Ghost Marriages: Love For the Living and the Deceased

The tradition of the ghost marriage is one that supposedly stretches back to the first imperial dynasty of China: the Qin Dynasty, dating from the years 221 BC – 206 BC. The most comprehensive early records of the practice, however, appear to come from the following dynasty: the Han (206 BC -220 AD). The purpose of the tradition is to ensure that if a man or woman dies young and unmarried, they should still travel to the afterlife with a spouse, thus protecting both the name of their living family and guaranteeing company for the deceased in next world.

A Ghost Marriage: Keeps the Phantom Happy and the Living with Luck

The most common form of ghost marriage was to wed a dead man to a dead woman, whether or not they had been previously engaged. The ritual, however, went beyond just ensuring a partner for the deceased men and women. According to legend, if someone passed away and was not given a proper ghost wedding, he or she would haunt the family home until such an arrangement was made.

Zhong Kui, the being that banished ghosts and evil entities in ancient China (Wikimedia Commons)

In haunting the family, the younger generations were at risk for a downfall in their family name and fortune. Thus, the wedding was not merely for the assurance of the dead, but equally important—sometimes more so—for the sake of the remaining living family members.