Chinese wedding custom - Using the chinese calendar to select
auspicious dates.
Such a dilemma!
You don't want to consult the temple medium or fortune teller
for an auspicious wedding date. But you need to select one
quickly to please your parents.
Perhaps you think it is too superstitious to believe a date will
have any effect on your wedded bliss.
But your parents are not. They think it is most important that
they select an auspicious date to ensure a successful marriage
for you. They feel you are ungracious for objecting to their
kind intentions.
How about using the chinese calendar to select an auspicious
wedding date.
As a compromise, you can use the chinese calendar to select the
auspicious dates.
Usually, the chinese calendar contains:
- top, showing the Gregorian month,
- body, showing the Gregorian date,
- middle, showing the chinese date and the day of the week, and
- bottom, showing the fengshui/chinese astrology information.
Basic terminology for chinese wedding events
These are the terminology you need to know for finding the
respective auspicious dates,
嫁娶 - for wedding day
结婚纳彩/采 - for the betrothal
安床 - for installing the bridal bed
Auspicious rating:
宜(yi) - good for
忌(Ji) - bad for / to avoid
吉(Ji) - auspicious timing
中(zhong)- neutral timing
凶(xiong)- fierce/ bad timing
Choosing the auspicious date
2 ways to go about it:
a) choose the Gregorian date, then check if it is auspicious, or
b) find all the auspicious chinese dates, then decide on the
Gregorian dates within these.
To determine if the date is auspicious, read the sub-sections,
titled 宜(yi) which list the favorable activities for the
day, and 忌(Ji), activities to be avoided.
Locate the corresponding term for wedding event Wedding day
嫁娶, Betrothal
结婚纳彩/采 or install bridal bed
安床 under 宜 or 忌. If found under
宜, it's a good date for that event, if 忌, don't
select that date. The date is neutral for that event if nothing
is mentioned.
Important note:
Certain days are not favorable for all joyous events and are
listed as "不宜诸吉事" under the
宜 section. For such an unfavorable day, the 忌
section will also list 吉事 meaning to avoid any
joyous events.
Check the auspicious timing
Some people also want an auspicious timing for events such as
fetching the bride and entering the groom's home. Check the
auspicious rating under
"今天时辰吉凶". The timings
are listed as 吉 auspicious timing, 中 neutral
timing and 凶fierce/ bad timing. Choose those that are
吉 or 中 and avoid timing listed as 凶.
The chinese timing are divided into 12 period, each 2 hours
long. The chinese day commence at 11 pm the night before. These
are the corresponding time:
子(zi) 11pm to 1 am
丑(chou) 1am to 3 am
寅(yin) 3am to 5 am
卯(mao) 5am to 7am
辰(chen) 7am to 9am
巳(si) 9am to 11am
午(wu) 11am to 1pm
未(wei) 1pm to 3pm
申(shen) 3pm to 5pm
酉(you) 5pm to 7pm
戌(xu) 7pm to 9pm
亥(hai) 9pm to 11pm
What about chinese horoscope?
The chinese horoscope that "clashes" on that date is listed
with the age under a section titled
每日相煞. Under
生年相冲 the other years of the same
horoscope that also "clashes" is listed.