Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/240

232 Taoist priests, one holding the tail in his teeth, and after running round with it in a circle they divide it amongst themselves.

Presents of fans, handkerchiefs, shoes, and stockings must be made to the priests.

On this day also, the brothers or uncles of the bride go in sedans to the house of the bridegroom with presents. The bridegroom comes out to meet them in full dress, and, on their departure, makes them a present of a dollar or two. The bride now is bathed and has her hair dressed as a "new woman," i.e., in the style of a married woman, by one whose husband is still living, and who has been as fruitful as a vine. The wedding clothes assumed and the hair dressed with flowers, the bride worships for the last time the ancestral tablets, and salutes her relatives. The dress assumed by the bridegroom consists of a long robe having a red sash thrown across from shoulder to waist, a full dress hat, and dress shoes. The red and gilt flower-chair, employed on the occasion of marriages, is taken with sound of flute, drum, and gong to the residence of the bridegroom in readiness for the following morning, and, the ornamental cover being removed, is taken into the house, and laid before the shrine of the household gods.

It is curious to trace the customs of "scattering rice" and "throwing shoes," so prevalent at our weddings at the present time, to their original cause. It appears that the former is performed on the bride leaving her house, in order to prevent a certain fabulous bird which dwells among the stars from injuring her on the way to that of her husband. It also takes place in the bedchamber of the newly-married couple to drive out evil spirits and as an augury of prosperity. The latter was formerly looked upon as a renunciation or transference of authority. It is with this intention that in China a pair of shoes belonging to the bride is sent to her husband, who henceforth will have that authority over her which formerly belonged to her father and mother: with this may be compared the act of Ruth's kinsman in plucking off his shoe as a sign of his renunciation of any claim to marry her; and the expression in the Sixtieth Psalm, "Over Edom will I cast out my shoe," the meaning being, "I will renounce Edom."

The adoption of red as the colour suitable for marriages and other festive occasions is worthy of note as owing its origin to the peach-tree,