The traditional festivals of the Miao people include the Miao New Year, April 8, the Dragon Boat Festival, the New Eating Festival, and the Catch the Autumn Festival, etc., of which the celebration of the Miao New Year is the grandest. The Miao New Year is equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han Chinese, and is usually held after the fall. In the morning of the festival, people will do a good job of delicious food set up on the stove by the fire to sacrifice to their ancestors, and wipe wine on the nose of the cow to show their appreciation for their hard work for a year. Young men and women in full costume dance the Stomping Hall Dance.
The Year of the Miao
The Year of the Miao is a traditional festival in which the Miao people of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou Province and Rongshui Miao Autonomous County in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region celebrate a good harvest and pray for good weather in the coming year. It is usually held after the harvesting season, some on the Ohi day in October of the lunar calendar, and some on the Mao (rabbit) day or the U (ox) day in the ninth, tenth and eleventh months of the lunar calendar. It is equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han Chinese.
On the morning of the festival, the younger generation will do a good job of delicious food, piously placed on the stove by the fire to offer ancestors. Some wine is rubbed on the nose of the ox as a reward for its hard work throughout the year. The girls, dressed in brightly colored, differently styled, embroidered or embroidered batik dresses and pants, or long and short pleated skirts, and wearing eye-catching earrings, bracelets, and other silver ornaments, and the handsome young men dance the Stomping Dance (men play the Lusheng and women dance in an arc). At night, the sound of big copper drums spreads throughout the village. Outside the village young men carrying horse lanterns and playing flutes came to the village near the "Yufang" field to go to Yufang (also known as "sitting sister", "sitting village", "stepping on the moon", etc., i.e. young men and women). " and so on, that is, young men and women's social love activities), villages and cottages singing constantly. Through the song, the love of men and women will be by the love object - embroidered with mandarin ducks of the brocade flower belt connected together.
If the Year of the Miao meets the Year of the Eat Drum Tibetan, it is even more grand "drum" for the meaning of "big family", "drum Tibetan "is held by the family people *** with the ancestor worship ceremony, held once a number of years, seven or eight years, ten years. "Drum Tibetan" before the "drum Tibetan" cattle (for the drum Tibetan God fed three years of the big bullock) line up to fight. At that time, we elected the "drum Tibetan head" a host ceremony, kill cattle ancestor, but also kill chickens and ducks. The whole drum of relatives have to come to participate in the activities lasted more than ten days.
Eating New Festival
Also called "New Harvest Festival". "It is one of the festivals of the Miao people who live in the middle and upper reaches of the Qingshui and Duliu rivers. There is no standardized date. It is customary to find a field with the best rice growth during the harvest season and celebrate the "Eat New Festival" here. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was no grain on earth, but only grain in the state of grain in the sky, which was controlled by Sue Hoo (Lei Gong), and people had to hunt for a living. In order to get the grain seed, the Miao's old ancestor first surao took nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine kinds of rare birds and beasts to the grain country for nine buckets and nine liters and nine bowls of grain seed, put in the warehouse, and so on the next year, the beginning of the spring sowing. But one night, A Wuyou, who had very long and long arms, with his hands grasping the sky, stepped on a stone and pounded fern roots by the light of a sky lantern, and accidentally knocked the lantern over, which happened to fall onto the roof of the wooden plank warehouse. As a result, a fire started, which got bigger and bigger, and the grain seeds cried out in the barn, and finally flew up to the sky on the smoke and ran back to the house of Sue Hoo. Gulaw went to Gulhoo and asked him to persuade the grain