Delivery of the bride's dowry 送嫁妆
The bride's parents may include the bride's dowry with the return gifts on the day of betrothal or deliver the dowry a few days before the wedding. Dowry represents the bride’s identity and the symbolic of wealth. In ancient, people like to use camphor wood box to pack the dowry to groom’s house. Camphor wood is the best choice because it is hard and durable. However, nowadays, people will use travelling suitcase instead of camphor wood box. In the dowry, there are many things a symbol of good omen. The Chinese dowry typically include beddings such as pillows, bolsters, comforter set, blankets, bed sheets, etc., all tied with red ribbons; - new clothes in a suitcase for the bride; - tea set for the wedding tea ceremony; - baby bathtub, potty, face washbasin, tumblers, toothpaste and toothbrushes, mirror, comb; - two pairs of red wooden clogs wedding slippers or bedroom slippers; - sewing basket with even numbered rolls of colorful thread, needles, pincushion, scissors, and sewing wax with auspicious words on it; - gold jewelry given by bride's parents.
Dowry items needed as following,
• Descendant pail set (5 in 1): prepared for groom & bride’s baby. Blessing for born a baby.
- Potty (“zi sun tong”): hope the baby will grow healthy & happily in future.
- Washbasin (“jun bao peng”): according to folk-tale, washbasin will bring prosperity & fortune.
- Bucket (“cai shi bao peng”): in Chinese customs, water represents wealth & luck. Therefore, bucket is the tool to carry water (wealth) to the couple.
- Baby bathtub: for baby bathing, and hope the baby grow healthy & smart.
- Teapot plate/ tray: Red ruler, Baby toy (Boy) or 6/8 heads Sewing kit, 5 color grains, wedding charcoal (1 pair), 9 dried fruits are the things to put on the tray & prepared to be used at bed setting ceremony.
• Wedding Lamp (1pair): “ji huo xiang deng计后香灯” with the meaning of childbirth. It also implies the blessing about the newly married couples will be lived old age in conjugal bliss.
• Wedding Teapot set: prepare for the wedding tea ceremony to appreciate parents’ upbringing. Besides, it also represents the acceptance of both parents for admit groom & bride as a part of family members after the ceremony.
• Wedding Cup set with cup cover: in pairs and couples.
• Wedding Bowl set & chopsticks: parents give bowl set as gift to bride as dowry because it’s meaningful and blessing about the bride won’t worry about the basic necessities of life. Chopstick, in Chinese “kuai zi筷子” chime with “kuai zi快子” , which “快” is mean fast/shortly, while “子” deifines as “son”. Therefore, its meaning is the groom & bride will have a baby soon.
• Wedding pillows, bolsters, comforter set, blankets, bed sheets: layout of the new bed, & making the cheerful wedding atmosphere. ( It may replace by pillow towel)
• Sleeping robe, towel & red slippers: New daily items represents having a new beginning, Slipper/Shoes(“xie鞋”) euphonize with Chinese idioms “tong xie dao lao 同偕到老”, which meant the couple will live old age in conjugal bliss.( also used at hair dressing ceremony) *In modern, people are used to replace the new bed sheets / pajamas instead of Dragon & phoenix bed sheet or robe This wedding custom is focusing on the blessing of basic necessities of life such as clothing & food. It expresses the parents’ wishes to her daughter and hope she is ready to become groom’s wife and will having abundance of food and clothing in future.
Written by JM Wedding Accessories & copyright reserved.