In Chinese culture, engagement parties are filled with exchanged symbolisms that not only celebrate the union of the couple but honor both sides of the family as well. The ceremony strengthens the bond of the two families and leaves each other with the promise that from then on, their families are bound together.
Instead of a party filled with speeches, the promises, hopes, and well-wishes for the couple are expressed through the exchange of gifts. For example, the groom’s family assumes the costs of the wedding because it is the groom’s family’s way of honoring the bride’s family’s loss of a daughter and showing their appreciation for the bride’s family’s trust in her becoming a member of the groom’s family.
1. Picking your engagement and wedding date
Another key responsibility of the groom is consulting a Feng Shui Expert to pick an engagement date and a wedding date. For more tips on how to choose the best dates, read more here.
2. The traditional gift basket called ‘Sin Na’
The basket should contain gifts given in pairs or a good amount of it. Here is a list of items you could include in your basket:
Coconuts (for continuity of the family generation after generation), palm fruit (for fertility), dried lychee, longan, pomelo, walnuts, red beans, green beans, water lily seeds or lotus root (a wish for the couple to be together for a hundred years), peanuts in shells, tea leaves (a promise of a new generation and closeness of the family), two red silk cords, wine, fish, roast chicken, eggs (120 pcs, symbol of fertility), rice, noodles (misua, for longevity), round cakes (2 pcs with the groom and bride’s name), candies, cookies and other sweet goodies like hopia, flowers.
3.The Dowry
To represent the promise of both families’ commitment to the marriage, a gift exchange takes place, which usually includes jewelry, especially a pair of Chinese gold bangles with a red thread, cloth, and two pairs of Ang Pao.
After the bride’s family receives the gifts they acknowledge it and sends back half as this gesture of sharing represents closeness between families.
For a more in-depth consultation, you could set an appointment here.
Princess Lim Fernandez is an alumna of the Ateneo de Manila University holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering and is also a member of Mensa, an International Society of high IQ individuals. She has spent most of her professional life in Geomancy practice and her international practice caters to both private individuals and corporations.
