China: Family Customs And Traditions

1573 Words7 Pages
Hernan Luque Chinese Culture May 07, 2012 China: family customs and traditions Chinese culture is rich in customs, traditions and superstitions. I think Chinese people are the most respectful people with their families. Where I come from we also have traditions but not that unique and special. I find very interesting how family works in china; it is very different compare to my country’s customs and traditions. Some of traditions that I will talk about may no longer exits but only in really conservative’s families. Marriage is an important institution and has many intricate customs associated with it. In the Chinese family system the wife lives with the husband’s family and is deemed as no longer part of her own family, but the 'property' of the husband’s family. Arranged marriages, where the marriage match is arranged by the parents or relatives of the bride and groom were once common in Chinese society but are now rare and viewed as old-fashioned. Marriage is usually now based on the two people involver’s own choices. However, once the couple has chosen each other, the arrangements are usually taken over by the parents thus observing traditional customs and superstitions. Chinese men tend to marry fairly late in life, as they need to save up for the expense of the wedding: a Chinese wedding can be very expensive, especially where the involved families are of high social status. Two important components of Chinese culture: the need to avoid embarrassment and to conspicuously display wealth and prosperity- come heavily to the fore in marriage, especially where the marriage is of the eldest son. Failure to provide a lavish wedding is likely to lower the status of the family, bring shame upon them and bring criticism from relatives raining down upon them. There are several stages to a Chinese wedding, usually under the overseeing of the groom’s parents.
Open Document