The eight Chinese characters (pek ji) that indicated the bride’s and groom’s date and time of birth according to the lunar calendar were written in black ink on sheets of red paper. Information such as their horoscopes and wishes for marital harmony were also indicated on the paper and put in the red envelopes for the exchange during the Sang Jit or ‘Exchange of Gifts’ ceremony. These red sheets of paper are part of the wedding documents concerning the marriage of Pang Choon Jin (1908-1971) and Chew Teck Neo (1912-2001). The groom was the grandson of an eminent translator of Chinese classics into Baba Malay, Pang Teck Joon (1845 – 1928), while the bride was the granddaughter of the prominent businessman Chew Boon Lay (1852 – 1933).Exchange of wedding gifts was an elaborate affair for wealthy Peranakan families in the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malacca and Penang) during the late 19th to early 20th century. The families would have a grand procession of gift bearers bearing trays of symbolic gifts to mark the union between two families.
