CEREMONIAL WEDDING GIFT EXCHANGE.

21/11/2016
MONDAY

Time to update the biggest event in the Chan Clan. 

It's two more weeks to the Big Day.   Today was the ceremonial wedding gifts exchange.  The wedding package of engaging a "tai kum cheh" (in this case a male instead) for the wedding took charge of all the rituals of the wedding including these ceremonial gifts.    

These two "daughter's wedding biscuits" were offering for the ancestors and will be left at the worship table till it turn mouldy and in which case will be well after the wedding day itself. 

 18 canisters containing dried lotus seeds, groundnuts, dried longans, red dates, sweets, lily buds (all things nice and sweet in Chinese). 9 bottles for the bride's family and 9 to be returned to the groom family, again 9 for longevity.  These will be used to boil the tea for the tea-offering ceremony on the wedding day. The bottle of sweets will be offered to those whose Chinese horoscope opposed that of the bride and groom. 

Baskets of seafood - oysters (good news), scallops, mushroom, abalone. 

2 pairs of Dragon and Phoenix candles - one for the "hair-combing ceremony" and another pair to be lit on the wedding day when the groom arrive for the bride. 

Nowadays these are plastic but I had a set of enamelware. The purpose for the new generations of babies to come.  

Love these- Deep fried glutinous riceballs with red bean fillings, so that the happy couple will be sweet and happy

Fatt Koh  and longevity noodles... that the bride bring wealth and the in-laws have long life. 

Lastly two bottles of brandy for the bride and in return 2 bottles of frizzy drinks for the groom. 

Of course, the roasted piggy...the bride's family keep the middle part and the head and tail parts are returned to the groom's family.  Normally the roasted pork were distributed to the closest family members. 

these are to be taken back to the groom's house. 

More instructions from the "tai kum gong"  

hehehe, the most important gift ... BIG ANGPOW. 

This red banner to be hand over the lintels of the door the night of the hair-combing ceremony, announcing that there is "red" ie happy occasion celebration in the house. 

Marriage registration earlier of the month..

the happy and contented bride's father. 

I was glad to be present to witness the gift exchange and was able to learn and to record some of the Chinese culture and rituals here... traditions get carry on for the next generation.