Abstract  Currently, the world has seen rapid changes in all aspects and it has gradually developed into a closely linked community because of the advancement in economic exchanges and the development of science and technology. Along the way, culture has been exerting far-reaching influences on all walks of a nation. The culture of wedding is a very important part in our culture and life since the wedding ceremony is so important in everyone’s life. In this essay the differences of wedding ceremonies between China and America will be discussed by making analysis and illustrating the details of the wedding ceremony in the two countries, such as the preparing-period and the ceremony itself, which reveal the clue of cultural Americanization. It also analyzes the causes for the difference. Thus, people will understand the culture well and take a more rational attitude to treat the traditional culture and foreign culture.54470

Keywords: cultural differences; wedding ceremony; cultural Americanization

摘 要当今世界，变化日新月异，经济的交流和科技的发展使世界越来越成为一个紧密联系的群体。随之而来，文化也在世界的范围内渐渐地融合发展着。文化影响着一个民族的衣食住行。文化包含很多的方面，其中的婚宴文化是一个重要的部分。婚礼仪式对于每个人的一生来说都是美好和重要的。本文对中美两国在准备婚礼，婚礼仪式等婚礼细节方面的异同进行对比分析,讨论总结出中美两国在婚礼文化上的异同，从异同比较中可以看出中国文化的美国化倾向，从而敦促人们以更加理性的态度来对待我们的传统文化和外来文化。

毕业论文关键词：文化差异；婚礼仪式；文化美国化

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 Culture and Wedding Culture 1

2.2 Cultural Differences 3

2.3 Cultural Hegemony and Cultural Americanization 5

3. Differences in Wedding Ceremony between China and America 6

3.1 Preparations before the Wedding 6

3.2 Ceremony on the Wedding Day 9

4. Discussion 12

4.1 Reasons for Differences in Wedding Ceremony between China and America 12

4.2 Phenomena of Cultural Hegemony and Cultural Americanization 13

5. Conclusion 14

Works Cited 16

1. Introduction

The 21st century is dominated by science and technology, which makes the whole world develop quite rapidly. With the constantly increasing economic globalization and international exchange, the cultures of different regions are gradually spread and fused, such as the wedding customs of China and America.

     Holding a wedding is regarded as a very solemn ceremony both in China and in America. However, there are also a lot of differences between Chinese and American wedding cultures.

    Chinese wedding has many steps and the procedure is much more complex than American wedding, especially in the wedding ceremony. In the Chinese traditional wedding customs, people stress more and they have many taboos, for Chinese people are more conservative and traditional, but the open-minded American people’s wedding is much simpler.

    Chinese wedding has many steps and the procedure is much more complex than American wedding, especially in the wedding ceremony. In the Chinese traditional wedding customs, people stress more and they have many taboos, for Chinese people are more conservative and traditional, but the open-minded American people’s wedding is much simpler.