Thread: Checklist for AN CHUANG 安床

What is AN CHUANG about?

An Chuang is to bless the couple with fertility, no other adult should sit or rest on the bridal bed after its installation and before the chinese wedding.


Ok ... so when do you perform AN CHUANG?

Normally people does it a few days before the AD but it is also important to choose an auspicious date and time to install the bridal bed.

Once An Chuang is done, the bed after it has been “installed” and no one is supposed to touch it.


AN CHUANG Procedures ?

An chuang is to be performed by a good fortune woman, one whose husband and children are all alive and has many grandchildren or great grandchildren. She need not necessary be rich.

Anyone can An Chuang, it need not be a close relative. It can be your friends as well.


How is AN CHUANG Performed?

First, the bridal bed shall be moved slightly to symbolize its "new" installation. The good fortune woman will make the bed with the new set of bridal bed linen.

After making the bed, the good fortune woman will leave on it a plate with the following stuff ...

* even number of tangerines or oranges,
* dried longans,
* dried red dates,
* dried persimmons,
* pak hup (dried magnolia petals),
* dried lotus seeds,
* sprigs of pomegranate leaves, and
* two red packets.

persimmonlotusdateslongan.jpg

Also don’t forget the bedside lamps.
She will then light a pair of bedside lamps. In chinese, lamp [灯 “deng”] has the similar sound as son [丁 “ding”]. So lighting the lamps, [添灯] is symbolic of adding sons [添丁] to the family.

These lamps are not to be turned off until wedding night. If they are batteries operated, it is not necessary to replace the batteries when they run out, even before wedding night.

redtablelamps.jpg

Most important ... Invite kids to jump and roll on the bed

Immediately after installing the bridal bed or on the wedding day, little children are invited to roll on the bed to bless the couple with fertility. To encourage them to get on the bed, they are allowed to eat the sweet stuff on that plate the good fortune woman has left on the bed.

This is referred to as [压床] ”ya chuang” or [翻床] “fan chuang”.

Remember to give red packets to the good fortune woman and children for their help.