The "Hair Dressing" Ritual
新娘“上头”
At dawn on her wedding day (or the night before),the bride bathed in water infused with pumelo, a variety of grapefruit, to cleanse her off evil influences;and one suspects as a cosmetic to soften her skin in the manner of contemporary alphahydroxls.
在喜日的大清早(或前晚),新娘会用盛满柚子,葡萄的水来洗去霉气;也有可能是用一种能让肌肤更嫩滑的沐浴露。
She put on new underclothes and sat before lit dragon-and-phoenix candles.
她穿好新睡衣,坐在已点亮的龙凤烛前。
A “good luck woman” attended the bridal preparations.
一个“有福气的女人”帮助新娘的婚前准备。
She spoke auspicious words while dressing the bride's hair in the style of a married woman.
她会边说好话边让新娘穿戴“上头”。