Combing Hair Session for AD

decent_gal

New Member
Hi all BTB any ideas how this combing hair session is done coz I will be having mine next sun for my AD. Pls advise if you have go thru...million thanks
 


samanlyt

Member
Hi Katherine

Yup. I have gone through it. Let me share mine wif u:

First, I got the hair combing stuff from the GDL shop. The shop auntie advised us on the combing steps (Like yi shu, shu dao wei, er shu, shu dao etc...). The combing items mus be all new, never use b4.
Before that I got my god mum to choose an auspicious time for the session by checking the tong shu. Mine was done the nite b4, (some I heard do it b4 they put on their bridal veil).

On the hair combing session, my godmum ( the person who do the hair combing for u must be someone who is still married.) prepared the combing items - comb, mirror, red thread, ruler, all items placed in a mug of rice. 3 bowls of tang yuan wif 9 tang yuan in each bowl to be placed at our 3 ancestors tablets. Then made me sit in a chair in facing the ancestors, lighted the dragon & phoenix candle and start the session when the auspicious time is up.

Most important note to take note: The hair combing session mus be done on both sides (bride & groom). Cannot be only one-sided do the session only, & not the other party. The time mus be also the same. So u n hubby mus synchronize the timing, and comb at the same time.
 

decent_gal

New Member
Hi Vanilla thanks for sharing this info with me...just check with u arr...if my husband just has his uncle as the only relative, can he ask his uncle who is still a single to comb for him...then if both side comb hair same time, wat is the significance?
 

sentosa

New Member
oh katherine, I also went thr it...

But mine was different from vanilla's.

What's same? The combing hair is done on the nite before, do separately at both bride & groom's house, got all the stuff.

But groom does it 30 mins before bride. Our chairs have to face the moon aka balcony etc. The person combing your hair must say certain things with each different 'combing'

The combing hair on both sides was done by our respective moms, I think can ask his mom to do it.
 

rosewhite

New Member
Hi brides,

Hmm.. so is the combing hair thing supposed to be done on AD or the nite b4 actual day?

if doing in the morning, it means we have to do it before the make up session right?

If do at the night before the actual day can we do it like any timing or must be like just before we sleep?
 

samanlyt

Member
Hi katherine

Hmmm not sure abt having men to do the combing, but I know combing used to be done by the 'mei po' or mum. Definitely cant be someone who is single & unmarried. I din ask y mus comb both at the same time, but I think since its a marriage, its symbolize a joining of two ppl, so mus do together lor, cant do it all alone. Very useful information I've found on the net:

Hair-Combing ceremony:

This is a ceremony that is usually held on the wedding eve, and both the bride and the groom will have their own separate ceremonies at their own homes. They will change into white pyjamas (the bride will also have to wear a new pair of slipper during the whole ceremony) and then pray to the heavens and their ancestors before sitting in front of a small table mirror. The bride should face out of the house while the groom should face in. Usually the respective parents will comb their children's hair 3 times while reciting this ancient litany :

First comb to comb till the end

Second comb to bring love and respect till old age

Third comb to bring lots of children and grandchildren

After the combing, the couple has to eat glutinous rice balls which symbolize togetherness.

This whole ceremony symbolizes the coming-of-age of the bride and the groom. This would explain why most chinese parents only consider their children grownups when they get married.

Article from: http://www.singaporebrides.com/features/custom1.htm
 

samanlyt

Member
One thing the article mentioned which is very important is the direction where the bride/groom is sitting. Oh and for me, before the session, i have to use pomelo leaves to bath too.

Katherine, depending on ur dialect group, is it a mus to do it? If yes, then have to find a auntie to do it, if its not a must, then maybe can 'cut-short' the procedure.

Hi rosewhite,

From my understanding, the combing have to do it on a auspicious timing. Mus check the tong shu or ur geomancer. So if urs is the nite b4 or on the actual day, do it at tat timing given to u. For eg. I have to do mine between 1am - 3am (anytime between 1am to 3am is considered auspicious), so i did it at 1.30am.
happy.gif
 

sentosa

New Member
hey did you girls have the must tie red thread in hair thing?

I had to tie a red thread in my hair as part of the combing ceremony, and the next morning (on AD), the makeup artist had to remove it, no choice...

Vanilla, I also have the pomelo leaves bathing thing.
 

decent_gal

New Member
Vanilla thks for the well fed information....
happy.gif
Well I think going thru the customary really got alot of things to follow....well ladies can share with me the experience on your AD as mine is next Sunday...actually i very nervous lor...hehe
happy.gif
 

samanlyt

Member
Hi katherine

No probs! Wau next sunday, tats very fast!
happy.gif
Enjoy the preparation 'procedure', may be a bit tired, but at the same time, its fun too! :p Let me know if you need any other info. Will be more than happy to help!~
 

rosewhite

New Member
Hi vanilla, thx for sharing.. I didnt know that that groom have this hair combing session too. Anyone has the ancient litany in mandarin?
 

sentosa

New Member
vanilla,

I think the red thread is to bring the 2 people together.... "hong niang" and "hong xian".

I remember seeing somewhere also that if 2 people's hair are tied together with red thread, it's supposed to represent that they will be together forever.
 

bridesept08

New Member
Hi twinkie, me nt doing any of the hair-combing cox mine timing is like 3am-5am on my AD, so we decided to forego it.. both our parents did not go thru it during their times, so we can skip..
happy.gif
 

mspinkychloe

New Member
I got a qn. So I must have the combing session before the MUA put on the veil or can she fix on the veil, then my mum "action" like combing my hair, then cover the veil? Because I don't think MUA can wait until the session is over then fix on the veil for me.
 

chinook

New Member
Hi, does anyone know if the lighting of the dragon and phoenix candles is a religious/ancestral thing or a chinese tradition? My family is Catholic while my FH's family is Buddhist and they insist they we burn the candles, but my mum is not comfortable with it. Just need to clarify, thanks.
 

smile_lynn

New Member
Can i juz check wf u all:
1) Do we need to light the dragon & phoenix candles? Izzit the candles that included in the GDL items??
 

fishoutofwater

New Member
hi all, few questions regarding this ceremony:
1)if no altar table/ancestral tablet @ home, do i still need prepare 3 sets of tang yuan?
2)referring to 1, still need dragon & phoneix candles?
3) is the direction one's facing still important or just face the door where moon suppose to be? if no moon, dun matter right

the tang yuan other family member can eat also? after groom/bride eat 1st?
 

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