Wedding Reception in Chinese Society
中式婚宴
In Chinese society, the wedding reception is known as xi-jiu, (literally joyful wine)，and is far more important than the wedding itself which tends to be a brief civil ceremony.
在中国社会，中式婚宴即喜酒，（字面上说是高兴的酒），比婚礼本身更重要，因为这相当于小型的民间仪式。
The timing and the characteristics of the reception vary strongly from local to local.
婚宴的时间和特征在地域上有明显的不同。
They are typically extremely elaborate and expensive，often costing several years salary of the groom’s family.
典型的婚宴是精心布置而且非常昂贵的，通常需要花费新郎家几年的薪水。
However, because cash in the form of red envelopes and jewelry (particulariy gold) are given as wedding presents, and because the wedding hosts keep very careful track of the cost of the gifts (jewelry is given wth a receipt which indicates the actual cost of the gift)，the cost of the reception is effectively split among the wedding guests.
然而，因为有红包和珠宝（特别是金子）作为婚礼礼物，还有因为婚礼主持会对礼物价值作记录（珠宝的收据即使礼物的实际花费），婚宴的成本就被有效地分摊到每个婚礼客人上。
Wedding receptions also build local community solidarity.
婚宴还能培养团体凝聚力。
As each couple weds, their wedding reception is in effect financed with gifts from the other members of the community with the expectation that the new couple and their family will give gifts in future wedding receptions within the village.
当每对夫妇结婚时，他们的婚宴实际上是由团体中的其他成员以礼物形式资助，而团体中的其他成员则希望这对新婚夫妇和他们的家族能在将来的（其他成员的）婚宴时也送礼。