People of Tujia ethnic minority enjoy free marriage. A young man and a girl who fall in love with each can marry each other after approval from parents on the both sides. In some areas, there is a custom ofNu'er Hui, i.e. young people seek spouses in the gatherings held on 12th of every lunar July.
On the wedding, the bridegroom and the bride both choose a talkative person respectively, who needs to sing or talk in antiphonal style after the bridegroom's people go to the bride's home to escort the bride back home.
After the bridegroom and the bride perform formal bows to worship the Heaven and Earth and to each other, they rush to the bridal chamber and strive to be the first to sit on the new bed. According to the usual practice, the bride should sit on the right and the bridegroom, left, with the midline as the dividing line. Some smart brides just sit on the middle line to indicate her future position in the family. If the bride does so, the bridegroom will try to jostle her beyond the line. They jostle each other until the bridegroom unveils the bride. After that, the new couple goes through the rite of drinking from nuptial cups.
The bride visits her parents on the third day after wedding, calledHui Men, and usually returns home on the same day.
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