1. Marriage
The old-fashioned marriage was usually decided and arranged by the parents. Similar to other parts of China, the marriage procedures included proposal, visit, engagement and bride price, wedding, visiting the bride’s parents, etc. The wedding ceremony was also similar, called “baitang” (worshiping the hall). According to the customs in the fishing areas in Wenling, when the sedan with the bride in arrived at the groom’s house, a fire pan was put in front of the sedan, the salt thrown into it crackled, and then the bride strode over the fire pan to keep the evil away. In the late period of the Republic of China, the “civilized wedding” was adopted with the parents granting the marriage, the local gentlemen as the chief witnesses, and making bows replacing kowtow. Since the enforcing of the law of marriage of the People’s Republic of China, the individuals have the autonomy over their marriage. The lovers get to know each other by themselves or through matchmakers and develop their relationship without interference. Having got the parents’ consent, the couple registers with the government and receive the marriage certificates, along with the medical check-ups. Simple weddings were prevailing with the bride walking to the groom’s house accompanied by female friends, giving out sweets and cigarettes to the guests and the wedding banquets held at home. The 1960s and 1970s saw no special etiquette, when the bride was usually taken back to the groom’s house by a group of bike riders organized by the groom, wedding banquets were held and the bagged candies and the red eggs were distributed. After the 1980’s, the weddings began to be wasteful with high bride prices, costly wedding arrangements, sedan cars and extravagant wedding banquets. Betrothal gifts are still common but less and less important. Though advocated by the government, mass weddings are not popularized because of the limited events. There are also a small number of travelling weddings by public employees. Some corrupt customs are rarely seen or extinct now such as marriage in hope of getting out of adverse situation, child brides, concubines, leasing wife, etc.
2. Giving Birth
There are no special customs. The first month after giving birth is called “yueli” (within the month). The mother’s family would come with nutritious food and baby clothes, which is called “wangyueli” (visit within the month). The new mother should eat more brown sugar and ginger juice to keep healthy. In the past the wives used to give birth at home, while most of them are now hospitalized.
3. Birthday Celebrations
All the people would eat “longevity noodles” at birthday, which is called “make the birthday”. Some of the children would eat eggs boiled in sweet water. The birthday celebrations for those over 60 of age used to be ceremonious but now have been simplified with family dinner arranged by the offspring and gifts presented. Since the 1980s, birthday cakes have been popular in urban areas.
4. Funerals
It is also called "white affairs". The procedures are similar to other regions including attending upon a dying parent or senior family member, moving the body, encoffining, mourning, holding a funeral procession, burying, “zuoqi” (do seven, prayer ceremonies every seven days after the death for 49 days), “xiaoxiang” (small luck, the first death anniversary), “daxiang” (big luck, the second death anniversary), etc. The bodies of those who died in other places are not allowed into the village but placed in the tents put up outside the village. It is called “hot burial” to bury the dead upon their death, while the delayed burial is called “cold burial”. For the fishermen who died on the sea and whose bodies can not be taken back, the Buddhist monks and Taoists would summon their souls on the beach, which is called “summon tide souls”. A straw man would be made and cremated, and the urn with the ash in would be buried, which is called the “straw ash burial”. In the Xixiang areas of Mount Hanshi in Tiantai County, the coffins used to be put into the holes on the cliffs. Since the 1950s, in urban areas, obituaries have been put up instead of announcing the death in relatives’ houses, memorial ceremonies have been held instead of traditional sacrificial services, black armbands and white paper flowers have replaced mourning apparel, and funeral wreaths have replaced the elegiac couplets. In the funeral processions in rural areas, the leading soul streamers, funeral placards, funeral gongs, and mourning apparel, etc are still in use and the western brass bands are also applied sometimes. Since the establishment of the crematorium in Linhai County in 1983, cremation has been comprehensively carried out. In recent years, the old customs have been restored to some extent with expensive tombs emerging, but the governments advocate thrift by promoting cemeteries, which have been accepted by urban residents.
5. Other Customs
In building a house in the past, a lucky day should be selected for laying the foundation and ground-breaking, the god of earth should be worshiped, or the Taoists should be invited to cast spells. The builders should be treated with special kindness at the major phases. In laying the beams, red cloth should be tied on them, a red paper sheet should be stuck to the beam, firecrackers should be set off and candies, small steamed buns and small wood hammers should be cast for people to pick up, which symbolizes making a fortune. In moving to another residence, the relatives and friends would present dishes, food and liquor. Though the procedures have been less and less important, some are still prevailing.