A nursery school in China has delighted its pupils by throwing a wedding ceremony for its treasured pet rabbits.
A video clip of celebrations at the Antai Kindergarten in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province in the east of the country has gone viral online, Bailu Video reported.
A teacher said they held the event after children, who had seen human weddings, asked if the school rabbits – called Fugui and Laifu – could marry.
The ceremony was as close to a traditional human ritual as possible and included a red inflatable arch over the school gate with Chinese characters attached to it, which read: “Congratulations to Mr Fugui and Ms Laifu for tying the knot”.
Teachers placed colourful posters on both sides of the arch, one side depicted stick drawings of two rabbits, while the other proudly displayed the names of “the bride and the groom”.
At run-of-the-mill weddings in China, the family of the groom traditionally sends a motorcade to collect the bride.
The scene was recreated for the rabbits when six pupils rode miniature vehicles in a parade watched by the other children. The “bride” was collected from the boot of a teacher’s car.
Laifu’s cage was covered with a red veil to enhance the celebratory ambience.
The school also created two red-covered marriage certificates for the much-loved pets, and the youngsters made “cash gifts” of banknotes they had drawn.
Pupils were filmed clinking glasses and enjoying the wedding banquet, and at the end of the ceremony each child was given a small bag of happiness sweets, just like guests are given at human weddings.
Online observers have been amused and charmed by the video which has been viewed 9 million times on Douyin alone.
“It is so interesting. Children can learn how adults feel, and it helps children foster love for little animals by treating them as members of the family,” one person said.
“I support it. Next time, please hold weddings for chickens or ducks,” quipped another.
Stories of children doing cute things often trend on mainland social media.
In March, a nursery teacher in northern Hebei province shared videos that recorded children’s happy smiles by laying on the floor and holding a mobile phone while her colleague dragged her across the classroom.
