中西方婚礼文化差异范文

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篇1

【关键词】中西方婚姻观 中西方传统婚礼文化

【中图分类号】G112 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】1674－4810（2012）15－0071－01

一 引言

婚姻观是价值观的一种，从婚礼可以看出中西方人对于恋爱、婚姻的价值取向以及中西方文化在婚姻方面的差异。在的基础上，中西方保持各自的婚姻文化特点。

二 中西方婚姻观差异

1．择偶方式不同

中国人传统的择偶方式是“父母之命，媒妁之言”；西方一向盛行自由恋爱，第三者无权干涉。当今社会，中国人以自由恋爱为开端，最后步入婚姻殿堂的也不少。

2．对结婚的看法不同

在中国古代，结婚主要是为了传宗接代，侍奉公婆。在当代，这种情况也不少见。在西方，结婚是为了找个长久的异性生活伴侣，从而在生理上、心理上、社交上获得满足。

3．对离婚的看法不同

在中国，有时夫妻双方即使出现感情问题也不会立即离婚，他们会顾虑对子女、家庭等的责任，不轻易离婚。而在西方，婚姻不属于道德问题。一个人有权选择和他/她最喜欢的人生活在一起，一旦发现现有的婚姻是一个错误，他/她会做第二次选择。

4．婚姻关系不同

中国的婚姻关系在很大程度上受父母的影响，尤其是婆媳关系。西方的婚姻，父母很少干涉。

二 中西方婚礼文化对比

1．中式婚礼的传统吉祥习俗

中西方在婚礼上有很大的差别，中国传统习俗有“三书六礼”“三叩九拜”的礼节。六礼分别为：（1）纳彩：这是议婚的第一阶段，男方请媒人提亲后，女方同意议婚，男方备礼去女方家求婚，礼物是雁，取象征顺乎阴阳之意，后来又发展了新意，说雁失配偶，终生不再成双，取其忠贞之意。（2）问名：是求婚后，托媒人请问女方出生年月日和姓名，准备合婚的仪式。（3）纳吉：是把问名后占卜合婚的好消息再通知女方的礼仪，又叫“订盟”。这是订婚阶段的主要礼仪。古俗，照例要用雁，作为婚事已定的信物。后发展到用戒指、首饰、彩绸、礼饼、礼香烛，甚至羊、猪等，故又称送定或定聘。（4）纳征：订盟后，男家将聘礼送往女家，是成婚阶段的礼仪。这项成婚礼又俗称完聘或大聘、过大礼等。后来，这项仪式还采取了回礼的做法，将聘礼中食品的一部分或全部退还；或受聘后，女家将赠男方衣、帽、鞋、袜作为回礼。（5）请期：送完聘礼后，选择结婚日期，备礼到女家，征得同意时的仪式。

2．西式婚礼也有传统的吉祥习俗

（1）新娘抛花球：谁接到就象征她快要结婚了。（2）新郎抛袜圈：同样谁接到就象征快要成新郎了。（3）新娘要戴手套：手套是爱的信物，在中古世纪，许多绅士送手套给意中人表示求婚。如果对方在星期日上教堂时戴着那副手套，就表示她已答应他的求婚。（4）婚戒要带在左手无名指上。（5）新娘要戴面纱：新娘的面纱象征着青春和纯洁。（6）新娘穿白色礼服。自罗马时代开始，白色就象征着欢庆，白色也是富裕、快乐的象征。后来则加强了圣洁和忠贞的意义，形成了纯白婚纱的崇高地位。而再婚的女性，可以用白色以外的其他颜色，如粉红或湖蓝等，以示与初婚区别。（7）结婚典礼时新娘总是站在新郎的左边。（8）结婚蛋糕特别定制。（9）蜜月旅行：一般西方在举行完结婚仪式后，就会与亲朋好友告别，去度一个只属于新人的蜜月。

三 传统中西式婚礼的大致特点

1．西式婚礼

穿洁白的婚纱、笔挺的西装、蛋糕香槟、抛花球……简洁神圣的西式婚礼，让那些追求小资情调的，梦想成为公主、王子的新人们十分心动。

在西方的教义里，两个人的结合是上帝的旨意，因此婚礼必须是圣洁的，代表纯洁的白色是婚礼上独一无二的主色调，白色的婚纱、白色的布置、白色的蛋糕、白色的婚车……一切白色的花卉都会成为西式婚礼上最受欢迎的装饰物。

2．传统中式婚礼

大红花轿、浩浩荡荡的迎亲仪仗队、拜天地、掀盖头、凤冠霞帔状元服……中式婚礼上，传统的喜庆与热闹，把吉祥和祝福以最热烈的方式送给一对喜结连理的新人。虽说中式婚礼听起来有些老套，可如今却是个新鲜玩意儿。

中式婚礼讲究“天地人和谐”的哲学，以及人们祈福迎祥的心理，在中国传统意义上，婚姻不仅仅是两个人的事，还是两个家族以及社会关系的事。需要一系列仪式反映婚姻庄重，引起当事人以及相关人士的重视。所以，又叫“人前婚礼”。

