What is the history of arranged marriages in China?

Answer 1

Arranged marriages in china began in the warring states period. In different parts of china, there are different customs which are practiced during an arranged marriage. However they all basically follow the same principle of the "Three Letters and Six Etiquettes". The three letters consisted of the Betrothal Letter, Gift Letter and Wedding Later. The Betrothal Letter was the first stage of the marriage; this was the document confirming the engagement sent to the bride's family. After that, the Gift Letter would be sent to the bride's family, stating what types and quantity of gifts were chosen for the wedding. The Gift Letter would only be sent after both the bride and groom's family had accepted the marriage. During the period leading up to the wedding, the Wedding Letter is written to present to the bride's family on the day of the wedding. This letter was a final document which confirmed and commemorated the formal acceptance of the bride into the groom's family The six etiquettes were the six procedures the bride and groom performed before the leading up to and during the wedding. The first of the six is Proposing. The boy's parents would hire a matchmaker to formally present a proposal to the girl's parents to request marriage of their son with their daughter. If the girl's family accepts, the next step is called Birthday Matching. The matchmaker would access both the boy and girl's birthdates and times to make sure they did not conflict each other. This step was based on astronomy. After the birthdays are accessed and there was no sign of astronomical conflict, the groom's family would present the bride's family with betrothal gifts and the betrothal letter. This stage of the marriage was called Presenting Betrothal Gits. Next came Presenting Wedding Gifts. The groom's family would formally send wedding gifts to the bride's family. These gifts would vary depending on the local customs and traditions and family wealth. In order to conduct a wedding ceremony, a date is needed. This next step was picking a wedding date. This was when a astronomy book was consulted to pick an promising date to hold the wedding. Finally came the wedding ceremony, the last of the six etiquettes. At the start of the day to begin the ceremony, the groom is blessed by his father with adulthood and responsibility by kneeling at the ancestral altar as his father places a symbolic cap decorated with cypress leaves upon his head to represent the change. Then, on the chosen day of the ceremony, the groom and his party parades all the way to the brides house were the wedding begins. Meanwhile the bride is preparing to meet her groom for the first time. Her head is covered by a red silk veil with bead strings that hang from her phoenix crown. Dissimilar to Western style weddings, red is the main colour of the ceremony not white because in China, red is a symbol of happiness. When the groom reaches the brides home, the bride will come out, unable to talk to her future husband guarded by her bridesmaids and takes a seat on the sedan chair held by the grooms party. The veil is covering her face still so her groom cannot see her. While she is sitting on the chair, one of her sisters will shelter her with a red umbrella, while another sister will toss rice at the sedan chair. During this stage, the bride is supposed to cry to show that she does not wish to leave her dear parents. At last, the bride and groom reach the groom's household. The bride is not supposed to touch the bare earth so a red mat is placed for her to walk on. Before she enters the house, a flaming stone and a saddle are placed before her like obstacles she will overcome in her lifetime. Her groom help's her over these items in order for her to live a peaceful married life free of evils. Now is when the ceremony really begins, the bride and groom are led to the bridal chamber where the couple kowtows to heaven and earth and the family members do the same. The ceremony proceeds with a huge feast thrown by the groom's family to celebrate the wedding. After all the festivities have finally come to an end, the bride and groom head to the bridal room were the bride is able to reveal herself and take of the veil for the first time.

Answer 2

In the link attached herewith there's a hint of the history of arranged marriages in Russia in the past, check it out. Thank you

Answer 3

yes but not as much as they use too