6 Chinese wedding customs, including pouring tea, and things to avoid, such as wearing red

Money, feng shui and lucky food all play a part in Chinese wedding rituals. We share why, and how to make couple’s big day an auspicious one

Reading Time:4 minutes

Chinese wedding attendees hold cups as part of a traditional tea ceremony. We look at why pouring tea is an important nuptial ritual, which wedding dates are considered unlucky in Chinese culture, and more. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15pm, 7 Sep 2024

Chinese weddings are very auspicious events, with plenty of rules that must be followed to bring blessings to the newlyweds and avoid bad luck for them.

Whether you are planning your own wedding or about to attend one, here are six of the most important things to know.

1. Wedding dates

Before any significant wedding planning takes place, an engaged couple should make sure to pick an auspicious wedding date that maximises their luck.

A groom in traditional dress surrounded by his groomsmen at a Chinese wedding. Photo: Shutterstock

The third, seventh and ninth lunar months are generally considered unlucky in Chinese culture, as each has a festival related to death – Ching Ming Festival (tomb-sweeping day), Hungry Ghost Festival and Chung Yeung Festival (when people visit family graves to honour the deceased), respectively.

It is also important the couple do not attend any funerals in the days leading up to or following their wedding, as this can bring bad luck. Other weddings and baby showers are also to be avoided during this period, to avoid “luck clashing”.

Lai see red packets containing money are given to the bride and groom at Chinese weddings. Photo: Shutterstock

Couples getting married should consult a feng shui master to help determine an auspicious date based on the lunar calendar and Chinese zodiac related to their and their parents’ birth dates.