以情动人，感谢父母、答谢亲朋好友，是中式婚礼上的一大重点，喝“多子汤”、饮“和睦酒”、吃“团圆饭”、敬“父母茶”等情节，让到场的每一位宾客都感动至深。而新人也会因此感受到婚姻的庄重和家庭的责任。

四 总结

改革开放后，中国打开国门，接受越来越多的西方文化，同样，西方也被中国文化深深地吸引。随着时代进步，人们的思想越来越包容异域文化，取其精华，去其糟粕。当今中国婚礼有举办西式的，进教堂宣誓交换戒指；有举办传统中式的，上花轿，拜高堂；也有选择中西合璧，如在婚宴上新娘会换好几套礼服，既有婚纱也有旗袍。另外有些娶了中国女子的外国人会要求举办传统中式婚礼，要求骑着白马，迎亲队伍吹吹打打、热热闹闹地去迎接新娘。真可谓“海纳百川，有容乃大”。随着世界越来越趋同，中西方人的婚姻价值取向也在不断地发生着变化。在的基础上，中西方保持各自的文化特点，给全世界人民带来全然不同的生活体验和感受。

参考文献

篇2

【关键词】 婚礼；传统；文化差异

1、Introduction

Although wedding is important and meaningful for people from any culture, there are a great number of differences about wedding between America and China because of many cultural factors. After the implement of the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s, more and more transnational marriages occurred. Chinese people who are living in America or communicating with people from America may feel puzzled sometimes about the culture in wedding in America. This thesis discusses about the main cultural differences in wedding, such as the wedding dressing, the wedding order, the wedding feast as well as wedding taboos, and then finds out reasons in culture that account for those differences. As well, we are able to have a better idea of wedding, which inspires us to think about the wedding deeply. Therefore it is necessary for us to see the cultural differences in wedding between America and China.

2、The Comparison of the Wedding between America and China

2.1、Differences in the Dressing in Wedding

Marriage marks the beginning of complete independence from the parents. According to the English law, no one was allowed to get married under the age of sixteen. Marriage between the age of sixteen and eighteen must have the parents’ consent. But when the girl was over eighteen, she was free to choose her love. Youths in Britain were relatively free. In Britain, church pointed out “agreement principle” which pointed out that the marriage was valid only when the two persons involved in marriage expressed freely and openly in front of at least two chief witness at wedding ceremony; the marriage was not valid when there existing misunderstanding or force in marriage.

2.1.1、The Wedding Dressing in America

The dressings of people who attend the wedding are very formal, showing the solemn seriousness of the wedding. It is a custom that the color of the bride’s dressing is always white, while the dressing of the bridegroom is usually black. The female guest usually wears the cocktail formal party clothes? while the male guest normally wears black suit.

2.1.2、The Wedding Dressing in China

Traditionally, the main color of Chinese wedding is the red, which stands for festivity in Chinese culture. The bridegroom wears red long gown mandarin jacket and a red cap, while the bride wears red clothes and a red scarf. It is believed that the red symbolizes the happiness in Chinese culture for more than thousands of years. Before the bridegroom arrives at the bride’s home, the bride’s face is covered by a red head-kerchief. And the guests in the wedding always dress themselves with formal or beautiful clothes that suit the atmosphere of the wedding. The wedding is almost filled with the color of red. The Chinese usually and traditionally admires that the clothes that the bride and the bridegroom wear in the wedding are the most beautiful.

2.2、Differences in the Order of Wedding

2.2.1、The Order of the Wedding in America

The wedding is usually held at the church in the daytime, presided by the priest, since the majority of people in America are Christians. The relatives and friends, invited as the witnesses of the marriage, gather at the church to celebrate the new couple’s wedding. And a Best man and the groomsmen always appear in the wedding. In most cases, the Best man is selected from the close friends of the bridegroom, while the groomsmen are some other close friends.

2.2.2、The Order of Wedding Traditionally in China

Traditionally, the wedding process consists of several sections: fetch the bride, perform the ceremony, have the feast and finally disturb the nuptial.

2.3、Differences in the Wedding Feast

2.3.1、The Wedding Feast in America

In America, the wedding feast is very magnificent, and during that, people have delicious traditional western food and then dance. Dancing is an important activity as well. Everyone has the opportunity to dance, enjoying the food and music. The bride and the bridegroom dance together first to celebrate that they have become a couple. Guests then dance in pairs to show happiness as well as their congratulations to the new couple. The host prepares a lot of delicious food for guests. Food varies from fruits to seafood, and the new couple usually employs a famous cook from a restaurant with a good reputation to prepare for the wedding feast.

2.3.2、The Wedding Feast in China

In China, the wedding feast is an extremely important section in a wedding. People usually start preparing for the wedding feast several weeks before the wedding. The host always provides guests with the best food. During the wedding feast, the new couple needs to propose toasts to guests attending the wedding. The bridegroom always gets drunk at the end of the wedding feast. Relatives and friends talk with each other, drink, and laugh loudly, which makes the wedding noisy.

