The tea ceremony is a Chinese wedding ritual that is performed at the groom’s home on the wedding day and is considered to be an important component of the wedding ceremony. It symbolises the acceptance of the bride into the groom’s family and is also a sign of respect for the elders. The ceremony involves the bride and groom offering cups of tea to the senior members of the groom’s family and in return, the elders are expected to give a ‘hongbao’ (red packet) or jewellery to the couple. The groom’s younger siblings and/or cousins also offer tea to the couple during the ceremony. Traditionally, the tea ceremony for the bride’s family is done either before or after the tea ceremony at the groom’s home.
