Yours Moment

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Chinese Wedding
Return Gifts
(From bride's family to groom's family)

As part of the wedding traditions, the bride's family will return partial gifts of the total amount of gifts received from the groom's family. Usually, they will return half of what they have received^ from the groom's family. They include the following items: (Again, all gifts must go in pairs.)

Return gifts from the bride's family to the groom's family
(After the Betrothal Ceremony)

1. Tea

2. Fruits

3. Pomegranates (石榴)

4. Yams/Taros (芋头)

5. Lotus Roots (莲藕)

6. Gingers

7. Betel Nuts (槟榔)

Bride's family will keep one betel nut and return the rest to the groom's family; it indicates the bride's loyalty towards her future husband.

8. Lettuce

9. Sugar Canes (甘蔗)

The newlywed will bring the sugar canes to bride's family during the ceremony of "bride returning home after three days".

10. Chinese Pastries and Cakes

They include sesame seeds balls with red bean paste and Chinese steamed rice cake. Specifically, "jian dui" 煎堆 and "fa gao" 发糕. "Fa" symbolizes wealth in Chinese.

11. Cypress

12. Double-happiness-printed Towels

13. Suit (including blazer and pants) and Belt

14. Wallet (with lucky money inside)

15. A Pair of Shoes

Shoes are pronounced as "Xie" 鞋 in Mandarin; it symbolizes a harmony marriage, wishing the newlywed a everlasting marriage.

^ Return gifts: Either in terms of items from the betrothal list or substitute the return gifts with money (in red packet).

Those are the basic items to be included in return gifts.
So...jot down all items listed above in your shopping list now, so that you will not miss the important items.

Happy Planning!