Bridesmaids tied to poles, fireworks at their feet and other 'wedding night' customs

Recently, the Chinese public was outraged when a video appeared recording images of a group of men dragging bridesmaids out of the trunk of a wedding car, then using duct tape to tie them to lampposts and light firecrackers at their feet. The groomsmen fled the scene after lighting the firecrackers.

As sparks flew and thick smoke filled the air, the two girls used their hands to protect their faces. They tried to escape this dangerous prank but no one helped. The person recording the scene did not intervene either.

Bridesmaids tied to poles, fireworks lit at feet, causing outrage.

Ridiculous wedding pranks are not uncommon in China, but this video has caused a backlash from the country's public.

On Chinese social media, many comments condemned this behavior: “This is not a cultural tradition. It is just an excuse to do something bad"; "They have no sense of safety. The bridesmaids are wearing flashy, flammable clothes", "Boycott vulgar and dangerous wedding pranks and support civilized wedding customs", "Where are the bride and groom? Is no one intervening? This is not simply a wedding prank, it is a threat to personal safety. I hope the bridesmaids will file a lawsuit against them",...

Earlier, another bridesmaid in eastern China’s Shandong province was hit by a falling door frame when the best man used excessive force to block the door at the bride’s home. Also in Shandong province, at another wedding in January, a group of men tried to force the bride to the ground, some of them climbing on top of her to form a human pyramid. The men then sprayed white foam on the bride’s head and stopped her when she tried to escape.

In 2020, also in Shandong province, a groom was dragged from his car on the way to pick up his bride and smeared with soy sauce, vinegar and raw eggs. The groom then fell into a roadside ditch. Several guests were later taken away by police.

In October 2017, a man in Guangdong province, southern China, was tied to a lamppost with a firecracker attached to his buttocks. He had to be hospitalized for treatment because of the severity of his injuries.

In 2016, Chinese actors Bao Bei Er and Bao Jing Wen were criticized for the actions of five men at their wedding. The group picked up one of the bridesmaids, actress and TV host Liu Yan, and tried to throw her into the pool. In the video, Liu Yan can be seen screaming and struggling until another bridesmaid, actress Jia Ling, came to the rescue and stopped the five men.

The bride was forced to lie on the ground by a group of men and sprayed with white foam.

These bizarre pranks originate from a wedding custom known as "naohun" - meaning "wedding night" - in China. This is a long-standing tradition that dates back to the early Han Dynasty in the second century BC. According to this tradition, wedding guests ask the bride and groom to perform a series of tasks to liven up the wedding atmosphere and show their friendship. Besides, it also has the meaning of driving away evil spirits and helping the bride adapt to married life. Wedding guests often enjoy letting the bride and groom kiss or making the couple do embarrassing things.

In modern weddings, the wedding night party has also extended to teasing the bridesmaids. However, in recent years, this custom has gone too far, turning into a bad custom, when many couples or guests are forced to strip or be tied up, the bride or bridesmaids are insulted, molested...

The practice has become a point of controversy when incidents have gone too far with inappropriate behavior, even considered harassment. According to a CCTV survey, 70% of Chinese people feel embarrassed by the practice.

Hu Guangwei, a professor at the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences , said the "marriage pranks" were uncivilized and "an insult to the bride and groom." "Some brides and grooms may appear to be having fun in some situations, but they may have been forced by the crowd. If the pranks cause injuries, the participants may be charged," Hu said.

In 2021, the city of Zhouping in Shandong took a tough line against this variant of the custom. The city government issued a special notice banning “vulgar behavior at weddings” and calling for “reform of wedding traditions.” City officials stressed that such behavior would be punished by the police and could be considered a criminal offense.

“Let us all behave more civilly, boycott vulgar acts at weddings, turn the “wedding night commotion” into civilized blessings, and help weddings return to warmth and romance, ” the government statement said.

The new policy has been widely welcomed by the Chinese public. One Weibo user said: “ Of course this behavior should be banned. Some people are simply harassing others under the guise of joking at weddings.” Another netizen commented: “It’s hard enough to organize a wedding, let alone be bothered by vulgar performances and jokes.”

My Anh (SCMP)

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Source: https://vtc.vn/phu-dau-bi-troi-vao-cot-dot-phao-duoi-chan-va-nhung-hu-tuc-cua-nao-dong-phong-ar800727.html