Chinese Wedding Cakes – Embodiment of Tradition
June 14, 2009 by admin
Filed under Wedding Cakes
A wedding is indeed one of the most auspicious occasions as it symbolizes not only the union of two souls in the bonds of holy matrimony, but also the coming together of two families who get tied by the cords of harmony and love. In ancient cultures like that of China, there are many customs and traditions that go with the weddings. Chinese wedding cakes are symbolic of the age-old traditions of Chinese weddings.
The commencement of the various ceremonies to mark the wedding begins with the Betrothal Day rituals, when the groom’s family presents quite a few gifts to the bride and her family. Once this formality is over, formal announcements of the wedding are sent to relatives by the groom’s and bride’s family by means of wedding invitation cards. These invitations are accompanied by double wedding cakes, as sending everything in 2s signifies double happiness according to the Chinese custom. The Phoenix and Dragon signs are imprinted on the cakes as is customary in China.
Chinese wedding cakes are also known as the “Dragon and Phoenix Cakes” or “Happiness Cakes”. Though various types of fillings are used in such cakes, some of the popular ones are the fillings made of green bean paste, red bean paste or lotus seed paste.
When the groom’s family gives these exquisite cakes to the bride’s family, the bride’s family accepts these with great honor and devotion as the first few pieces are dedicated to one’s ancestors as a mark of respect. The remaining cakes are then sent to relatives, with the number of cakes being sent to each family depending on the relative importance of the relative to whom it is being sent.
The unique feature in Chinese weddings is that despite modern times, age-old traditions have been kept alive by the Chinese families.
