Similarities and differences of wedding customs between Canada and China

Canada is a multi-ethnic country with British, French, Indian, Eskimo, China and a few immigrants from Europe, America and Asia. All these ethnic groups have their own traditional habits and customs, which are also reflected in weddings, thus making Canada a country with rich and colorful wedding customs.

go shopping

Most British and French residents in Canada believe in Catholicism or Christianity, and their wedding customs are similar to those in western Christian countries.

Most young Canadians attach great importance to weddings. They always try to make the wedding warm, grand, colorful and unforgettable, and usually start the relevant preparations a few months or even a year before the wedding. In recent years, government departments at all levels in Canada have established a nationwide network of marriage counseling agencies. Men and women who are ready to hold happy events can go to shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and even city halls for wedding shopping consultation. This kind of consulting service is free of charge. If the consultant is satisfied, he can buy goods on the spot under the guidance of the shopping guide, and is equipped with free door-to-door service. Every year, wedding supplies fairs are held all over the country, which is very lively.

flotage

Young Canadian men and women like to hold weddings from May to September, especially in July, and wedding ceremonies are mostly held on Saturdays. During this period, every weekend, the sweet "wedding March" came from the churches in urban and rural Canada from morning till night. The bride and groom's float came slowly, and the onlookers gave warm applause and laughter. The vehicles they met honked their horns to congratulate them, and all the places were immersed in a jubilant atmosphere. Because many men and women choose to hold weddings at the same time, the church is extremely busy, so all preparations must be properly contacted three or four months before the wedding. Canadians love flowers, and the flowers at their wedding are very elegant. Churches, banquet halls and new houses should be decorated with roses, orchids and lilies, which are brightly colored and fragrant. Therefore, purchasing flowers is also an important thing.

wedding ceremony

Held in church, the content of the ceremony is similar to that of many western countries. Among them, the rings given to each other by Canadian newlyweds, with their initials and wedding date engraved on them, are regarded as treasures by both sides and kept as permanent memorials. After the church ceremony, the newlyweds will walk around the bustling area in beautifully dressed floats, and then take pictures of the newlyweds in scenic parks or places of interest.

Wedding banquets in Canada are usually held in the evening, first an informal reception, and then a formal hot and cold meal. The atmosphere is warm and the scene is grand. Canadian newlyweds also have the habit of honeymoon travel after marriage. Because Canada has long winters and good economic conditions, it likes to go to the Caribbean Islands and Florida, USA, and enjoy the sunshine, beaches and waves. However, those with low incomes often visit scenic spots in China, such as Laurencin Mountain in Quebec, Banax in the Rocky Mountains and Lake Louise.

chieftain

The wedding of Canadian Indians has a strong national color. Weddings are usually held in public buildings in Indian settlements, usually a big wooden house. When the wedding was held, relatives, friends, neighbors and villagers came to the wooden house in succession, and everyone sat on the floor and exchanged greetings. Men, women and children all wear national costumes with novel styles and bright colors. Although Indians are cheerful, the wedding occasion is very quiet, even if they speak softly.

The host of the wedding was the chief and two elders. They came to the scene and the whole audience paid tribute to them. The chief is dressed in national costume, and the tall feathers symbolizing authority on his head are particularly eye-catching. The chief sat in the middle of the hall, and two elders sat around him. They are the oldest people in this area, with gray hair tied in long braids and hanging over their shoulders. The bride and groom, dressed in traditional white deerskin costumes, knelt opposite the Sheikh. Adult men sit around chiefs, elders, brides and grooms, while women and children sit around men, with knives, forks and bowls in front of each.

The ceremony began.

Emirates facing the air, hands in the air, the audience was silent. He lit wormwood, and with a thick blue smoke rising, the chief prayed to the gods in Mandarin to bless the newlyweds. When the chief finished, the elders on the left and right talked and sang, and the songs were rough and bold. After the prayer, the chief took a long pipe from him, lit it on the wormwood, laid it flat on his chest, turned it from left to right, put it in his mouth and took a few sips. Then, he handed the pipe to the elder on the left, and the elder made it like a chief and handed it to the elder on the right, and then handed it to the groom, bride and guests. According to the traditional customs in India, bong symbolizes peace and smoking represents friendship. Everyone present had finished smoking, and four young people brought a big bucket of soup. The bride and groom first serve a bowl to the sheikh and elders, and the sheikh divides the soup into five or six small buckets and distributes them to everyone present. According to the traditional Indian custom, the groom should try to hunt a moose before getting married, cook it with venison and wild rice, and share it with everyone at the wedding. According to the ancient custom, Indians also eat roast wild beef when eating tortillas at weddings, but today bison has become a protected animal, so many people's roast wild beef at weddings has been replaced by American "KFC fried chicken". In this way, Indian weddings not only keep the traditional habits of their own nation, but also are influenced by western culture. After the wedding reception, the chiefs and elders left, and people came to an open space and danced the traditional Indian sun dance with the cheerful drums all night.

A wedding ceremony in which the groom pretends to kidnap the bride

Eskimos living in northern Canada are still popular with the ancient custom of "robbing relatives". Eskimos pay attention to sincere feelings, not the form of marriage. A pair of young men and women have a love affair, which develops to a certain extent. The man builds a house for the woman's family or gives her a set of clothes that can keep out the cold, and the woman's family lives in the house or the woman puts on clothes, even if the marriage relationship between them is confirmed. Weddings of Eskimos are often held in the dead of winter, because the doors are closed due to heavy snow during this time, and it is impossible to go out fishing or hunting. On the wedding day, the man secretly hid near the woman's house and "snatched" the girl whenever he had the chance. The girl naturally knows that the young man outside the door is cold. In order to test his loyalty, she deliberately stayed in the back room, making it difficult for him to "grab" it. Clever young men always use tricks to lure girls out of the house in order to "rob" people. If the wedding is held in summer, the young man can get into the girl's house and drag her out. The girl pretended not to follow, but the family turned a blind eye. Finally, the girl's shouts slowly disappeared in the distance. Eskimo weddings are very simple. The groom and groom bowed to their elders, parents, brothers, relatives and friends. Everyone had a fish meal, drank a bowl of fish soup and danced for a while. The wedding is over and all the guests have left.