(no subject)
So over the past few days I've noticed 2 cultural differences:
1) I've watched 2 wedding videos (both of my cousins within the last year).
In the morning the guy gets into a nice car from his house and drives over to his soon to be wife's house. He is stopped by a pole that guards the doorway that is held up by his fiancees friends and family. He is soon let in and his fiancees family and friends and him have lunch. At this point the fiancee is supposed to be upstairs getting ready for the ceremony, and the guy serves the drinks. Since food is an important part of Chinese culture, there are tables upon tables laid out for the fiancees family and friends. The guy has to go around to each table and pour each of the guests their respective drinks (beer, wine, sprite, fanta, etc). If the guest accepts the drink that the guy poors, then he is willing to accept him into his life, his family. The guest can refuse and make the guy prove his love or prove that he is worthy of becoming a member of their family. I found this symbolism really interesting and something that seems to mean a lot to both the family and their friends and to the people getting married. Since community is important in China (especially in the countryside), this type of wedding incorporates it all. Then after lunch the bride and groom head off to the ceremony (the whole time firecrackers lead the way to where they're going). During the ceremony the friends and family of both sides come and bring "red bags" with are full of money. they are offered a sip of tea and then they place their bags will of money (a wedding gift) into the bowl of all the other bags of money. After this is done, the bride does the same thing that the groom did during lunch. She serves drinks to the friends and family of the groom. This way she is accepted into the groom's family and friend's lives. This whole process lasted for an entire day and then at night they. well, you know. But no honeymoon. It was an interesting way to do a wedding, and there were definately parts that I liked better than a traditional American wedding.
2) In the states we're told from a young age that drinking and smoking are bad. They're sort of taboo. My brother won't touch a sip of alcohol and smoking makes him very disgusted and he claims to get awful headaches from the smoke. I don't care much for alcohol and I also hate the smell of smoke.
In China the kids are never discouraged from smoking or drinking. From a young age they are allowed as much alcohol as their parents will give them. My 6 month old niece (yes, I am an Aunt) was given a few sips of alcohol and seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself. She made a face after she took her first sip but then kept reaching out for more. Smoking is also a social thing. You offer your friends and family cigarettes and you smoke after dinner while conversing in any topic you want. Pretty much all the men in China smoke. And all the men in China drink during dinner everyday. They have crates full of empty bottles and full bottles. In my uncles house alone he has 6 full crates of full beer bottles (16 bottles in each crate) and about 6 more crates of empty beer bottles. These bottles are bigger than those in the states and during each meal (with about 4 men) they drink about 6 6-8 of these bottles. It's an interesting change. I don't know how much more smoke I can inhale though before becoming sick.
that's the end of my revelations. or observations.
♥
ahhhhhhhh.
1) I've watched 2 wedding videos (both of my cousins within the last year).
In the morning the guy gets into a nice car from his house and drives over to his soon to be wife's house. He is stopped by a pole that guards the doorway that is held up by his fiancees friends and family. He is soon let in and his fiancees family and friends and him have lunch. At this point the fiancee is supposed to be upstairs getting ready for the ceremony, and the guy serves the drinks. Since food is an important part of Chinese culture, there are tables upon tables laid out for the fiancees family and friends. The guy has to go around to each table and pour each of the guests their respective drinks (beer, wine, sprite, fanta, etc). If the guest accepts the drink that the guy poors, then he is willing to accept him into his life, his family. The guest can refuse and make the guy prove his love or prove that he is worthy of becoming a member of their family. I found this symbolism really interesting and something that seems to mean a lot to both the family and their friends and to the people getting married. Since community is important in China (especially in the countryside), this type of wedding incorporates it all. Then after lunch the bride and groom head off to the ceremony (the whole time firecrackers lead the way to where they're going). During the ceremony the friends and family of both sides come and bring "red bags" with are full of money. they are offered a sip of tea and then they place their bags will of money (a wedding gift) into the bowl of all the other bags of money. After this is done, the bride does the same thing that the groom did during lunch. She serves drinks to the friends and family of the groom. This way she is accepted into the groom's family and friend's lives. This whole process lasted for an entire day and then at night they. well, you know. But no honeymoon. It was an interesting way to do a wedding, and there were definately parts that I liked better than a traditional American wedding.
2) In the states we're told from a young age that drinking and smoking are bad. They're sort of taboo. My brother won't touch a sip of alcohol and smoking makes him very disgusted and he claims to get awful headaches from the smoke. I don't care much for alcohol and I also hate the smell of smoke.
In China the kids are never discouraged from smoking or drinking. From a young age they are allowed as much alcohol as their parents will give them. My 6 month old niece (yes, I am an Aunt) was given a few sips of alcohol and seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself. She made a face after she took her first sip but then kept reaching out for more. Smoking is also a social thing. You offer your friends and family cigarettes and you smoke after dinner while conversing in any topic you want. Pretty much all the men in China smoke. And all the men in China drink during dinner everyday. They have crates full of empty bottles and full bottles. In my uncles house alone he has 6 full crates of full beer bottles (16 bottles in each crate) and about 6 more crates of empty beer bottles. These bottles are bigger than those in the states and during each meal (with about 4 men) they drink about 6 6-8 of these bottles. It's an interesting change. I don't know how much more smoke I can inhale though before becoming sick.
that's the end of my revelations. or observations.
♥
ahhhhhhhh.