‘三日新娘圣过皇帝’

‘三日新娘圣过皇帝’ is a Teochew proverb.The literal meaning is that the bride has more power than the emperor during the first three days of her marriage.

This is a custom of Teochew. During these three days, the bride can do nothing and no one can order her around.

‘三日’ means 3 days.’新娘’ means bride. ‘圣’ means powerful.’皇帝’ means the emperor.

To practice speaking this proverb in Teochew dialect,follow the audio below:

Although she can do nothing during these three days, the thing the bride likes to do most is to make “groom’s clothes” for her husband.

Why?There is a story behind.

The Death of the Playboy

Once upon a time, a family at the foot of Sangpu Mountain was holding a wedding banquet when a playboy and several of his followers arrived. They invited them to the table, but the drunken playboy tried to molest the bride.

The groom stepped forward and pulled. Due to excessive force, and the playboy suffering from epilepsy, he fell to the ground and fainted.

The attendants caused a disturbance at the banquet and took the groom to court. The playboy’s family secretly bribed the county magistrate, who scheduled the execution for the next day at 3:30 PM.

The Inspector Accidentally Learned the Truth

Upon hearing the tragic news, the people were abuzz with discussion over the bridegroom’s unjust death. This happened to be heard by an Inspector, who had been dispatched by the imperial court to investigate the public sentiment.

After learning the situation, the Inspector headed straight for the office in Haiyang County (a district in Teochew). On the way, he saw a young man in new clothes walking briskly and approached to inquire about the situation.

The young man told the Inspector that he was the bridegroom sentenced to death. He also explained that a young man had volunteered to take his place in prison the previous night. He was able to return home, but, concerned that the man who had died in his place had died even more unjustly,

he had hurried back before noon to take that man’s place at the execution ground.

A Long-Suffering Injustice Redressed

Upon hearing this, the inspector changed into his official uniform and headed straight for the county government office. There, he summoned the magistrate and ordered the two young men from the execution ground to be brought forward. He instructed the magistrate to identify the murderer.

Confused, the magistrate kowtowed and confessed.

The inspector then demoted him to a commoner and confiscated the bribes he had accepted. At this point, the young man who had volunteered to die in his place came forward and knelt in gratitude.

The young woman revealed that she was the bride, and to avenge her husband’s unjust death, she had hastily made a suit of groom’s clothes.

Disguised as a man, she had lured herself into the prison, deceived the jailer, and released her husband. She asked the magistrate to redress the injustice. The inspector immediately declared the groom not guilty and gave the money he had confiscated from the magistrate’s bribes to the bride and groom.

A custom became

The couple lived happily ever after, and their descendants flourished. After that, women followed suit and made groom’s clothes for their husbands within three days of the wedding for good luck, and this became a custom.