《士婚礼》婿亲迎拜何人考

Textual Research about Whom the Son-in-law Kowtows to When He Goes to Greet the Bride in The Wedding of Bachelor

在《士婚礼》中,婿到女方家后要行再拜稽首之礼,对于婿所拜的对象,有人认为是新妇,有人认为是新妇之父母,有人认为是新妇的祖先。历代礼家对此争论不休,但直到现在也没有一致的答案。经考证,婿所拜为新妇之父母的观点与《士婚礼》实行的时代最接近,与《仪礼》经文有很大的契合性,并与婚礼的礼仪情境相符合,因此是三种观点中最可取的。

The son-in-law should kneel twice and kowtow to somebody when he goes to greet the bride according to The Wedding of Bachelor. While to the people whom the son-in-law kowtows to, some people think she is the bride, some the bride＇s parents and some the bride＇s ancestors. The ritual specialists in history argue endlessly about this question, but there is no accordant answer up to now. By research, the view that the son-in-law kowtows to the bride＇s parents is closed to the period of the practice of The Wedding of Bachelor; it is accordant with the scripture of the Etiquette; and it also fits the ritual situation of the wedding. So this view is the most advisable of the three.