"Six etiquette" refers to the six etiquettes in the process from marriage negotiation to consummation. This marriage procedure has been established in the Zhou Dynasty and was first seen in "Book of Rites: Hunyi". Later generations mostly followed the Zhou rites, but the names and contents were changed. In the third year of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 3), Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty ordered Liu Xin to make wedding ceremonies. From the Han Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the crown prince married without any relatives. From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, due to the social turmoil, the six rituals were not taken into consideration, and only the ritual of worshiping the parents-in-law was performed, and the joint ceremony was not required. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that the crown prince resumed wedding ceremony, and the imperial family also followed the six rituals when getting married. The officials and nobles in the Song Dynasty still followed the six rites, but the Han people found the six rites cumbersome and only performed four rites, omitting asking for names and dates, and classified them as nacai and nazheng respectively. "Zhu Xi's Family Rites" even omits Naji and only uses three rites. The three rites also became custom-made in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, only the two rites of acceptance and personal welcome were emphasized, and the rite of buying a house for the girl's family was added in between. According to the "Tongli" of the Qing Dynasty, only Han officials of seventh rank and above implemented the five rituals of discussing marriage, accepting gifts, accepting coins, asking for dates, and welcoming people in person. After the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Six Rites evolved numerously and gradually declined.
The Six Rites began in slave society. Although the marriage procedures in feudal society have undergone several changes, they have basically not departed from the scope of the six rites. There are similar provisions in Tang and Ming laws. This marriage procedure is a unique custom and traditional culture of the Han nation.
Usually combined with [Three Books], it is called [Three Books and Six Rites].
In the early 20th century, a new set of marriage customs gradually formed, that is, civilized marriage. "Weddings without a matchmaker are the beginning of civilization, and the ceremony of setting a memorial ceremony for wild geese and leading a sheep has begun earlier. What I love most is that thousands of people will look at each other and watch Nong holding hands with him." The newlyweds have broken through the shackles of "parents' orders and matchmaker's words", and the wedding ceremony strives to be simple ( The witness will read out the certificate prepared in the auditorium, the representatives of all parties will give eulogies, the officiant will read out the precepts, and the guests will sing civilized wedding songs or play music, etc.). Feudal superstitious customs such as worshiping the heaven and earth, and having fun in the bridal chamber have also been eliminated one by one.
As people pay more and more attention to marriage, a set of customary etiquette has gradually emerged for the process of completing the marriage relationship, which is what we often call the "six etiquette", including nacai, asking for names, and naji. There are six steps: , application, application, and personal welcome. The six rites are the traditional wedding rituals of the Han people. The ancient book "Book of Rites·Mun Li" records: "Those who have the Ming Li will combine the good of the two surnames, and the upper ones will serve the ancestral temple, and the lower ones will carry on the descendants. Therefore, gentlemen attach great importance to them. Therefore, the Ming Li The masters of the ceremony, greetings, asking for names, accepting acknowledgments, asking for appointments, all come to the temple for a banquet, and greet them outside the door. When they enter, they bow and give way, and obey the orders of the temple, so they are respectful and cautious. "Also, "Etiquette" says: "There are six rites in the evening: nacai, asking for names, naji, nazheng, asking for an appointment, and personally welcoming." This is the traditional custom of "six marriage rites" created in the Western Zhou Dynasty and followed by all dynasties. .
"Six Rites" refers to the six etiquettes, which refer to the entire marriage process from proposal to marriage. As the proverb goes: "If there are no clouds in the sky, it will not rain; if there is no matchmaker underground, there will be no marriage." Another "Meng Liang Lu." Volume 20: "The god of marriage depends on the matchmaker first." Therefore, the matchmaker is an indispensable and important figure in concluding a marriage.
Among the six rites, acceptance and welcome are the most important. "The Book of Songs, Daya, and Ming Dynasty": "Wen Dingjue was auspicious, and she personally welcomed her to Weibin." The old saying is that after King Wen of Zhou received auspicious signs and accepted the engagement, he personally welcomed his concubine to Weibin. Later generations used "Wen Ding" as a proxy for engagement. "Book of Rites: Hunyi" talks about the bride and groom "eating when they are in prison, and eating when they are married" after the wedding. This is where the marriage of couples in later generations became "Hexin".