" The wedding festivities generally last at least two days. The first day the male friends and relatives of the groom are invited to 'shed their light'' on the occasion. On the second day the female friends and relatives of the family of the groom are invited to the wedding feast ; this is often called the ' women's day.' Not long after the family and guests have breakfasted on the morning of the second day, the newly-married couple, ainid the noise of fire-crackers, come out of their room together for the purpose of worshipping the ancestral tablets be- longing to the household, the grandparents, and parents of the groom. This custom is known by the name of ' coming out of the roomj In the case of those families who devote only one day to the marriage festivities and ceremonies, this custom is observed on the afternoon of the first day. Not long subsequent to the ceremony of ' coming out of the room,' the couple proceed to the kitchen for the purpose of worshi]5ping the god and god- dess of the kitchen. This is performed with great de- corum, and is regarded as an important and essential part of marriage solemnities. Incense and candles are lighted, and arranged on a table placed before the pict- ure or the writing which represents these divinities, plastered upon the wall of the kitchen. Before this ta- ble the bridegroom and his bride kneel down side by side, and bow in worship of the god and goddess of the kitchen. It is believed that they will thus propitiate their good-will, and especially that the bride, in at- tempting culinary operations, will succeed better in con- sequence of paying early and respectful attentions to these divinities. On the third day the parents of the bride send an invitation to their son-in-law and his wife to visit them. With tliis invitation they send se- dans for them. The card is usually brought by her brothers, if she has any of the proper age, or by rela- tives having her own ancestral name. Until this morn- ing, since she left her former home two days previous, the bride has seen none of her own family, and generally none of her own relatives or acquaintances. She and her husband now receive the congratulations and com- pliments of her brothers or other relatives, and prepare
MARRIAGE
805
marriage;
to visit her parents. The bride enters her sedan first, and proceeds a short distance in front of her husband. They do nut start together, nor is it proper that they should arrive at the house of lier parents at the same time. The cliair provided for the bride on this occa- sion is a common black sedan in all respects, except that its screen in front has a certain charm painted upon the outside. This charm is the picture of a grim-looking man, sitting on a tiger, with one of his hands raised up, holding a sword, as if in the act of striking, represent- ing a certain ruler of elves, hobgoblins, etc. The object of its use on the occasion of a bride's returning to her parents' house, on the third day after her marriage, is to keep oft' evil and unpropitious influences from her. On arrival at her paternal home the bride's sedan is car- ried into the reception-room, and she alights amid the noise of fire-crackers. The sedan which contains the son-in-law stops a few rods from his father-in-law's resi- dence, where he is met by one of his brothers-in-law, or some relative or friend deputed to meet and conduct him into the house. The two parties, standing in the street, respccti'iilly shake their own hands towards each other on meeting, according to the approved fashion. The newly-arrived is now invited to enter the house. He is seated in the reception-room, where he is treated suc- cessively to three cups of tea and three pipes of tobacco. x\fterwards he is invited to go and see his mother-in- law in her room, where he finds his wife. There he sits awhile, and visits after a stereotyped manner, be- ing careful to use only good or propitious words, avoid- ing every subject and phrase which, according to the notions of this people, are unlucky. He is soon invited into the reception-room, where he is joined b}^ his wife. Everj-thing being arranged, the husband and wife pro- ceed to worship the ancestral tablets of her family. At the conclusion of this ceremony the bride retires to her mother's apartments, or to some back room, where she and the female relatives present are feasted. Her hus- band is invited to partake of some refreshments in the reception-room, in doing which he is joined by his bride's brothers, or some others of her family relatives. According to the rules of etiquette, he must eat but very little, however hungry he may be. The usual phrase employed in speaking of it is that he eats part of ' three bowls of vegetables,' after which he declines to receive anj-thing more, under the plea that he has eaten enough. He soon takes his departure in his sedan, leaving his bride to fcjllow by herself by-and-bj', accompanied usu- ally only by a servant or female friend. Husbands are never seen with their wives in public."
The marriage customs of the Japanese are so very like those of the Chinese that we have grouped them to- gether. The custom of purchasing the wife is still more general among the Japanese than other Asiatic nations. Polygamy is strictly forbidden. Though the harem is tolerated, only one lawful wife is recognised. " It appears, however," says MacFarlane {Japan, jj. 2(3a), " to be verj' easy for a man to put away his wife and take another — at least so far as any law exists to the contrary." The condition of woman is far better than in any other Asiatic countrj'.