seed to return, but Gulhoo insisted that the grain seed had not gone up to the sky. But he insisted that the grain seed had not gone up to the sky. With no other choice, Gulaw discussed with Gulaw and Gulaw again, and took 9,999 kinds of rare birds and animals to exchange for the grain seed. After nine layers of skin had been worn out and his voice had been dried up, Sue Hoo refused to agree. After thinking for nine days and nine nights, Sue Hoo finally came up with a plan: when the grain is ripe, send a dog to the paddy field to play a few rolls, so that the grain is stained on the fur to bring back. On the morning of July 13th of the ancient calendar, the dog was about to set off, and the surau was again confided in: to take the grain stalks were five feet high, and the ears were five feet long. But because the dog walked too fast, to the south gate, accidentally tripped and fell, the confession of the words reversed, the result is to run into only five inches long rice paddy, hastily rolled a few back to run. The strategy was recognized by the defendant Hue, when the dog went to the bridge, the sue Hue early sent ninety-nine strong warriors to guard the bridge, they knocked the dog down to the Tianhe River, they thought the Tianhe River is wide and deep, the dog is only one way to die. But they never thought, the dog fell into the sky river after hurrying to the tail high exposed to the water, after nine oxen and two tigers strength, swim across the sky river back, the tail is also stained with nine grain seed. Sue Lau has a grain seed, quickly plowed and withdrawn the seed, to the ancient calendar June 6 this day, the tip of the seedling extracted a string of dog tail like the ears of grain, a month later, the golden ears of grain ripened. On the 13th day of the 7th month of the ancient calendar, it was the day of obtaining grain seeds for a year, and on this day, Sue Law picked nine liters of grain and cooked a big pot of fragrant white rice. He scooped up three large bowls for the dogs to eat before tasting the new one himself. The rest of the grain seeds were sown year after year, so that all the people ate white rice. In order to remember the day when the grain seeds were taken, the 13th of July was designated as the New Eating Festival, which has been passed down. On the day of the festival, every family uses the new grain to cook, the day just breaks, people will bring the new rice, wine, chicken, duck, fish, meat to the field, after sacrificing the ancestors, the feast begins, everyone forms a circle, each person will raise the hand of the wine cup to the lips of the next, the old man gave an order, everyone cheered three times in succession, then each other to toast and wine, drink it all. All of a sudden, the sound of laughter echoed in the fields, and the traditional cultural and sports activities such as singing, stepping on ponds and jumping on the lusheng began until dusk.
April 8
The eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar is a traditional festival of the Miao people near Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, in honor of the ancient hero "Yanu". Legend has it that long, long ago, the Hmong people lived a happy, fulfilling and well-fed life in the affluent area of Gerogesang (near present-day Guiyang). In order to resist the attack of the ruler's soldiers, the resourceful leader "Yanu" led the people to fight valiantly and dealt a heavy blow to the invaders, but was outnumbered and unfortunately sacrificed his life on the eighth day of the fourth month, and was buried in the "Jia Bashi" (near the fountain of Guiyang City today). In order to commemorate the "Yanu" martyrdom, so far every lunar April 8, dressed in festive costumes of the Miao people, from all directions to gather in Guiyang City, next to the fountain assembly.
Then, the fountain by the red flags, people such as the tide, playing the sheng playing flute, singing love, playing lion, playing dragon lantern, playing ball, than the martial arts lively and extraordinary. The young men's lusheng competition is interesting, they play the lusheng while doing fast spinning, short steps, inverted and other skills. At night, the city of Guiyang and the fountain area is as bright as day, singing and dancing everywhere, a joyful scene.
The April 8 event is also widely practiced among the Miao people in Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou.
