The changes in Chinese wedding rituals in modern timesin Hong Kong = Xian jin Xianggang Zhong shi hun jia dui chuan tong li yi de chuan cheng yu geng ge

Abstract

In the olden days, a man and woman could only marry and become husband and wife, if they abided by the traditional customs and rituals held in a Chinese wedding. Nowadays, in modern Hong Kong society, old fashioned Chinese wedding customs are beginning to lose their place in the present day. If a man and woman want to get married now, they need to go to the registry office to make their marraige official. Although, old fashioned Chinese wedding customs have lost their place in modern society; there are still parts of the old wedding rituals that have been retained in our society. Even though many couples go to the registry office to legalise their marriage. They also choose to follow and celebrate with the Chinese wedding rituals as well. Although some parts of the old Chinese wedding rituals have been retained till now. These traditional wedding customs and rituals have been changed and simplified due to the changes in the times and the environment. In order to understand the Chinese traditional wedding customs in the current society, I will examine the origins, development and the meaning behind the Chinese traditional wedding rituals and then compare and contrast their differences with the modern wedding customs in Hong Kong. Finally I will discuss the reasons for the simplification of the wedding customs and rituals in present times and their effects on Hong Kong society.