Glutinous rice food is usually used as an offering or a gift-giving in annual festivals and rites of passage in the rural areas of Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) . In terms of glutinous rice food served in the rites of marriage, it is mainly divided into the following three purposes: (1) ancestors oblation, (2) gift-giving between the two families of the bride and groom, (3) gift-giving among relatives, friends and members of a regional community. Such local customs as offerings and gift-giving with glutinous rice food have been succeeded from one generation to another traditionally and thus have become an integral part of the local culture and life. In this paper, attempt is made to focus on Village D, Guli Town, Jiangnan, as an example, and to clarify the glutinous rice food culture in the rural rites of marriage. Then analysis is made to the cultural and social functions particularly from the view point of how to build up their human relations through the exchange behavior of glutinous rice food in each process of gift-giving, gift acceptance and gift return.
