1. Tibetan Calendar Year
The determination of the Tibetan calendar year is closely related to the use of the Tibetan calendar, the official use of which began more than nine hundred and fifty years ago, in the year of the dingmao of the Lunar Calendar (A.D. 1027). Since then, the usage of the Tibetan calendar has been inherited.
The Tibetan New Year is a traditional Tibetan festival. It begins on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar every year and lasts from three to five days. At the beginning of December on the Tibetan calendar, people begin to prepare for the New Year's Eve, and every household soaks barley seeds in a water basin to cultivate seedlings. In mid-December, each household successively with ghee and white flour fried oil 馃 (Kasai), oil 馃zi a lot of types, there are ear-shaped "Gou over", there is a long "Naxia", there is a round, "Bru! "There are many different kinds of oil zhangzi. Close to the end of the year, each family should prepare a colorful drawings of the rectangular bamboo Suqima grains bucket, bucket filled with ghee mixed with tsampa, fried wheat grains, ginseng fruit and other foodstuffs, above the depiction of the green tree spikes, cocklebur flowers and ghee to do colorful flower panels. And prepare a colorful ghee shaped sheep's head. All of this has to celebrate the harvest, wishing for the coming year, the wind and rain, people and animals flourish meaning. New Year's Eve two days before the house inside and outside for cleaning, set up a new card mat, paste new year's paintings. Twenty-nine before dinner in the center of the stove room wall, with dry flour sprinkled with "eight auspicious micro". On the main door with lime powder painted with symbols of eternal good luck "" symbols, indicating longevity, food abundance, years of peace. On the evening of New Year's Eve, each family sets up various kinds of food in front of the Buddha statue, and in order to have sufficient and abundant food during the festival, the whole family is busy until late at night on this evening. For dinner on this day, each family eats dough tuba (kutu). In the dough tuba, several different kinds of dough with stone, chili pepper, charcoal, wool and other sandwiches are made, and each kind of sandwich has a saying: stone indicates a hard heart, charcoal indicates a black heart, chili peppers indicate that the mouth is like a knife, and wool indicates a soft heart. Eat these sandwiches of people, are spit out to cause laughter, to help the New Year's Eve. This is a kind of food and entertainment activities, no matter who ate what, must be spit out, which often cause laughter, adding to the festive atmosphere of joy.
To the first day, the green seedlings, oil 馃zi, sheep's head, grains bucket, etc. in the Buddha's niche on the coffee table, wishing a new year of life and food abundance. On the first day of the new year before dawn, the housewife from the river back to the "auspicious water", and then wake up the whole family, according to the generation of seated, the elders came to the grains of bucket each person to grab a few grains, thrown to the sky, said the sacrifice to the gods, and then grabbed a little bit of the order to send into the mouth. Thereafter, the elders in order to wish "Zaxi Dele" (good luck), the younger generation back to congratulate "Zaxi Dele Peng Songtso" (good luck, merit and success). After the ceremony, they eat cereal tuba and ghee boiled ginseng fruit, followed by mutual barley wine. The first day of the general ban on sweeping, not allowed to say unlucky words, each other do not visit guests.
The second day of the family and friends to congratulate each other on the New Year's Eve, and give each other Hada. Men, women and children are dressed in the program dress, meet each other "Zahidler", "happy holidays", this activity lasts three or five days. During the Tibetan New Year, in the square or on the open grass, everyone in a circle to dance potshuang dance, string dance, in the six-stringed zither, cymbals, gongs and other musical instruments, hand in hand, person by person, step on the ground for the festival, singing and children are burning firecrackers, the whole region immersed in joy, festive and peaceful atmosphere of the festival. In the towns and villages, Tibetan opera is sung, and potshoos and string dances are performed. In pastoral areas, herdsmen light bonfires and sing and dance all night long. Folk also engage in jousting, throwing, tug-of-war, horse racing, archery and other activities.
