Chinese Wedding Cakes and the Red Head Covers
2 min readChinese Wedding Cakes
Chinese wedding cakes are called“Happiness Cakes”，also known as “Dragon&Phoenix Cakes”.These are baked cake with dragon and phoe-
nix imprint on the surface.Some styles have fillings made of lotus seed paste，red bean paste or green bean paste.
The wedding cakes are usually presented to the bride’s family by the groom’s family as part of the proposal gift.Bride’s family will then present some of the cakes to worship their ancestors and send the rest of cakes to friends and relatives along with wedding invitations.Quantity of cakes to be sent depends on seniority of guest or relationship with the family.Nowadays，the wedding cakes are usually served to the guests at the wedding instead of the western style wedding cakes.
Red Head Covers
At a traditional Chinese wedding，the bride is often seen with a red veilon her head.It covers the bride’s face.Chinese people call the veil，made of a laced silk square，red head cover.
This practice dates back to the Qi Period（479-502）of the Northernand Southern Dynasties.The head cover was used by women farmers to protect their heads against cold wind or hot sunshine while working in the fields.it could be a cloth of any color and was big enough to cover the head top.For its practical use and ornamental function，the head cover became a widespread custom.
By the beginning of Tang Dynasty（618-907），the cover had become a 30 long veil down to the shoulder.And it was no longer a privilege of working women.Later，Emperor Li Jilong made a decision.He demanded that all maids-in-waiting in the palace add a piece of gauze to the head covers to cover their faces.It soon became a fashion among the commons.But the commons made a difference of the covers function.In those days，women’s faces were thought of as a lure to men.A husband did not want his beautiful wife to be an atraction to men.He wanted her to behave bashfully and look too shy to see men.A veil could realize his wish.And the wife readily accepted the veil to show her loyalty to her husband.Gradually the veils became popular among both married and unmarried women who were eager to demonstrate their virtues.Veils are not unique in China.
Even today veils can still be seen in some other places in the world.
This custom lasted about a thousand years.From Later Jin Dynasty（936-946），a veil became a must for bride at the wedding.But the color ofthe bride’s veil is always red as it is the symbolic color of happiness.
