Having no betrothal gift in marriage – is it good or bad for the couple?

Thread Content

Recently, a news story suddenly appeared on Baidu’s trending searches, with the headline: “Bride refuses dowry at her wedding.” Its search volume exceeded 300,000, which shows that this story was very popular among us and the media; many media outlets covered it, including well-known platforms such as NetEase and Sina News. Marriage is originally an ordinary event, so why did only the story of this couple end up on the trending list? The editor from Hongjingyuan will explain the reasons behind this. No betrothal gift – at the mention of this term, many people have a lot to say. Why? When it comes to marriage, the topic of betrothal gifts arises. In today’s society, these standards vary from place to place, but one thing remains constant: the amount of money required as a betrothal gift is increasing. In the bride’s hometown, as mentioned in this news story, 18.8 yuan is required; in some first-tier cities like Shenzhen, the amount can reach millions. Such high demands for betrothal gifts pose a burden on many families. While it was once normal to give betrothal gifts, they were part of the traditional wedding rituals in China. In some areas, they are referred to as “gifts representing a person’s value.” Yet today, betrothal gifts have lost their original meaning and have taken on too much materialistic significance, turning into a heavy burden. The parents of the bride’s family consider the bride price to be a reflection of their daughter’s value; the more they give, the more they show their emphasis on their daughter. If it were your daughter getting married and the other side refused to pay a bride price, wouldn’t you also have some thoughts on that? One of the problems many people face when getting married is the excessive amount of betrothal money. The money that they had managed to save is spent on getting married, leaving them in debt. Some people have to pay large amounts as betrothal money, and it takes them several years to repay those debts. From this perspective, betrothal money does not bring happiness to the daughter. True happiness is achieved through the tolerance, understanding, and joint efforts of two people. Nowadays, things are getting better and better, and everyone’s life is improving as well. As long as the two of them work together, the future will surely be very pleasant. In some places, marriage has become a form of transaction, which is an unhealthy practice. The author sincerely hopes that such couples who do not pay a bride price can take the lead in breaking down these outdated conventions and setting new trends in society, thereby putting a stop to excessive competition.