The Fusion of Chinese and American Wedding Culture

Zhu Weiting Li Qiong

【Abstract】In the new century， Chinas status in the international community has continued to improve. Chinese wedding ceremonies and the pleasant atmosphere of Chinese wedding.The fusion of Chinese and Western wedding customs reflects the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. We can better understand Western cultures， so as to better carry out cross-cultural communication.

【key word】Chinese and Western culture; Wedding culture; fusion

【作者簡介】Zhu Weiting Li Qiong，Hunan Institute of Finance and Economics.

Ⅰ.The Fusion of Wedding Indication

The traditional Chinese wedding ceremony is held in the mans home.at the past time. Today， most Chinese weddings are held in churches and hotels， and whether the bride and groom are Christians or not， they still want to experience the ritual and solemnity of American weddings. Americans will also try to set their wedding place in their own courtyard， with a long table with desserts and Staples on top to entertain guests. Friends will help build an arch filled with flowers.

Ⅱ.The Fusion of Wedding Element

Wedding elements include many aspects of marriage， color， style， atmosphere， flowers and so on. In past Chinese weddings， the elements of Chinese weddings were very different from those of the United States. With cultural exchanges， we can find that Chinese weddings often include elements of American weddings， as do American weddings.

1.Banquet. Food is the most important part of a wedding banquet， as it is self-evident in Chinese culture，it is one of the most intuitive and popular way to express emotions through food. Wedding ceremonies of such a major life， of course， can not be short of the wedding banquet this major step， often as the finale of the wedding banquet， but also between the cups and plates presented those traditional etiquette， as well as wishes.

In the past， orthodox Chinese banquet dishes were often named separately according to the characteristics of the banquet and the ingredients. The wedding banquet naturally named dishes with auspicious words to express the good wishes of the couple， which set off the atmosphere. Dragon and phoenix， mandarin ducks and so on are commonly used allusions. Of course， the same is about the dragon and phoenix， such as “two dragons play pearls”. It may reminds people of the name of family disharmony， that is a taboo， this is absolutely not a mistake to make. At American wedding banquets， most of the dishes are cold meals， such as steak， fruit， vegetable salad and so on. In nowadays， steak is also a common occurrence in the Chinese wedding banquet， dessert and fruit after dinner are also indispensable. Its obvious that Chinese weddings incorporate elements of American weddings.

At the wedding banquet， alcohol is the best tool for mediating the atmosphere. Chinese wedding drinks were usually liquor and home-brewed fruit wine. Nowadays， red wine and foreign wine have become more choices for everyone. Red wine is not as strong as Chinese liquor. It tastes sour， sweet and slightly astringent. It is more suitable for women.

When it comes to the atmosphere about the weddings， Chinese weddings were always lively and cheerful. American weddings are solemn and quiet. Nowadays， times have changed， the atmosphere of American weddings is not as serious as before. The bride and groom will dance and celebrate with the guests. The atmosphere is more lively and cheerful. At the same time， Chinese weddings become quieter and more solemn at the ceremony， and the atmosphere is still lively and happy at the banquet time.

2.Decorations. In traditional Chinese weddings， the bride usually carries a red ribbon. Today， the bride also walks to the groom with a bouquet of flowers. The decorations in American wedding ceremonies are no longer limited to flowers but have lanterns， happy posters， and red candles that symbolize Chinese traditional culture. It is precisely because of cultural exchanges that different cultural practices are recognized， accepted and studied around the world. This is beneficial to cultural progress and social progress.

Ⅲ.epilogue

It can be seen that in recent years， the Chinese and American wedding culture has been constantly integrating and developing. This is not only reflected in the general ceremonies， but also can be found in some details. This shows that both countries are maintaining cultural self-confidence while learning to absorb excellent and advanced foreign culture. It also reflects the growing ties between the two countries.

References：

[1]夏巧華.中美婚禮之文化對比及文化融合[J].天津市職工現代企業管理學院學報，2005（02）：50-51.