The traditional Thai New Year, Songkran ("Songkran" is the translation of Sanskrit), also known as the "Water Festival", is celebrated from April 13th to 16th of each year in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is held from April 13th to 16th in the Gregorian calendar. During the festival, people carry or cart huge Buddha statues, followed by a float with a made-up "Songkran goddess", and groups of young men and women dressed in brightly colored national costumes, beating long drums and singing and dancing. On both sides of the road where the procession passes by, good men and women walk along the road, using a silver bowl containing water soaked with shell leaves and oozing with spices to throw water on the Buddha statue and the "Songkran Goddess", praying for a happy New Year and good weather, and then people sprinkle water on each other, wishing their elders a long and healthy life, wishing their relatives and friends a lucky New Year, and unmarried young people, men and women, use the water to throw water on the statue. Unmarried young men and women, then splash water to show their love for each other. On the first day of the New Year, Thai people put a basin of water on the window sill and the door, and all families go to the rivers in the countryside to take a New Year's bath. In order to celebrate the New Year, the Thai people held in the scale of the "Elephant Race Conference", the contents of: human elephant tug-of-war, jumping elephants to pick up things, elephant across the human body, elephant soccer, the ancient Elephant Formation show, and so on. It is very exciting and moving.
Egypt and
Egypt is an ancient civilization, 40 BC, the Egyptians were able to observe the stars, they found that Sirius and the sun rose together, the Nile River water rose immediately. Egypt to the Nile River rise this day as the beginning of the New Year. Known as the "New Year of the rising water" Egyptian Krut people to welcome the New Year, put a table in front of the door, seven or eight plates for soybeans, lentils, alfalfa and wheat particles, as well as a number of small shoots of green plants, which symbolizes abundance. The more things were offered to the gods, the greater the harvest of the New Year. The Egyptian New Year was in the fall, because agricultural production in Egypt began in the fall.
Germany
Germany's New Year is celebrated for a week before and after. During this time, every house is decorated with a fir tree and a koa tree, with silk flowers tied between the leaves, to indicate that spring is in full bloom. The Germans climb into their chairs at midnight on New Year's Eve, moments before the New Year's Eve, and when the bell rings, they jump out of their chairs and throw a heavy object behind the back of the chair to show that they are shaking off the scourge and jumping into the New Year. Children form bands, dress in new clothes, carry harmoniums and accordions, and parade through the streets playing. Adults are holding colorful flags, followed by shouting and singing, celebrating the New Year, the German women in the New Year to improvise a family theme of comedy sketches. In Germany, there is a New Year's custom in the countryside ---- "Tree Climbing Competition", where young men compete to climb up a bare tree, and the first place winner is known as the "New Year's Hero" to show that he is rising higher and higher in every step. The first place is known as the "New Year's Hero" to show that it is the best.
India
India from October 31 every year for the New Year **** 5 days, the fourth day for New Year's Day. On the first day of the New Year, no one is allowed to be angry with anyone, much less lose their temper. Some areas of India, the morning of New Year's Day, families crying, everyone's face with tears, they to the passing of the years, life is short, with crying to welcome the New Year, is the lament of life. Some areas of the people to fast for a day and a night to meet the new year, from the early morning of New Year's Day until midnight. Because of this strange custom, India's New Year's Day is known as "crying New Year's Day", "fasting New Year's Day". Indians in the New Year's Day before 5 days, all over the Indian epic "Ramayana", (meaning the procession of the Rama), played the epic hero and paper giants "combat", "hero" triggered a fire arrow, the paper giants will be in the audience's cheers! Before New Year's Eve, every house is decorated with beautiful pictures. On the morning of New Year's Day, people carry small refined lamps and red powder packets, and go out to pay New Year's greetings to the elderly and their relatives and friends. After meeting and saying goodbye, they put red powder on each other's foreheads to show good luck and happiness. Young people put red ink into the water gun, shot to friends and relatives, known as "sprinkle red", said auspicious. Indian young people like to meet in the New Year, regardless of familiarity, hand-to-hand combat. The onlookers called the wind to help the wind, often become the object of the girl's pursuit. Indigenous peoples of central India Bohil people, in celebration of the New Year, in the playground erected a smooth thick wooden pole, the top of the pole with a small bag of gifts, the girls holding the Harvest Bamboo pole to try to block to the pole to climb to the boy Wei Zi, the boys are under the pole into a circle, efforts to defend the girls on the pole-climber's attack until the pole-climber to capture the small bag until the victory.
Iran
Iran follows the Islamic calendar, which has irregular seasons and months. In Iran, to celebrate the New Year is to celebrate the arrival of spring, often in late March of the calendar, New Year's Day to be celebrated for a week, people flocked to the streets to build a "bonfire" - "night fire", and then the whole family in turn from the night fire jumping to and fro, that burns off the The whole family then jumps on the fire in order to burn away the "bad luck" and usher in the light to drive away evil spirits and diseases, and happiness will last forever. New Year's Eve to eat "seven dishes", the name of each dish should start with the letter "S", for good luck. From the first to the third day of the New Year, people visit friends and relatives to wish each other a happy Spring Festival. On the last day of the New Year, the whole family goes on a trek to avoid evil.
