Why are there bride price and dowry?

The ancient book The Book of Rites. "Confused Rites" uploaded: "People who confuse gifts must conform to the interests of the second surname, and serve the temple in the upper class, so the gentleman must pay attention to it." It is to accept gifts, ask for names, accept gifts, and treat guests. The host entertained several times in the temple, but obeyed the door, entered and obeyed the temple. Therefore, this is also a question of respect and caution. Another book, The Book of Rites, said: "When you are confused, there are six gifts, such as receiving gifts, asking names, receiving gifts, inviting guests, and welcoming guests." This is the traditional custom of "six rites to get married", which was founded in the Western Zhou Dynasty and has been followed by successive dynasties. It is also the source of the custom of "bride price". This form of marriage continued until the Republic of China. Money or something usually given at the time of marriage.

Dowry is the wedding supplies and property that the woman's family is going to accompany her to her husband's family when she gets married, such as house, car, clothes, quilts, furniture and other supplies. Different places, different nationalities, different customs and habits will lead to different dowry. According to the traditional concept of China, the dowry is the property given by the woman's parents to the man's family, and it belongs to the husband's family in full. Even if the husband dies or the husband and wife divorce, the woman can't take the dowry away. There is a saying in "Gong Ming Shuju Qingming Collection": "A woman marries a field with her parents, but her parents give it to her husband's family, and the husband's family also has a share. How can she let it die?" The purpose of dowry is to show the financial strength of the woman's family and strive for her position in the husband's family.

The amount of dowry depends on the strength and status of the woman's family. The amount of dowry usually represents the woman's birth and status, indicating whether the woman is a noble or poor woman. In ancient times, a large family married a woman and gave a large dowry to show their strength to the man's family. There is a great disparity between the rich and the poor, and the dowry varies in thickness. However, since ancient times, dowry is far richer than bride price. 2 1 century, the weight of bride price and dowry has undergone subversive changes in some rural areas, but in more developed areas, dowry is still much richer than bride price, generally one car and one room. In ancient times, dowry was usually used to subsidize the family, help the husband to study or do business, raise and pass it on to his children, and also used his wife's dowry to give his husband concubinage.