1. Marriage
Customary marriage is often arranged by parents. Marriage procedures, like other places, include introduction, interview, engagement, bride-price payment, marriage and visit of bride’s parents. Marriage ceremony is also much the same, called "the wedding." According to the old customs in Wenling, when the sedan of the bride arrived at the bridegroom’s, a brazier would be set in front of the sedan. Salt would be put inside and make the fire crack. The bride had to cross over it to dispel evil. At the end of the Republic of China, civilized marriage was held in towns. Parents hosted, government officials witnessed and the newlyweds bowed instead of kneeled. In the 1950’s, pursuant to the "Marriage Law", marriage was decided on one’s own. People were introduced by others or knew each other on one’s own, and then fell in free love with each other. After the permission of their parents, they went through registration formats with the government and received the marriage certificate before physical examinations. Simple weddings were favored. The bride would walk with her female companion to the bridegroom’s. Candy and cigarettes would be distributed and a family dinner would be set. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the bridegroom often arranged a bike team to escort the bride and held a banquet to thank guests. Then, candies and red eggs in bags would be distributed. No other etiquette was requested. In the 1980’s, an extravagant style began to gain ground. It was easy to see expensive dowries, luxury arrangement, limousine escorts and extravagant wedding banquets. Nowadays, betrothal gifts still prevail but are gradually understated. Group weddings are advocated by the government, but are not held generally. Some public service personnel hold a tour marriage. Old corrupt customs, such as taking each other's daughters as daughters-in-law and arranging a wedding for the dangerously sick with the aim of driving away the devil and the disease, have been rare nowadays. Child bride, concubinage and wife pawning have been abolished.
2. Giving birth
No special customs. A month after delivery is called “puerperium”. The maternal parents send to the puerperal nutrition and infant clothing, called "visiting in the puerperium" The puerperal women often drink brown sugar and drink ginger juice for health care. In the past, people usually gave birth at home, while nowadays people, urban or rural, prefer hospitals.
3. Birthday
All the people, regardless of their gender and age, have "longevity noodles" on birthdays, called "celebrating the birthday." Some children have sugar boiled eggs. For the significant birthday over age 60, people used to have grand etiquette. Now the etiquettes are simplified. A family dinner and birthday gifts are offered. In the 1980’s, people in towns gradually prefer sending birthday cakes.
4. Funeral
It is also called “the white event”. It consists of the procedures such as last round up, shop moving, encoffining, mourning, funeral, burial, return of the spirit on the seventh day, and sacrifice after one year and after two years, etc. They are generally similar to other places. If one dies in a foreign place, the body can not return to the village, while it will be put in a shed called “the funeral plant” set outside the village. The funeral after death is called the "hot funeral", while the postponed funeral after death is called the “cold funeral”. If a fisherman is dead at sea and his body cannot be found out, monks and Taoist priests will summon the spirit on the beach. A strawman on behalf of the dead body after cremation in an urn is called “straw ash funeral”. In the areas around Hanshi Mountain, Xixiang, Tiantai County, some coffins were put into caves. After 1950’s, in towns, people posted obituary notice, held memorial meetings instead of sacrifice, wore crapes around the arm and white paper flowers in front of the chest instead of weeds. Relatives and friends placed wreaths instead of elegiac couplets. In the countryside, funeral banners, funeral boards, gongs and weeds still prevail. Some even used western brass brands. In 1983, the crematorium was founded in Linhai. In Chengguan, the cremation was fully implemented. Until 1990, a total of 2,298 corpses had been cremated. Recently, some places have resumed the customs such as “the return of the spirit on the seventh day” and built many luxury graves. However, simple funerals have gradually accepted by urban people under the support of the government, with the cemetery construction considerably promoted.
5. Others
In the past, people selected good days to offered sacrifice to the earth god or invite a Taoist priest to cast a spell for erecting a house, laying a foundation and excavation. Courteous reception of carpenters was requested in placing stone plinths, splicing wood and erecting beams. While erecting beams, red cloth would be hung and red couple would be pasted on the beams. Firecracker went off, and five-color fruit, little steamed-bread and small wood hammers were thrown and picked up. When one relocated, his relatives and friends would deliver dishes and wine for celebration, which has been fading. However, the customs of hanging red cloth on beams, playing firecrackers and reception of carpenters still prevail.