Japan
The Japanese attach special importance to New Year's Day, which is a national vacation from December 29 to January 3 every year. The Japanese call December 31st "Daikoi Day", which is also known as New Year's Eve. On the night of New Year's Eve, the Japanese call it "New Year's Eve", and on New Year's Eve, they pray to the gods for blessings to send away the troubles of the old year and usher in a beautiful new year, which is called "Hatsu Atsui". At midnight on New Year's Eve, temples in cities and towns ring 108 bells to drive away evil, while Japanese people sit quietly and listen to the "New Year's Eve bells," the sound of which signals the arrival of the New Year. People then leave their seats and go to bed, hoping to get a good dream. On the morning of New Year's Day, family members sit together and tell each other the dreams they had on New Year's Eve, in order to measure good and bad luck. The Japanese call the first day of New Year's Day "Shoichi", and the 1st - 3rd days "Sangaichi". On the first day of New Year's Day, the younger generation must first go to their parents to pay respects to their parents, and then go to the home of friends and relatives to pay respects to New Year's Day. New Year's Day is also a "food" festival, and people of all countries eat their own national food to pray for good luck. In Japan, on the day of the "main day", breakfast is very rich, eating sugar carrots, buckwheat noodles, etc., and drinking tsukudani. Thereafter, for three days in a row, they eat vegetarian, as a sign of piety, and pray for good luck in the coming year. Now most Japanese townspeople have given up New Year's vegetarian uniform habit, instead of "New Year's Eve" to eat a meal of hollow noodles, in order to wish in the new year, health and longevity.
North Korea
North Korea, like China, in the New Year, there are also windowpane stickers, peach symbols of the uniform custom. The North Koreans put up couplets and New Year's paintings in every house on New Year's Day. Some people put the portrait of the god of longevity or a fairy on the door to pray for heaven's blessing, drive away ghosts and give happiness. At dawn on New Year's Day, people stuffed some banknotes into the scarecrows pre-tied on New Year's Eve and threw them to the crossroads to send away evil and welcome the lucky star. At dusk, people also burn the hair of the whole family that has fallen off during the year, wishing the family peace in all seasons. On New Year's Day, Korean women wear new clothes. On New Year's Day, young girls wear a kind of hemp hat called "Boksang" and colorful clothes with floral patterns, and have a swinging competition. They take a tree flower as the target, see who first kicked or bit to win. There is also a competition in which copper bells are hung on a high place and the winner is the one who touches the bells first. During the New Year, in addition to enjoying fine food and wine, Koreans must also make a sweet rice made of glutinous rice with pine nuts, chestnut powder, date paste and honey, which is similar to our country's eight treasures rice, to herald the prosperity of the family, the days are as sweet as honey.
Britain
In Britain, the New Year's Day in the Gregorian calendar is not as grand as Christmas, but on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, or according to local customs to carry out a variety of celebratory activities in order to show that the old to welcome the new. British late at night on New Year's Eve, often with cakes and wine to visit, they do not knock on the door, went straight into the home of friends and relatives. According to the British custom, after New Year's Eve, the first person to step into the house, heralding the luck of the new year. If the first guest is a dark-haired man, or a happy, happy and wealthy person, the host will be lucky all year round. If the first guest is a woman with light yellow hair, or a sad, poor, unfortunate person, the host will have bad luck in the new year, and will encounter difficulties and disasters. New Year's Eve in the home of friends and relatives as guests, before talking to the fireplace fire, to rattle, bless the host "open the door to good luck". British New Year's celebrations are mostly held on New Year's Eve fire night, "New Year's Eve Banquet", is one of them, this kind of banquet is divided into "family banquets" and "group banquets" two kinds of banquets, banquets usually The banquet usually starts at 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve and ends in the early hours of New Year's Day. Various kinds of wine, food and snacks are provided for people to drink all night long. At midnight, people turn on their radios and listen to the New Year's bells of the church bells. When the bells ring, people are in a state of jubilation, raising their glasses to toast, cheering, and singing "Daylight of the Past". The "New Year's Eve Ball" is another celebration. By local inns and dances, the night falls. People dressed in festive costumes, from all directions to these brilliantly decorated and lighted dance floor, dancing in the beautiful music, thousands of people, but also gathered to the various squares, around the center of the square's fountains and Eros elephant, singing and dancing, and enjoy the revelry. Television stations also do live broadcasts in the square, so that the people in the home "to observe the New Year" also **** enjoy the joy.
Customs and traditions
Tibetans
Each ethnic group has its own unique culture and habits, and the Tibetans are an ancient and passionate people who have formed their own habits and taboos throughout their long history.
1, when two long-time friends greet or chat with each other, your hands can't be on each other's shoulders.
2, you can't cross or step on other people's clothes, or put your own clothes on other people's clothes, or cross over people.
3. Women drying their clothes, especially pants, and underwear must not be dried where everyone passes by.
4. You must not whistle or cry loudly in the house.
5. You can't sweep the floor or take out the garbage at noon or after sunset or on the first day of the Tibetan New Year when your family is out of town or when guests have just left.
