Posted by In traditional Chinese weddings, on the wedding day, the couple also has a moment to express “I do”, this is called kowtow.
In the previous articles, I wrote that during the wedding day, the groom and his best men will go to fetch the bride from her parent’s place. Before they leave, the groom offers tea to the parents to express his gratitude. After they arrive at the groom’s place, before they enter the well-decorated wedding chamber, they will perform this “I do” ritual.
In the Chinese language, this ritual is called Bai tang(拜堂), the couple has to perform three times bows – also called kowtow/kotow: To heaven and earth, to the parents, and each other.
What is Kowtow/kotow?
Kotow(叩头, Chinese pin yin Kou tou) is a borrowed Chinese word, it is a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission.
In the Chinese culture, in the old days, people with lower noble status would perform daily Kowtow to the higher status people, which mostly happens in royal families.
Typically on a wedding day, the Kowtow is done after the bride enters the groom’s family, where the parents will sit in the living room facing the front door.
1. Kowtow to the heaven and earth – 一拜天地
There is a very interesting Chinese legend story about heaven and earth, thousands of years ago, heaven and the earth were together, like an egg. A man called Pan Gu opened it with his bare hands to separate heaven and the earth and also created nature. Read more here.
On the wedding day, the couple needs to first kowtow to heaven and earth, this is to pay respect to gods and ancestors.
If the ritual is happening at a modern wedding, the kowtow is adapted to a bow.
2. Towards the parents – 二拜高堂
They also need to thank their parents for taking care of them until now.
3. Towards each other – 夫妻对拜
To show respect for each other, the couple will kowtow to each other.
Afterward, the couple becomes husband and wife officially and the groom brings the wife to the wedding chamber.
As you can see from the above pictures, the whole time the bride’s head is covered with her wedding veil, which will be revealed when the couple enters the wedding chamber.
What happens in the wedding chamber? Check out this post: Bridal chamber rituals.
More about Traditional Chinese weddings:
0. Introduction
1. Wedding decorations
2. Gate crash
3. Tea ceremony
4. Chinese wedding outfit and Chinese sedan
5. Formal ceremony – Bai tang(拜堂)
6. Bridal chamber rituals
7. Wedding Proposal
8. Pre-wedding photo shooting(Behind the scenes)
9. Chinese wedding agency
10. Our wedding lunch menu
11. Our wedding program 1: Fetch the bride
12. Our wedding program 2: The lunch ceremony
13. Our final wedding video
14. The hazing of wedding couples – Naohun
References: http://wed.zdface.com/xhmz/2017-09-06/461825.shtml
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