Boat Creek Lusheng Festival
The Miao people who live in the boat creek area of Kaili. The Lusheng Festival is held from the 16th to the 20th day of the first month of the lunar calendar. The Lusheng Hall is located on the sandy dam of the river beside Zhouxi Jingkan. Early in the morning of the sixteenth day of the first month, several presided over the reed-song hall of the old man, carrying a reed-song to the well to view the inscription, read: "blowing the sheng pick the moon, is my Miao people thousands of years of prevalence of recreational activities. Every new year in the first month, all over the world have to follow suit, to entertainment and congratulate the new year, more I Miao free match marriage good time ......" read after pouring out the gourd of rice wine, first in the tablet and lusheng hall in the center, spraying wine a few mouths, each and drink a big mouth, blowing the first luzhu song; at this time with the silver flower jewelry, dressed in At this time the girls and young men with silver jewelry and colorful festival dresses danced to the melodious tunes. The young men ask for flower ribbons from their sweethearts, and the girls tie the ribbons to the reed-pipe of the young man they like. Three days passed, and the young men and women each found a partner of their choice. At this time, the old man who presides over the Lusheng Hall still carries rice wine on his back and sprays rice wine on the monument and the Lusheng Hall. A straw marker is inserted in the center of the hall. Thereafter, the lusheng is hung high until the grains are returned to the barn and the "Miao Year" in the lunar calendar, when it can be taken down and blown until the Lusheng Festival. The fourth day is the Spring Festival, young couples, free to talk and sing, mingling feelings, send each other a token.
Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival is the twenty-fourth to twenty-seventh day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar every year, when 10,000 people in full costume, gathered at the riverside, to participate in the sacrifice before the departure of the dragon boat activities. The race begins, dozens of dragon boats break the waves, the two sides of the gongs and drums, salutes, the audience shouting the sky and the earth. The shore also held songs, dancing Lusheng dance and other activities. In the night, the afterglow, young men and women get together to sing, pouring out their true feelings.
Fishing Festival
The Fishing Festival is a festival of the Miao people on the banks of the Dumu River and the Nanming River in central Guizhou. The Dumu River originates in the Yunwu Mountains and flows northward in Guizhou to the junction of Yuli and Fulei where it joins the Nanming River and then flows northward into the Wu River. The festival started as a rain festival in which the Miao people prayed for rain from the Dragon King at the riverside when they needed water for sowing and transplanting rice seedlings, but it gradually evolved into a fishing festival over the years.
The period of the festival varies from place to place, from March to June, by the village good fishing and have the prestige of the "fishing head" agreed. At that time, young and strong men are to go to the mountains to collect leaves for the "haunted medicine", to the river haunted fish fishing, women at home to prepare bacon, sausage, glutinous rice and wine. At noon, the whole family dresses up and carries wine and meat to the river for a meal. After the meal, the men play the reed-sheng. The women sing songs and have fun. Only when the sun sets do they go home with fresh fish and hold another banquet for their friends and relatives or gift them with fish.
Eating Faith Festival
Eating Faith Festival is a festival of the Miao people around Baozhai in Hejiang County, Guizhou Province, which lasts for four days and is celebrated on the "Faith" (E) Day in the sixth month of the Lunar Calendar every year (calculated according to the dry-branch chronology). At that time, the Miao girls married to other countries, extremely well groomed, dressed like flowers and brocade dresses, wearing a full range of silver ornaments, full of "loaded" holiday gifts, trekking home to visit their parents and relatives. During the festival, the whole cottage jubilation, drums and music, blowing up the Lusheng, dancing, everywhere overflowing with the joy of the festival. The foot of Baigariya Mountain and the bank of Ongya River are crowded with people. Bullfighting, birdfighting, jumping lusheng, tug-of-war, ball games and other competitions, cheering one after another. Young men and women in love are invited to the woods and the streams to sing songs to each other and tell each other how much they love each other.
Flower Mountain Festival
Flower Mountain Festival, also known as "stamping on the flower mountain", "play flower mountain" or. "Treading Mountain", also known as "Jumping Field" or "Peach Blossom", is a grand festival of the Miao people in western and central Guizhou Province, southeastern Yunnan Province and southern Sichuan Province. The date varies, some in the first month of the lunar calendar, some in May, June and late August. Before the festival, several Miao villages jointly produce flower mountain will be the three-person leadership group, re-election for three years, seven years, twelve years ranging from flower farms in the terrain of the flat Feng Shui treasure.