6. Outsiders are not allowed to mention the name of a deceased person in front of his or her relatives.
7. Work that should be completed this year cannot be left until next year, such as twisting wool, weaving sweaters, carpets and so on.
8, dusk, can not just go to people's homes, especially when people will have a pregnant woman in labor and just gave birth to a woman in labor or a seriously ill person, strangers can not go.
9. After noon, one must not take out any of the family's possessions.
10. A stranger who goes to the big mountains and cliffs and canyons that you have never been to before cannot make a loud noise.
11, you can't cross or step on eating utensils, pots and pans, ladle and basin.
12. If two people go out at the same time and in opposite directions, they cannot leave the house at the same time, but must go out before and after and at different times.
13. Women are not allowed to comb and wash their hair at night, nor are they allowed to go out with their hair draped over their heads.
14. When using brooms and dustpans, they must not be passed directly from hand to hand, but must first be placed on the ground and then picked up from the ground by another person.
15, whenever friends and relatives come to your home to visit or visit you, will take some ghee tea or barley wine and other items as a gift to you, the guests before leaving to vacate the things, can not be all empty, you must leave a little in the inside or change a little of their own things loaded.
16, chipped or cracked bowls can not be used to eat, and can not pour tea for guests.
Yi
Yi torch festival, also known as the Yi year. In the eyes of the Yi people, fire symbolizes light, justice, prosperity, and a powerful force capable of destroying all evil. The Torch Festival is a festival of joy, love and happiness for the Yi people.
On the origin of the Torch Festival, there are many beautiful and touching stories circulating in the folklore of the Yi areas in different provinces, one of which says: a long time ago, the sky and the earth were connected. One year, the god of the sky, Siti Gujia, sent Siti Abi to the earth to collect taxes. Due to the disaster on earth and crop failure, people can not afford to pay the rent, the earth there is a can eat copper and iron Hercules Othi Laba tax collector Sijia Abi killed. The gods were furious and first sent a flood to drown the people on earth, but the flood was overcome by the people. But the flood was overcome by the people. The gods then released all kinds of pests to the earth to eat the people's crops, and Othiraba and his group gathered around a fire pit to discuss a cure for the pests, and inadvertently found that a pest that fell into the fire pit was quickly burned to death. Thus, the Russian body Raba organized the group to raise the torch burning insects, and ultimately defeated the pests, captured a good harvest. Over time, it became a custom and formed the Yi Torch Festival. The Yi Torch Festival is usually celebrated for three days, the first day of which the whole family gathers and eats wine to congratulate. People cook the meat of livestock and cut it into heaps to sacrifice to the gods and ancestors, and then use it to drink wine. In the evening, torches are burned to light the prairie, which usually lasts for three nights. People's emotions are very enthusiastic. People take the village as a unit, holding up torches around the village and the fields to light prairie, as if a thousand fire dragons flying. The next day and the third day, the torch festival into the climax, the whole Liangshan boiling. The young men put on their national costumes and wrapped their headscarves with heroes' knots; the women wore pleated skirts and gathered on the vast grassy dams to engage in all kinds of traditional sports competitions. The boys engage in wrestling, horse racing, and archery competitions, while the women sing, dance, and play the mouth harp.
In some areas, during the festival, pigs and goats are sacrificed to the gods; in some areas, a chicken is slaughtered and sacrificed to the "Tian Gong Di Mu" in the fields. People believe that the torch can drive away ghosts and evil spirits, so after lighting the torch to go from door to door to light prairie, while walking on the fire sprinkled with rosin, people call it "send the evil spirits". Undoubtedly, this is the remains of the ancient concept of fire worship.
Torch festival, the most lively place to count the bullfighting arena. Bullfighting is not only a kind of recreational activity, but also a good way to choose the good breed of cattle, which is very positive for agriculture and livestock production. Whose cow wins in the competition means that the young cattle breeder is a hard-working animal husbandry expert, and is often a good object for the girls to choose their spouses. Wrestling is another activity that attracts spectators in the Torch Festival. Two people wrestling, ten thousand people gathered to, family and friends, all come to cheer. Before and after the match, the onlookers play the mouth harp for the girls, and the boys play the moon zither to show their love and admiration.
"Beauty contest" is unique. The "beauty contest" is judged by a respected senior citizen. After the referee announced the start of the "beauty contest", the Yi girls who took part in the contest formed a circle, the latter pulling the former in the hands of the hanapa, while walking and singing beautiful and moving folk songs. This is the place where most of the young men gather to watch, and they are also the most generous. When the boys think that a girl is the fittest, they will give their gifts to the judges and ask them to pass them on to the girl on their behalf. The referee declares the girl who has received the most gifts to be the most beautiful. When the girl who was elected as the beautiful girl came out of the meeting with many gifts on her back and a reddish haze on her face, her friends and relatives gathered around to express their congratulations; the young men even gathered around the girl, tinkling and strumming the moon-lute to express their own heartfelt feelings.
On the fourth day, a handful of people swept up the ashes of the torches and sacrificed them with wine and meat for good luck.