2.4、Differences in the Taboos of Wedding

2.4.1、Taboos in Wedding in America

In America, there are many taboos in wedding. Firstly, in wedding ceremony, the bridegroom should always stand on the right side of the bride to protect the bride from being grabbed away by other men. Secondly, white dress that the bride wears should not be matched with red shoes, since in English culture red shoes means jumping into the fire pit. Similarly, red belt, red flowers as well as other red things should be avoided. Usually, the white dress should match shoes which are golden, white or silver. Thirdly, the bride’s face should be covered with a veil unless the bridegroom uncovers it in the wedding ceremony.

2.4.2、Taboos in Chinese Wedding

Traditionally, a lot of taboos exist in Chinese wedding. Firstly, lucky words are especially important in wedding. People should not say bad words on the day of wedding, because in Chinese culture good words will bring good luck to the new couple. Some of taboos are related with religious beliefs. Actually, in big events, people always avoid saying bad words, according to Chinese traditions. Secondly, some people are not welcomed to attend the wedding ceremony. For example, the woman who loses her husband recently cannot attend the wedding, because some people hold that the wedding is a happy event in which one man and one woman will become a couple, and somebody or something that may destroy such an atmosphere would better get avoided.

3、Reasons of Differences in Wedding between America and China

3.1、Different Characteristics and Viewpoints

3.1.1、Characteristics and Viewpoints of People in America

In general, the wedding ceremony in America is much simpler than that in China. People have not lots of complicated things to prepare. People may endow their wedding with many of their own characteristics. It seems that people in America are comparatively open-minded to the wedding. Nowadays many couples are more creative to design their own wedding in order to make it distinguishable from others’. At the same time, traditions are not very important elements in wedding ceremony. People have more choices and make their own decision on the process of wedding. The bride and the bridegroom are more independent in each family.

3.1.2、Chinese Characteristics and Viewpoints

Generally speaking, Chinese people are more conservative than people in America. It is not easy for Chinese people to accept new things in a short time. In the opinions of the majority of Chinese, traditions are so extremely important that everyone needs to behave according to traditions. As a consequence, even though thousands of years have passed, the customs in wedding haven’t changed a lot, which shows that Chinese culture is comparatively stable. Nowadays people’s life is influenced a lot by western culture, but traditions always exist in every aspect of people’s life, which has illustrated the power of culture for Chinese people. People like to gather together to celebrate a big event.

3.2、Different Religious Influences

3.2.1、Religious Influences in America

In America, the majority of people are Christians, and people pay serious attention to their behaviors according to the Bible. Marriage should follow the principle of monogamy for Christians. Christians should take monogamy and they reject divorce traditionally. Thus the bride and the bridegroom need to make promises to each other to live together forever, by exchanging a ring with each other. However, nowadays it seems that a great number of people in America consider the divorce as a not very serious matter.

3.2.2、Religious Influences in China

In China, the most popular religion is Buddhism, which influences the traditional customs a lot. In the wedding customs, people always prepare a good number of items which are symbols of luck and goodness, as the Buddhism tells people that they need to be good to others. For example, people usually decorate the ceremony with red items to create the happy and exciting atmosphere, and show the goodness of them. Chinese people stress a lot on the etiquettes in wedding, therefore there are many taboos. As well, the Buddhism tells people to respect the heaven, the earth, their parents as well as other elder people. Therefore, the new couple needs to bow down before them in wedding to show respects.

3.3、Different Consumption Concepts

3.3.1、Consumption Concepts in America

As is known to everyone, America is a developed country with a high living standard, and the middle class occupies the majority of the whole society. Undoubtedly, people from the upper class in the society in America, will spend more money on the wedding, compared with people from the middle class. However, the cost of wedding is not a big burden for the new couple from lower classes, since the cost of the wedding is not very high for average people in America.

3.3.2、The Consumption Concepts in China

Traditionally, Chinese people pay much attention to the wedding ceremony. In order to hold a big wedding, a lot people prepare for the wedding for a rather long time. Parents may accumulate the money needed for such a big event little by little to make the wedding as great as possible. Many people usually make comparisons between one wedding and another they ever attended. Some people even borrow much money from others to hold the wedding to avoid “losing face”, which in Chinese means the embarrassment, always related to money and brought by unsatisfactory performances compared with better performances of other people. In order to avoid such an embarrassment, many people spend generously on the wedding ceremony. Actually, the wedding hasn’t been a simple process or ceremony. The wedding has involved a lot of elements, in terms of emotions and economic considerations. However, the initial thought of the new couple is to try their best to entertain guests attending the wedding, which shows that guests are welcomed and important for the new couple.

4、Conclusion

Through observing the cultural differences in wedding, especially those differences in aspects of the wedding dress, the wedding order, the wedding feast and the taboos in wedding between China and America, this thesis has explored reasons in culture which can well account for these differences. China and America differ from each other in personalities and viewpoints of people, religions as well as consumption concepts.

In a word, there are a lot of cultural differences in wedding customs between America and China. Viewpoints, religions as well as consumption concepts have great effects on the wedding. The wedding customs can well reflect the differences in culture between America and China. We need to understand those differences, so that in the communication with people from America, we are able to recognize the cultural differences in wedding. People from different cultures need to respect each other so that we can get the biggest benefit through communication with people from different cultures for the mutual understanding.

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