Then, dressed in holiday attire "flower field", lanterns hanging high, colorful flags flying. The flower poles are standing. Wearing a pair of lapel short clothes, head wrapped in green cloth, waist to the big city belt of men and dressed in festive attire, well-groomed women, blowing the lusheng, blowing na, beating the drum, singing and dancing, from all directions gathered at the venue. The Lusheng Dance runs through the beginning and end of the festival, the Song Race is the main program of the festival, and the Pole Climbing Competition attracts the most attention. Lion dances, martial arts competitions, bullfights and horse races vary from place to place, or both. Lusheng dance gives a relaxed and lively feeling, brightly dressed girls and young men dancing with the melody of the lusheng, there are several men lined up, blowing while dancing, the girls around the lusheng team, jumping in a circle; there are young men blowing the sheng in front of the girl's joint arms in the back of the vertical dance, or the whole field of hundreds of people with the music and dance, song and dance, it is exciting to the spirit of the people. Lion dance activities are interesting, hanging a pig's head (or a chicken), two bottles of wine at the top of the standing flower pole, the lion dance after the competition to climb the flower cup. Flower cup is made of a peeled pine tree, high and slippery and thin, to win is very difficult, people often use the human ladder to pick the victory. Climbing the flower pole performance is the most rich in national characteristics. Performers play the sheng, while dancing around the pole. A harrier on the turn on the pole, head down, legs crossed tightly strung pole hanging upside down, playing the reed sheng, a carp hit the back, the body inverted one hundred and eighty degrees, the cycle of repetition has been climbing to the top of the pole debut. The performer hangs upside down with his feet clamped on the flower pole. Blowing the reed fungus down, a few feet from the ground, a somersault flip down, light and free, race over the skills of gymnasts, won the applause of the audience. Women's performance of hemp threading competition, interesting, the competition rolling hemp rope, threading the needle quality, speed. The crystallization of hard work, wisdom for them to bring joy to the festival. Huashan will be young men and women's social opportunities, love of the girl will be the young man opened the flower umbrella close to each other, snuggled up, confiding in each other. Huashan will be everywhere filled with the atmosphere of the program, full of sincere friendship, pure love.
Chopping Mars Festival
Traditional festival of the Miao people. Popular in Guizhou Guanling area. The content of the festival is mainly to stipulate the rules of the township. The timing of the festival varies according to different surnames. Roughly, it varies from July, August and September 27th. Once a year, according to the people in the clan, take turns on duty, the duty year is responsible for convening everyone to discuss township rules and related major events, and then the duty year family should prepare wine and kill chickens, invite everyone to drink "Heshin Wine", and give the head of the chicken to the next duty year. When the cycle turns to whoever is in charge of the year, they will hold the gathering and drink the "heart wine" at whoever is in charge of the year.
The Hakka Year
The Hakka Year of the Miao is the Spring Festival. On the evening of the 30th day of the Lunar Calendar, families get together and are not allowed to be disturbed by outsiders. They use a half-covered door to set off firecrackers to show that no one is allowed to enter at this time. Early in the morning on the first day, they continue to set off firecrackers to honor their ancestors and get rid of evil. People with two hands to do rail cattle, stop the shape of the sheep, the mouth said: "drive cattle, drive sheep ......" to show that the six animals flourish, and then eat the New Year's dinner. Beginning of the second year dressed in full costume Miao people walk around the countryside, congratulate each other on the holiday. Hospitable hosts to the guests to toast three cups of wine. Every house is filled with the joy of the festival. Young men and women gather on the lawns in front of villages and villages, play the lusheng, play the moon zither, dance and sing, and in some places hold activities such as "stepping on the mountain of flowers" and "and cattle".
