Today, She marital customs are much like those of the Hans. But under pre-1949feudal conditions, parent-arranged marriages were common, as were outright sales ofdaughters. Brides' dowries usually included farm tools, bamboo hats and rain capes.The wedding ceremony was simple. The groom would go to the home of the bride'sfamily for a feast. Finding the table empty, he would sing out what he wanted, calling forchopsticks, wine and traditional wedding food. At the end of the banquet, he would singagain, this time ordering the dishes to be removed. The cook, in turn, would return hissongs with melodies of his own. The newlyweds would say prayers to their ancestorsand bid farewell to the bride's relatives. With the groom in front, they would walk to hisfamily's home, each holding an umbrella and singing in echo. The groom's parentswould welcome them at the front door, completing the wedding ceremony.
As the feudal landlord system evolved, parents and matchmakers became moreimportant in making "correct" marriages; bride prices became exorbitant, and thepoorest peasants were unable to afford marriage. Because of so many pre-arranged,loveless marriages, folk singing gatherings became a means for people to spend timewith their lovers -- in defiance of the feudal marriage system.
Centuries ago, Shes cremated their dead, but by the 1940s earth burial was common.
Like Hans, Shes celebrate the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Pure BrightnessFestival (in memory of the dead), Dragon Boat-Racing Festival, Moon Festival and theDouble-Ninth Festival. In addition, the third day of the third lunar month is a holiday onwhich no work is done. Ancestor worship is the center of another festival on the eighthday of the fourth lunar month. Sacrifices are offered to the "Duobei King" in October,and people have a day off on the 19th of the second lunar month to mark the Buddha'sattainment of Nirvana.
Traditionally, every clan was symbolized by a dragon-headed stick, a sign of the Shes'totemic beliefs. Moreover, Shes used to trace their ancestry to a legendary "Panhu,"who helped an emperor put down a rebellion and won the love of his princess. Legendhas it that Panhu and the princess had three sons and a daughter, who became theancestors of the Shes. Shes used to worship a painting of their legendary ancestorsand make sacrificial offerings to them every three years.
Until education became widespread after the founding of the People's Republic ofChina, Shes believed in hosts and spirits. Superstition used to hamper people's mindsand production. Among the old and the uneducated, it still does.