prep talk

At about this time last year, we came out with a list of auspicious wedding dates for 2006 based on the Chinese Almanac. That article proved to be very popular among soon-to-weds since everyone wants to know if their chosen date is lucky for them on not. We decided to do it again for the benefit of couples getting married in 2007 - the Year of the Fire Pig.

But before we go to the list, we want to share with you some Tsinoy wedding beliefs (superstitions if you will) so you would get a glimpse behind the complex rituals of their culture.

♥ As soon as a Tsinoy couple had their 'ting hun' (Chinese engagement ritual), they should not attend another couple's 'ting hun' or wedding as they might pass their 'hok' (luck) to the other couple. It's basically the same principle behind our 'sukob' belief. It appears that sharing an umbrella is okay, but sharing luck in marriage is not!

♥ Tsinoy couples usually avoid getting entourage members who's animal birth sign clashes (chong) with their own. A person is 'chong' with another if their Chinese birth signs are six years apart (i.e. pigs are 'chong' with snakes).

♥ The 7th month in the Chinese calendar ('tsit ghe' or approximately August in our ordinary calendar) is generally considered inauspicious since it's their Ghost Month. For 2007, it occurs on August 13 until September 10.

♥ When an immediate family member of the bride or the groom passes away, the scheduled wedding should be reset within 100 days from the time of death or have the wedding postponed for another three years until the mourning period of the family is over.

More of these Chinese wedding rituals can be found in "My Little KanChiu Book" (P75 New Victory, Ongpin and myBookstore.ph).

Auspicious Dates

Another topic we've tackled in the said book is 'Kwa Dit Tsi' or choosing a good date for the wedding. What constitutes a 'good' date is based on the Chinese horoscope of the bride and groom. A date is considered inauspicious if the date clashes with the lunar birth sign of either the bride or groom.

Below is a list of auspicious wedding dates for 2007. As weddings here in the Philippines are usually held during weekends, we highlighted the weekend dates so they will be easier to spot. Although half of our writing tandem is Chinese, we do not claim to be experts on the matter. So again, we have to issue a disclaimer that the 'good' dates indicated are meant as a general guide only. Although these dates are based on the Chinese Almanac were identified as such in at least three different sources, we do not claim that we have the final say on the matter. We still advise couples who value feng shui to consult with a professional and trusted feng shui master by giving the master their birthdates and exact birth time (sometimes even birth information of the parents from both sides) for a more accurate analysis.

As today is the eve of Chinese New Year, we wouldn't let this opportunity pass without greeting all our readers: Kung Hei Fat Choi! Our heartfelt thanks to Morning and our achi Boon for once again helping us out with the article.

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prep talkback: Send comments and queries to P.O. Box 233, Greenhills, San Juan City 1502 or email: mail@WeddingsAtWork.com.

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