Drying Bridge Festival
The traditional festival of Zhaitou in the Miao township of Sanxiu County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, is also known as "February 2nd". Legend has it that the people of Zhaitou originally lived in Yimu Mountain, and because of the fertile land in Zhaitou, the whole village moved into Zhaitou together. On the day of the move, the dragon should also follow the move, but the water of the Shiping River blocked the way of the dragon, so the Walled City's Guru (elders) discussed and decided to build a bridge to bring the dragon, because the dragon symbolizes good luck and happiness. The whole village twelve houses to receive, so the bridge was built twelve piers. The bridge was repaired and named "Dragon Bridge", the bridge is built on the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, in order to commemorate this day, every year this day, the head of the twelve Hmong houses lift a pig, slaughtered on the bridge.
Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the "Dragon Boat Festival", is a traditional festival of the Miao people in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province, Songtao Miao Autonomous Prefecture and Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, generally held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
Then, on the banks of the Qingshui River, colorful flags fluttering, people such as the sea, song such as the tide, dozens of decorated green, red, yellow dragon boat lined up, parked in the race to the starting line. The flags of "good wind and rain" and "good harvest" were "clattering" in the wind. Thirty to forty athletes on each boat, wearing short jacket with lapel, embroidered belt at the waist, pants with dungarees, and delicate hats, were all in high spirits and on standby. Respected drummers and handsome teenagers beat the drums and shouting, commanding the dragon boat marching on the wide river, the dragon boat like a flying arrow off the string, both sides of the cheers, applause resounded through the sky. Competition is over, male and female youth with the lusheng, blowing na, bamboo flute, mango tube, moon qin, wood leaves and other music and dance. Horse-racing, bullfighting, drum-stomping and "touring" activities are held in conjunction with each other, adding to the rich atmosphere of the festival. During the festival, married women return to their mother's home with loads of chickens, ducks and brown poop to visit.
Sisters Festival
Traditional festival of the Miao people. Popular in the Miao region of Qiandongnan, Guizhou Province. Every spring, the Miao women there will have a "Sisters Festival" and eat a meal of "Sisters Rice". On the morning of the festival, the girls in the village go to the fields to catch fish and prepare the "Sisters' Rice", and no matter which field they go to catch fish, they will be welcomed. After the women have eaten the "Sister Rice", they each bring their own colorful sticky rice and go to the square field to find young men to sing songs with. The young men must win the song in order to get the rice. In addition to the songs, women can participate in all kinds of recreational activities. The married girls also go back to their mother's home to celebrate the "Sisters' Festival".
Climbing Festival
The Miao climbing festival, also known as the "climbing festival", formed so far has a history of thousands of years, every year in the second half of March of the lunar calendar in the "Horse Day" (the ancient use of twelve Chinese zodiac signs to remember the day), that is, the 19th day of March of the lunar calendar. The festival is held on the 19th day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. At that time, the Miao people living in the Kaili area of Southeast Guizhou gather on the incense burner mountain, where they sing songs and fight with the birds, a sea of songs and people, bustling with excitement. Young men and women sing while climbing along the winding mountain paths to the top of the mountain. All the way to the spring breeze all the way song, the Miao fly song, love song, wine song, ancient song sprinkled all over the hillside, the first to reach the top of the mountain is known as "climbing hero", by everyone's respect. The first to reach the top of the mountain is known as the "climbing hero" and is respected by everyone. He is favored by the girls. Legend has it that the Xiangfu Mountain Climbing Festival commemorates the Hmong's handsome young man, A Tinker, and the Jade Emperor's youngest daughter, Abel. The Jade Emperor's youngest daughter, Abel, longed for a free life on earth and flew down the mountaintop to marry and have three daughters with the smart, capable, loyal and kind-hearted Tonic. One day at dawn, the whole family was happy when the rooster crowed for the first time. The Jade Emperor stipulates that every day when the rooster crows three times is the time of pilgrimage, and if Abel can't get there in time, there will be a great disaster. Anxious as fire, Abel ran towards the sky at the top of the mountain and collapsed the top of Fragrant Furnace Mountain by one foot. Without the top of the mountain, Abel could no longer descend to the earth, and the Jade Emperor, who could not enjoy the incense on earth without the top of the mountain, punished Abel by turning him into an incense burner for the purpose of burning incense. In order to commemorate the faithful love between Abel and Atsubo, the Miao people have an annual climbing festival on the day Atsubo turns into an incense burner.