2, bathing festival
Bathing festival, the Tibetan language is called "gama riji" (bathing), is unique to the Tibetan people's festivals, at least seven or eight hundred years of history in Tibet. In the Tibetan calendar held from July 6 to 12, lasted seven days. According to Buddhism, the Tibetan people say that the water on the Tibetan Plateau has eight advantages, i.e., one is sweet, two is cool, three is soft, four is light, five is clear, six does not stink, seven does not damage the throat, and eight does not hurt the abdomen. Therefore, July is known as the best time for bathing. At the end of summer and early fall, Wanli Plateau wind and sunshine, high clouds. Whether it is the city, the countryside or the pastoral area, men and women, young and old, the whole family out to the river and stream to celebrate the annual bathing festival. At that time, the Tibetan people carry tents and ghee tea, barley wine, tsampa and other food, have come to Lhasa River, Yarlung Zangbo River, to the Tibetan Plateau, thousands of rivers and lakes beside the competition in the water, enjoy playing in the water, swimming. They set up tents in the shade of the river bank lawn, surrounded by the tent, laying on the card mat. Elderly people wash their hair and wipe their bodies by the river, young people bathe and swim in the river, children play in the water and have water fights, at this time the women also have no qualms about bathing to their heart's content, the body and the whole family's clothes are washed and cleaned. Rest, the family sat around the tent, tasting the aromatic barley wine and fragrant ghee tea. The tent is filled with laughter. Bathing Festival these seven days, people not only come to the river every day to bathe, but also all the bedding at home to wash clean, so the bathing festival is not only the Tibetan people's favorite traditional festivals, but also once a year the most thorough, mass health activities.
3, Wang Guo Festival
Wang Guo Festival has a history of more than 1,500 years, is the traditional festival of the Tibetan people yearning for a good harvest. "Wang Guo" is a translation of the Tibetan language, "look" Tibetan meaning field, land, "fruit" means circle, meaning "around the head of the ground in a circle ". Yarlung Zangbo River in the middle reaches and the Lhasa River on both sides of the countryside, very prevalent over the "hope fruit" festival, other places also have, but the festival name makes a difference, lazhi, fixed date around, known as the "yaji", that is, comfortable summer; work around the bara snow mountain is semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral areas, known as the "gangsang". Known as " gang sang ", that is, auspicious meadow, time is almost the same, are in the crop yellow ripe, ready to open the sickle before held. Before the liberation, the Tibetans were in the "king of birds" - geese flying south before the arrival of the season to Wangguo Festival. The Wangguo Festival is an important cultural phenomenon of the Tibetan people, about its origin, rituals, ground or sexual characteristics colorful.
Legend has it that as early as the end of the 5th century A.D., the Tibetan king, Bude Gonjen, asked the god of his religion for advice on how to ensure a good grain harvest. The master of the Church, let the farmers around the field circle, by holding incense burners, holding high the flag pole of the people as a guide, by holding high the wrapped around the stick of the hatha and the right leg of the sheep of the Church of the master of the road, led by holding the barley cob or wheat cob of the village townspeople around the head of the ground several times after the cob of all kinds of cereals inserted in the grain silo and shrines, praying for wind and rain, a good harvest.
"Wang Guo" festival lasted one to three days, in the autumn harvest before the auspicious day. Every year on this day, the Tibetan people are dressed in festive attire, some with colorful flags, some carrying barley, wheat ears tied into the harvest tower, harvest tower tied to the white "khada", holding up slogans, some banging gongs and drums, singing songs and Tibetan opera, some carrying Chairman Mao's statue, around the head of the ground in a circle, around the circle, the people carry tents, barley wine, while After the circle, people carry tents, barley wine, while talking about the ancient and modern, while partying and drinking, some also organize traditional horse racing, archery, yak racing, horseback riding and picking up the Hada and song and dance, Tibetan opera competitions. The commercial sector also organizes material exchanges, supplying national special-needs commodities and daily necessities, and acquiring local special products. After the Wangguo Festival, the intense fall harvest and sowing began.
4, turn the mountain will
Tibetan traditional festival, also known as Mu Buddha Festival, honor the mountain god. Popular in Ganzi, Aba Tibetan areas. Every year on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar birth, there are nine dragons leaf water for its bath, so it is also known as Mu Buddha Festival. Every year on this day, Ganzi Tibetan area near and far the masses dressed in national costume, gathered to run on the mountain and folding more river. People first go to the temple to burn incense and pray, burn paper money. Then they turn to the mountain and offer sacrifices to the gods, praying for the blessing of the gods. After turning to the mountain, they set up tents for picnics and perform Tibetan opera. Singing folk songs, dancing potshuang dance, string dance, riders also horseback archery competition. During this period, people also hold material exchange activities and other cultural and sports activities.
