A wedding custom in China has gone viral after a video emerged of two middle-aged women tying a kitchen apron around a newly married bride - to signify her future as a homemaker.

The hugely popular video has sparked an online debate about the country’s odd marriage traditions.

The unidentified bride, from Guangdong province in southeastern China, was filmed holding a bouquet of red and pink flowers next to a wedding car.

Two women can be seen tying an apron around her waist in the video which has attracted nearly four million views on Weibo, according to Sina News.

It is unclear whether the bride had been made aware of the custom before the wedding, but she appeared calm and prepared to walk into her new home.

After the video was picked up by local media, many people said they had never heard of the particular wedding custom.

Many online observers worried that it meant she would be overwhelmed by housework as soon as she was married.

However, locals had a more nuanced explanation. 

“The video has been misinterpreted. It is not about housework, but is a symbol of having kids as the pronunciation of ‘apron’ in the local dialect is similar to ‘a group of boys’,” a local resident said in the video.

Another local said it only applied to pregnant brides and is designed to wish them good blessings for more children. Also, only the pregnant bride or her family can prepare the apron.

While those familiar with the custom asked for respect, many were not convinced on Weibo.

“This is humiliation,” said one person, while another added: “I haven’t heard of this custom. Stop lying.”

“Does anyone believe their explanation? I really can’t,” wrote another.

Stories about quirky wedding customs are not uncommon in China.

At the beginning of this year, a public outcry erupted after a bride in eastern China sat on a flat basket for five hours in a special fortune-telling ritual aimed at honing her temper.

While in November last year, a family in southwest China made their unmarried 25-year-old son hide from his younger brother on his wedding day to avoid bad luck.

 - SCMP