The Fish Killing Festival
The Miao people who live in the Guiding area of Guizhou Province have a fish killing festival on the ninth day of the third month of the lunar calendar every year. On this day, the people get up early and come to the river, fork up the fresh fish in the river, cook them and eat them by the river, singing songs and blowing Lujian while eating them, wishing for good weather and good harvests.
The Onion Festival
It is a gathering of Miao youth in Wengpaipo, Baoding County, western Hunan. Legend has it that a long time ago, Ada, the daughter of a native official of the Miao village of Laobizi, fell in love with Iwano, a Miao cattle herder of Ramsha. The land official was furious and said, "How can a phoenix bird **** its nest with a pegged sparrow?" Iwano's old man also advised Iwano: "The honeysuckle flower and the ground cabbage can't share the same heart." Adajia was locked in the hammock and could not go out. Every day at dusk, Yannuo drove his cows home and ran from Ramsha to Laobizhai to see his beloved girl. The girl, who had lost her freedom, sang: "The kingfisher is locked in a bamboo cage, but the flowers on the mountain are all I care about. The bird looks forward to the flower, the flower looks forward to the bird, and the bird meets only after the Qingming Festival." "Qingming Caiqing" is a Hmong girl on the day of Qingming, picking gourd onions on the mountain, to seek the blessing of the mountain gods. Iwano understood the meaning of the girl, busy singing: "Pulling down the tree's vine rolled in the ground miles, the vine is also withered leaves are also withered good lonely miles, looking forward to the Qingming, the spring rain miles, entangled in the village and then not away miles." Qingming this day, the two men left home early, just walking in the thick green Ong Pai slope met. Their love for each other touched the HULU Onion Fairy Goddess, which led to their beautiful marriage. Therefore, every year during the Ching Ming Festival, young Miao women put on their festive dresses, bring along the steamed "Ching Ming Ba Ba", hold the onion knife in their hands, and young men hold sand knives, and gather on the slope of Ong Pai to sing songs and choose their spouses. This is the annual "onion picking party".
Drum Festival
This is the traditional ancestral festival of the Miao people. The festival is held for twelve years and six or seven years respectively. Legend has it that the mother of mankind, "Meibong Meiliu", was born from the heart of the maple tree, and after their deaths they had to go back to the maple tree, and the souls of the dead had to go back to their old homes before they could rest in peace. The ancestral home is in the heart of the tree, and the wooden drum symbolizes the resting place of the ancestors. Later, when the ancestors were sacrificed, the word "ancestor sacrifice" was changed to "drum sacrifice". Nowadays, sacrificing drums means sacrificing ancestors. The drum festival is held on the basis of a unit called "Reiryo," which is a clan of blood relatives passed down from the first ancestor, and they worship a wooden drum in which the soul of the ancestor is believed to reside. On the day of the drum festival, each family prepares a buffalo, or several families can prepare one, or buy some beef. First, the bulls are released to fight, and the scene is spectacular with hundreds of bulls fighting together, and then they are slaughtered to honor the offerings. According to custom, whether it is to celebrate friends and relatives, but also to see the bullfighting guests, passing vendors, all stay, are not allowed to go, the more people, the owner of the face of the more colorful. Jumping flower festival
Traditional festival of the Miao people. Popular in the Guanling area of Guizhou. This is the longest and largest festival of the Miao people in the Guanling area. It is said to be an entertainment extravaganza for couples who have not had children for many years. Now it goes far beyond that. The program is mostly held in the first month and lasts for about three days. During the day, playing the lusheng and mouth string, singing and dancing. In the evening, songs are sung, love is talked about, and old people gather around bonfires to drink and talk. Participants sometimes tens of thousands of people, men and women, young and old, competing for the meeting.