, it symbolizes the merger of two families. So the wedding ceremony should reflect the holiness of marriage, drawing the attention of relatives and friends. There is harmony between nature and the people inside.
婚姻不僅是一對新人的結合，按照傳統，婚姻也象徵着兩個家庭的結合。因此婚禮要能體現出婚姻的神聖，要能夠吸引親朋好友來參加。這裏面有“天人合一”的思想。
Inviting relatives and friends to the wedding symbolizes the formality and the relationships between people. During a marriage, two families become in-laws. The ceremony reflects the importance and family status of the parents.
邀請親朋好友來參加婚禮體現着人與人之間的關係和禮節。在婚姻中，雙方的家庭結爲“親家”。婚禮體現了家長在家庭中的地位和重要性。
After the ceremony, the bride and the groom usually burn money and food as offerings to the gods. As the fire consumes the offerings accompanied by the sound of firecrackers, god accepts the gift, indicating that there is harmony between nature and people.
婚禮之後，新郎和新娘通常會燒紙錢和食物來祭祀祖先。伴着鞭炮的聲音，火苗將祭品燒給祖先們，這象徵着人與自然的和諧。
3. The sound of musical instruments in the wedding is usually loud to express the voice of the people. The sound should be loud enough to let nature know, and it also demonstrates the importance of the marriage.
婚禮上奏樂的聲音通常很響，響到足以讓自然“聽到”，同時也證明婚姻的重要性。
4. The food the bride eats has cultural significance
新娘吃的食物也是一種文化象徵
In traditional weddings, the bride usually has red dates, peanuts, longans and melon seeds. The meaning is evident in the Chinese pronunciation of these four foods. When they are said together, it sounds like "Have a baby soon."
傳統婚禮上，新娘一般會吃紅棗、花生、桂圓和瓜子。其中的象徵意義可以從這四種食物的讀音中看出。當這四種食物放在一起讀時就是“早生貴子”。