5, Caihua Festival Nanping County Boyu around the Tibetan traditional festival. Held annually on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the festival period of two days. Legend has it that a long time ago, Boyu was a deserted ravine, people to collect and hunt for a living, to leaves and animal skins to make clothes. One day, from afar came a girl named Lianzhi, she is beautiful and kind, dexterous, taught the local people to open up the land and planting and weaving sewing, but also pick lilies for people to cure. One year, on the fifth day of May, Lianzhi went up the mountain to pick flowers, and was swept down the cliff by the nickel wind and fell to her death. People were so sad that they went up the mountain to pick flowers on this day to honor her. Over time, the flower-picking festival was formed.
6, Huanglong Temple Fair
Huanglong Temple Fair is Aba Tibetan, Qiang, Hui, Han and other nationalities of the traditional festival. Every year on the 15th day of the sixth month of the summer calendar held in Songpan County Huanglong Temple. Located in Aba Prefecture Songpan County Minshan southern foothills in the thicket of Huanglong Temple, it backs up to the elevation of more than 5700 meters Minshan main peak Xuebao Xiang, because of the top of the mountain on the clear springs with calcium soaring down the mountain, paved with a milky yellow, like a yellow dragon soaring down the natural wonders, inlaid with more than 3,400 large and small colorful, they are interconnected, multicolor interplay. The descendants built the temple, to attract neighboring provinces, states, counties faithful pilgrimage, and gradually formed a folk festival.
Every year, from the tenth day of the sixth lunar month, tourists from all over the world, or on horseback, by car or on foot, with cooking utensils, tents to travel here. Rally, people not only want to enjoy the scenery of Huanglong Temple, and held a Tibetan opera performances, folk songs; young strong men, but also wrestling, archery and other activities. June 15 is the climax of the festival, Huanglong Temple and the surrounding hillside forest lined with a variety of specialties, forming a grand exchange of materials. Old people into the temple to burn incense, praying for a lifetime of peace. Young people sing and dance all night long.
7, herdsmen festival
Aba Tibetan herdsmen's traditional festival. Held annually at the beginning of the next month of the lunar calendar, the festival is generally a week. Before the festival, families clean up, in the sun is going down, the garbage to the west, intended to let the sun's flame will be all ominous things burned. Then, each family prepares barley wine, yogurt and other festival foods. On the morning of the first day of the festival, fathers and daughters of each family compete to carry auspicious water. Then, they wash their faces and hands with the auspicious water with milk, and burn cypress incense with the cleaned hands to pray for abundant water and grass, and prosperous cattle and sheep. Then, the whole family sits around and enjoys a feast. For the first three days of the festival, villages danced and sang, competed in wrestling matches and engaged in all kinds of recreational activities without going outside the village. After three days, people start to go from village to village to congratulate each other on a happy festival. Every night, people gather outside their villages and set up bonfires, singing and dancing.
8, Ruixi Festival
The traditional Tibetan festival, popular in the area of Muli County. The festival is held on the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year. Legend has it that in ancient times, the area around the wood is very affluent, Tibet and Yunnan's eight Tibetan tribes moved a long way to live, settled that day, is the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar, people gathered together to sing and dance, indulgence and joy. Later, this day every year to hold commemorative activities, passed down from generation to generation, become a fixed festival. The day before the festival, each family was busy preparing sumptuous food. On the day of the festival, the whole family sits together and drinks. It is customary to let the cats and dogs have a full meal, and if they eat meat first and then eat, it is a sign of good weather and good harvests in agriculture and animal husbandry in the coming year. Night. People gather around a pile of bonfires. Singing songs and dancing.
9, Xie Shui Festival
Popular in the Coronation County area. It is held on the sixth day of the third month of the lunar calendar every year. Its main content is to seek rain and pray for children. On this day, the lama with tsampa made of frogs, snakes and toads, each family with one or two people. Came to the side of the ditch, the lama while chanting while the tsampa made animals into the water. When they returned, everyone was playing with rain gear and yelling, indicating that the rain had fallen. Next, people go to honor a round pagoda. Inside the pagoda is a knife and a small gong pot, representing fertility. Women who have been married for a long time without children make a wish to the pagoda god for a child. Nong, who has a child after honoring the pagoda, goes to honor the pagoda on that day to return the wish.
