中国文化概要 Lecture 2 Love and Marriage.docVIP

Lecture Two Love and Marriage Feudalist Society 1. Principles: A. “The command of parents and the good offices of a go-between”父母之命，媒妁之言。 B. Marrying one’s own kind of people.门当户对 Old Saying “Marry a cock and follow the cock; marry a dog and follow the dog.”---Be faithful to him forever regardless of all circumstances. Reasons 1. The Core of Chinese Feudalist Ethics: Loyalty and filial piety 2. Men enjoy higher status than women. Chinese Traditional Marriage Chinese marriage was systemized into custom in the Warring States period (402---221B.C.) It was important to follow a basic principle of Three Letters and Six Etiquettes in the ancient times. Three Letters Betrothal Letter Gift letter Wedding Letter Six Etiquettes 1. Proposing 2. Birthday matching 3. Presenting betrothal gifts 彩礼,聘礼 4. Presenting wedding gifts 5. Picking a wedding date 6. Wedding ceremony Other Customs 1. Preparing the bridal bed with scatted candies, lotus seeds, peanuts, beans and fruits of good meanings on the bed. 2. Dowry 3.Bride’s Return Key Words Good luck woman Bridal sedan chair Firecrackers Kowtows Teasing games in the bridal chamber. Question What is the dominant color on traditional Chinese wedding? Red. Because Chinese tend to apply red to add happy atmosphere in such big days. New Criteria after 1949 1. In 1950, the first Marriage Law passed in China. In 1980 and 2001, it was revised twice. 2. Main points of the revised marriage law: A. free choice of partners, monogamy, equal rights for the sexes B. Family planning is practiced. C. marriage based upon arbitrary decision by any third party, mercenary marriage, and any other acts of interference in the freedom of marriage are prohibited. D. Adultery outlawed; property division clarified; domestic violence punished. Types of Chinese family 1. Incomplete/ single parent family 2. Nuclear family (husband, wife, unmarried child) 3. Joint family (two or more nuclear families) 4. Enlarged family (a nuclear family plus satellites---wid