Hair Combing Ceremony
A hair combing ceremony (梳頭, shūtóu) is also conducted on the eve of the wedding. After showering with water infused with pomelo or pomegranate leaves, the bride and groom change into a new set of clothing and shoes. Attending female family members bless them aloud as they sit in front of an open window with the visible moon or in front of the mirror.
The four blessings are:
- 一梳梳到尾，(First combing, together all your lives)
- 二梳百年好合，(Second combing, harmony in your marriage)
- 三梳子孙满堂，(Third combing, blessed with many children and grandchildren)
- 四梳白发齐眉。(Fourth combing, blessed with longevity)
A sweet soup of pink glutinous balls called tangyuan (湯圓) is served after the hair combing ceremony to wish the couple a complete and sweet marriage.
Read more about this topic: Chinese Pre-wedding Customs
Famous quotes containing the words hair and/or ceremony:
“Fair maid, white and red,
Comb me smooth, and stroke my head;
And every hair a sheave shall be,
And every sheave a golden tree.”
—George Peele (1559–1596)
“Those who marry God can become domesticated too—it’s just as hum-drum a marriage as all the others. The word “Love” means a formal touch of the lips as in the ceremony of the Mass, and “Ave Maria” like “dearest” is a phrase to open a letter.”
—Graham Greene (1904–1991)