10, on nine festival
Popular in the area of Baoxing County. It is held on the ninth day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year. Is the day, people gathered to the mountain, organized lanterns and performances such as lion dance, dancing and singing. At night, a unique male and female wrestling, the result is often male defeat female victory, causing laughter, will be the climax of the holiday activities.
11, flower festival
Also known as the flower festival, popular in the Malcolm area. Held in the sixth month of the lunar calendar every year, the time is usually 3-5 days, some places up to more than 10 days. People bring food, tents, riding horses, groups of people to the field to play and enjoy the mountain flowers. They set up tents, boiled ghee tea, filled with green pear wine, while eating and drinking, while enjoying the flowers, while blessing. At night, lit a bonfire, singing and dancing. During the festival, but also held wrestling, horse racing and other activities. It is also an opportunity for young men and women to talk about love.
12, flower festival
Tibetan language called "if wood bird", is the meaning of the mountains, held every year on the 18th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, is generally based on the villages, together with the tents under the play, each time the activities, as few as three or four days, more than ten days. Over the flower festival, people came forward to participate in the tour of the guests to honor the Hadar, and warmly welcome into the tent, hospitality. At night, men and women, young and old, hand in hand, in the hands of the leader of the dance team, accompanied by a string of bells, around the campfire, stepping on the beautiful dance, singing folk songs, singing and dancing, and even all night long.
13, horse racing
Popular in Hongyuan County and other places. Held every year on the first day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the festival period of one day. Horse racing is a very favorite activity of the Tibetan people, it is not only the collection of farming and animal husbandry leisure time, the exchange of agricultural and animal husbandry production experience of the place, but also the Tibetan people's spirit of the show. Horse racing is a favorite activity of the Tibetan people, not only as a place for gathering and exchanging farming and animal husbandry experiences in their leisure time, but also as a display of the spirit of the Tibetan people. Horse-racing not only appears in the festival in the form of the mother-title, but more importantly, the Tibetan people, who have built up a strong faith in horses, have formed such an ethnic tradition as the "Horse-racing Festival", and this activity has a long history. At that time, the county and nearby places Tibetan people dressed in traditional national costume, from all directions until the racecourse, a variety of forms of horse racing activities. There are collective race speed, there are teams for relay race, there are performances of horse running and archery, there are performances of horse racing skills, very lively. After the horse races, people exchange local products with each other.
14, insert the roof flag
Insert the roof flag for the Tibetan festival custom. Every New Year, each family will be engraved with a Tibetan scripture red, yellow and white cloth flag inserted on the roof. The flag is used to avoid disasters and to pray for good luck. Cloth flag height and size varies, the color also varies from place to place. Some white cloth with red edges, some red and yellow and decorated with black stripes. Most of the flags are rectangular, but there are also square and triangular ones. Some flags are tied to a flagpole, while others are tied to a tree pole. Some have one flag, some have several.
15, baima song will
for baima Tibetan holiday customs. Popular in Pingwu County, held every year before and after the Qingming Festival. Baima Tibetans can sing and dance, traditional cultural activities held during the Spring Festival in the Han area. With the development of the economy and the introduction of new culture, they developed the desire to create their own festival. The relevant departments of the situation, in 1982 held the first cottage song will be held. Since then it has been customary to organize it once a year.
16, Linka Festival
Tibetan language, "Zimulin Jisang", meaning "World Joy Day". Some people also call it "suburban feast". Is the Tibet Autonomous Region Lhasa, Rikaze, Chamdo and other areas of the Tibetan people's traditional entertainment day. Every year around the first day of May in the Tibetan calendar, the festival period is uncertain, some places up to more than ten days. At that time, the Tibetan people old and young, with food, barley wine, butter tea, card mat, tent, and a variety of entertainment equipment and musical instruments, to the elegant and quiet LinKa (Tibetan translation, meaning garden, garden, which more planted willows, so the folk also called LinKa strolling "play willow LinZi"). On the lawn, under the ancient trees set up a white tent, surrounded by a few sheets or plastic sheeting, laying card cushions, while playing the six-stringed zither, while drinking butter tea or barley wine, get together for a wild feast. Some play poker, some play chess, playing krone ball or chatting and laughing, there are in the green grass singing and dancing. In addition, during the festival, some religious ceremonies and Qianma, archery and other cultural and sports activities.