Different culture between China and America influence wedding customs 摘 要：随着中国加入WTO，中西方交流紧密。世界越来越变小，科技的飞速发展，经济的欣欣向荣将人与人之间的距离拉得越来越近。婚礼是人一生中至关重要的一项活动，研究婚礼文化不仅能更深入的了解美国文化，而且还能更进一步的推动文化交流。本文从家庭观念，语言和宗教观，来描述不同的文化背景对婚俗的影响。不同的文化积淀必然产生不同的文化风俗。通过描述文化对风俗的影响，进一步阐述在当今国际背景下，把握好文化差异，对开展积极地国际交流和合作产生的积极影响
关键词：中国文化；美国文化；影响；婚俗
作者简介：张姣 ，女 ，陕西西安人， 1988年8月16日出生， 汉族，研究方向：英语笔译。
[中图分类号]：G04 [文献标识码]：A
[文章编号]：1002-2139（2012）-24--02
“Wed” is derived from the ancient Greek word for “pledge”. And that"s exactly what a wedding is， no matter what country it takes place in， no matter what culture its part of. Marriage is the most solemn pledge we make in our lifetimes. Marriage carries with it the most solemn of promises， but it also embodies the potential for the greatest joy of human existence — the pure joy that flows from two hearts beating as one. There are few joys in life as deep or as long lasting as the joy that springs from the well of true love and a lasting marriage.（Kelly，2007：Z1）. Different countries and regions， different ethnic weddings， contain their own culture and folk characteristics. Wedding customs in different cultures and folk customs occupy an indispensable part. Through the differences and contrast of the wedding customs， we can also see the great differences that exist in different culture and customs. Different nations creating their own culture， meanwhile， they are shaped and polished by their own culture（Lin，2010：09）
Through the research and study of the comparison of the different customs and culture between China and the American world， we can know more about the American history and learn the advantage of the US. Different culture can shape the different wedding customs. At the same time， wedding customs can also reflect the culture itself. Despite their importance in control of cultural behaviors， values cannot be seen. Values are inside people， in their minds and it"s a way of thinking about the world. Therefore， they are mental programs that govern the difference among wedding traditions.
By the influence of Confucian ethics， China has always paid great attention to find a sense of community. Marriage has no exception. Talking about the traditional Chinese marriage， it can often be summarized in one sentence，" arrange a match by parents" order and on the matchmaker"s word "or "The requirement of parents， words of matchmakers.” In the traditional view of marriage， the marriage is not laid on the basis of their own emotions， but on the basis of the interest and benefit of the two families. The purpose of marriage became a matter of reproducing， expanding the family， maintaining and improving the family"s reputation and status. We can also see the traditional Chinese concept of marriage attached a great importance in the reproduction of the future generations.（Lin，2010：09） Buddhism came to China two thousand years ago； the spread of Christianity in China has a history of five years. But we all know， religion has not become the mainstream of people’s life in China. The situation in China and Europe are somewhat similar. In the regime change and foreign invasion， the Chinese culture， "the doctrine of the mean"， is the final analysis and solution of balancing the conflict between individuals. So there must be differences in the patterns of thought， which is performed distinctly between the Eastern and Western cultures. In the process of understanding， they focus on the experience and feelings. As for the wedding， they will pay their respect to the traditional culture of Confucius. During the preparation and the process of the wedding， they will obey the requirement of the"li" and conventional code of conduct. They will tell their friends and relatives to share their happiness and enjoy the sense of community.
Americans do not believe in destiny. They think that nothing is impossible. If they decide something， they will try their best no matter how hard it is. Differ from Chinese diverse and long time culture， the United States is a young nation which was founded on the basis of the 1776 "Declaration of Independence". It is a typical contract style country. "Declaration of Independence" as the country"s founding rules， greatly emphasis on the equality and freedom among individuals. The view of ethic on American wedding is derived from the blend of the Greek culture and the Hebraic Christian culture， which developed into the ethics of modern marriage， that is wedding relationship based on free love（Pan，2008：NO.3）. Marriage in America show the great importance of individual freedom， which is entirely depend on people "s natural inclination and attraction， free choice of people. From the free love to loath to part from each other， they are willing to dedicate themselves completely to each other in the mutual commitment of marriage. Under the common ideal for a better and beautiful future and life， they strive for their family， the reproduction of human life and contribution to the improvement of life. They think that everyone is rational so that one can make the most rational and best choice. Under such influence， American"s wedding view has a strong sense of individualism. The couple combined on the basis of love. Meanwhile， parents will not interfere the couple"s combination. Therefore， the religious beliefs of Christian in American culture account for huge percent. In the wedding， the couple will choose a quiet church， under the auspices of the pastor， recognized and blessed by God. The American wedding are the romantic， the entire wedding is full of romantic atmosphere. In summary， the main difference between Chinese and Western wedding is different from Western cultural backgrounds and historical background. Ideas and customs in no role slowly evolved. While under the influence of religion and mythology， customs and habits of a variety of small wedding to gradually formed. As the opening up and the further pace of economic development， more and more things in Western society came into our vision. In this case， the increasing cross-border communication provides us with a lot of opportunities and contacts with foreigners. However， the difference of etiquette between Chinese and Western has become increasingly evident， and the impact of this difference is great which can not be ignored. Facing with different values， thinking patterns and code of conduct， we should be aware of it. Understanding the background of the culture， we can avoid unnecessary conflict of cultures.
References：
1、 Kelly. 全球婚俗大观（英文）[J]. 新东方英语（大学版）， 2007，（Z1） .
2、 林琳. 中美传统婚俗比较[J]. 文学界（理论版）， 2010，（09）
3、 潘文晋. 从中西婚礼文化看中西方文化差异[J]. 今日南国（理论创新版）， 2008，（03）