Listen to this articlehūnlǐ 婚礼
Wedding Ceremony
男女结成夫妇之礼，是人伦生活中的一项重要礼仪，古作“昏礼”。在古人看来，“婚礼”是对男女之情的一种合理安顿。“婚礼”昭示着男女二人结合为相互亲敬的夫妇关系，并共同构成了人伦秩序中的一个整体。夫妇各自所归属的两姓家族之间，也以二人为纽带，结成了亲密的关系。同时，夫妇的结合也关系着人口的繁衍与人伦关系的迭代延续。在当代社会，“婚礼”的形式与意义都发生了不同程度的变化。
The wedding is an important ceremony in human life, through which a man and woman become a married couple. In the eyes of ancient Chinese people, it was a ceremony affirming the bond of love between man and woman, heralding a husband-wife relationship of mutual respect and forming a family unit for orderly human life. The bond between husband and wife coming from two clans with two different surnames also served to foster an intimate relationship between the two clans, and ensured the multiplication of family members and the continuation of future generations. In modern society, many changes have happened to the form and significance of the wedding ceremony.
引例 Citations：
◎昏礼者，将合二姓之好，上以事宗庙，而下以继后世也，故君子重之。（《礼记·昏义》）
（婚礼，将要结成二姓之人的欢好，对上得以侍奉宗庙，对下得以传续后世，因此君子看重婚礼。）
The wedding ceremony establishes the relations between two families of two different surnames, so that they can offer worship for their ancestors and continue the process of raising offspring. Thus men of virtue value the wedding ceremony. (The Book of Rites)
◎先俟于门外。妇至，婿揖妇以入，共牢而食，合卺（jǐn）而酳（yìn），所以合体同尊卑以亲之也。（《礼记·昏义》）
（新郎先等候于自家门外。新娘行至，新郎向新娘作揖请她进门，二人共食同一份食物，用同一个葫芦剖成的两片瓢饮酒，以表示二人合为一体，尊卑等同而相互亲爱。）
The bridegroom waits outside his home. When the bride arrives, the bridegroom bows to her and invites her to enter his home. The two enjoy the same food and drink wine with each half of the same gourd, indicating a combined body of two who respect and love each other. (The Book of Rites)
