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Wedding Taboos /
Superstitions
Below is a list of common wedding
taboos / superstitions.
Avoid 'Red Event' clashing 'White
Event'
(忌紅事沖白事)
According to this belief, the groom
and bride should avoid the situation
of a 'Red Event' (紅事)
clashing a 'White Event' (白事).
In this case, the groom and bride
should not attend a funeral or wake
(examples of white events) within
100 days of their ROM and wedding.
The groom and bride should not invite
a person who is having funeral or
in mourning to attend their ROM and
wedding.
Avoid 'Red Event' clashing 'Red
Event'
(忌紅事沖紅事)
According to this belief, the groom
and bride should avoid the situation
of a 'Red Event' clashing another
'Red Event'. In this case, the groom
and bride should not attend a wedding
or a birthday celebration or visit
a woman who is going to give birth
(examples of red event) within 100
days of their ROM and wedding. The
groom and bride should not invite
a person who is getting married or
going to have a birthday celebration
or a woman who is going to give birth
to attend their ROM and wedding.
Avoid marriage in mourning period
and mourning year (孝年)
According to this belief, marriage
should not take place in mourning
period and mourning year. This belief
applies when a parent or a direct
family member has passed away.
There are 2 beliefs regarding marriage
in mourning period and mourning year.
One belief is that a marriage (ROM
and wedding) should be conducted within
100 days of the death or 3 years after
the death. The other belief is that
marriage should not be conducted in
a mourning year (孝年).
The mourning year can be 1 year or
3 years.
According to this belief, marrying
in a mourning period is a sign of
disrepect to the deceased. It is inauspicious
and may bring bad luck to the family.
It may also result in having fewer
children.
Avoid marriage in a 'Happy Year
(喜年)'
According to this belief, marriage
should not take place in a year where
a marriage has taken place in a family
or a baby is born in the family. An
example is avoiding siblings marrying
in the same year.
According to this belief, the rule
is to avoid a clash of happiness (喜沖喜).
This clash of happiness is seen to
be inauspicious.
Avoid marriage in a 'Widow year
(盲年)'
According to this belief, marriage
should not take place in a year that
has no 'Li Chun
(立春)'. Such a year occurs
whenever 'Li Chun' falls before the
first day of the lunar Chinese New
Year. Click here
to read the article on "Marriage
and the Widow Year".
According to folklore, marriage in
a 'Widow Year' may indicate difficult
days ahead.
Avoid marriage in the month of
April
According to this belief, marriage
should not take place in April because
April (四月)
sounds like death month (死月)
in Chinese. To avoid any inauspicious
link to a marriage, it is best to
avoid marriage in April.
Avoid marriage in ghost month
According to this belief, marriage
should not take place in ghost month.
The ghost month falls on the lunar
7th month. According to folklore,
ghosts will wander around in search
of foods during this period. To avoid
coming into 'contact' with ghosts,
it is best to avoid having marriage
in the ghost month.
Avoid marriage during Qing Ming
(清明)
period
According to this belief, marriage
should not take place during Qing
Ming (清明)
period.
Avoid disturbing the bridal bed
According to this belief, once the
bridal bed has been installed, no
one is allowed to sit and sleep on
it.
Avoid meeting head-on with people
whose Chinese zodiac clashes with
the day zodiac
According to this belief, when the
groom fetches the bride to the groom's
house, people whose Chinese zodiac
sign clashes with the zodiac of the
day should stay in the room (avoid
meeting the groom and bride head-on)
when the groom and bride enter the
house. These people can come out of
the room after the groom and bride
have entered the bride room.
Avoid odd number auspicious day
According to this belief, ROM and
wedding should not take place on odd
number auspicious day. According to
this belief, ROM and wedding should
take place on even number auspicious
day as even number is an auspicious
sign and odd number is an inauspicious
sign.
Avoid giving odd amount in red
packets
According to this belief, all red
packets given at wedding should contain
even amounts. According to this belief,
even number is an auspicious sign
and odd number is an inauspicious
sign.
Avoid meeting before wedding
According to this belief, the bride
and groom should not meet each other
the day before the wedding.
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