During the Water Splashing Festival, the Dai youth like to go to the forest clearing to do the game of throwing bags. Flower bag made of beautiful flower cloth, filled with cotton paper, cotton seeds, etc., four corners and the center of the five flower spikes, is a token of love, young men and women through the bag, catch the bag, get acquainted with each other. And so the girl consciously let the young man can not catch lost, the young man will be ready to give the girl gifts, both left the crowd to the secluded place to talk about love to go.
During the Water Festival, there is also a dragon boat race. The competition is held on the Lancang River. A group of groups of red and green dragon boat in the "Hall Hall" in the sound of the gong and "Hi Hi Hi" shouts and whistles, chopping waves, bravely forward, thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists attracted to the Lancang River side, for the festival has added a lot of tension and joyful atmosphere.
The Water Splashing Festival originated in India, which used to be a religious ceremony of Indian Brahminism, and then absorbed by Buddhism and introduced to Yunnan Dai ethnic area through Myanmar, at about the end of the 13th century to the beginning of the 14th century, with a history of 700 years. With the increasing influence of Southern Theravada Buddhism in the Dai area, the Water Splashing Festival has become more and more widespread. The Water Splashing Festival is the celebration of the Dai New Year, generally between April 13 and April 15 of the solar calendar. At that time, people first go to the Buddhist temple to bathe Buddha, and then splash water on each other, expressing sincere blessings with splashing water. The festival is full of laughter and festive atmosphere.
Another notable activity of the Water Splashing Festival is rowing dragon boats, dancing elephant foot drums and peacock dance. On the third day of the Dai New Year, which is called "Maipaya Evening Ma" in Dai language, the festival atmosphere reaches a climax. People dressed in festive costumes gathered on the banks of the Lancang River and the Ruili River to watch the dragon boat race. The Water Splashing Festival is rich in activities, other than the release of Gao Sheng, cockfighting, peacock dance, etc., people dressed in full costume, joyful, the scene is extremely enthusiastic!
When the Water Splashing Festival comes, the Dai people will be busy killing pigs, chickens, brewing wine, and making a lot of "huonosuo" (rice cakes) as well as a variety of poop made of glutinous rice, which will be eaten during the festival.
The festival lasts three days. On the first day, dragon boats are rowed, high rises are released, and cultural performances are held; on the second day, water is poured over the water; and on the third day, young men and women throw bags and exchange materials.
The festival is usually held on the banks of the Lancang River in beautiful scenery. When the morning sun reflects the red "City of Dawn", people of all ethnic groups will be dressed in costume, from all directions converge here. A call, a branch of high rise into the air, straight through the clouds, a dragon boat arrow, straight to the other side. At this time, ten million golden bamboo "(on the bamboo under the must)" together blowing, point of light gongs, elephant foot drums ringing, both sides of the Lancang River suddenly turned into a sea of joy.
When the water splashing just started, the polite Dai girls said words of blessing, while using bamboo leaves, branches dipped in the pot of water to each other. "Water flowers put, Dai crazy", to the climax, people with copper bowl, basin, and even buckets of water, in the streets and alleys, playful chase, only feel, face to face with the water, behind the water, splashed to the fullest, one from head to toe soaked, but people are happy, full of laughter everywhere. After a period of water baptism, people form a circle and dance to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, regardless of ethnicity, age or occupation. When people are excited, they burst into cheers of "Shui, Shui, Shui". Some men danced and drank, drunk, all night long.
"Throwing bags" is the most romantic, often unmarried Dai young people's exclusive game. "Packet" is a token of love, by the Dai girls with flower cloth carefully made, loaded with cotton seeds, packet corners are decorated with colorful flower spikes. When the bag is thrown, men and women stand in a row on the grassy lawn, and the Dai girl throws the bag to the young man, and the young man then throws it to the girl and uses it to pass on his feelings. In this way, the flower bag flying around, and finally the exchange of feelings to a certain extent, the two sides quietly withdrew from the bag throwing field, looking for a quiet place to shoulder whispering to go.
The Water Festival, the youth of the end of the water sprinkler, as if the silver flowers blossomed.
The festival is a traditional festival of the Dai, Achang, De'ang, Brown and Wa ethnic groups. The Dai language called the New Year as "Jingbimai", the Water Festival as "Hounan". Therefore, the Water Splashing Festival is a symbol of the transition between the old and the new in the Dai calendar year.
The Water Festival is usually held in the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar, June in the Dai calendar, for three to five days. The first day is called "Waduosangli", meaning New Year's Eve, the last day is called "Waba Wamma", meaning "the day of the arrival of the king of the day", for the New Year's Day. In the middle of the day, it is called "Cu Brain", which means "empty day". Every festival, are to splash water, throwing bags, rowing dragon boats, put high up, worship Buddha, drive pendulum and other activities.
The first day of the festival early in the morning, people pick flowers and leaves to the Buddhist temple offerings, and in the temple courtyard pile of sand to build four or five towers, secular beings sitting around the tower, listening to the Buddha chanting scripture, and then lifted the Buddha statue to the courtyard, the whole walled village of women to bring the blue clarification of the water for the statue of the Buddha to wash the dust. Buddhist temple ceremony, young men and women quit each other splashing water as a play, so the mass of water activities began. People with copper bowl, basin to bucket water, crowded out of the streets and alleys, concubines chasing, everyone will splash. Folk believe that this is auspicious water, blessed water, can eliminate disasters and diseases, so people splash, pour as much as they like, whether splashing or being splashed, although from head to toe all wet, but still happy exception. Just see a flower in the crowd bloom, under the reflection of the sun to form a rainbow, everywhere full of laughter.
Besides the water splashing, there are also mass singing and dancing activities. From seventy to eighty years old, down to seven or eight-year-old dolls, dressed in festive costumes, to the village square, men, women and children in a circle, dancing with the Mangluo elephant foot drums. Some jump "Peacock Dance", some jump "Yu La He", some improvised, singing and dancing, beautiful movement, rhythm, singing. Dance to the high spirits, or outbursts of "water, water, water" cheers, or to "Yulaho, Yulaho," the end of the song. Some men danced and drank, like a drunken maniac, all night long, and even drunk on the dance floor.
During the festival, a dragon boat race is held on the wide Lancang River. Wooden boats tied to colorful flowers, dressed as dragons, peacocks, big fish and other images, by dozens of young men and women paddling forward, the audience on both sides of the cloud, gongs and drums, cheers resounded through the clouds. At the end of the race, the winners came to the podium to receive their awards and drink celebratory wine.
At night, the villages and cottages set off Gao Sheng. This is the Dai people's homemade fireworks, with a few feet long bamboo, filled with gunpowder and other ingredients in the root, placed on the bamboo to build a high shelf. Ignite the fuse, gunpowder combustion, bamboo that is, like a rocket shot into the sky, in the air released brilliant pyrotechnics, as if the flowers, stars shining, brilliant, the festival of the night sky decorated with particularly beautiful. Gao Sheng put the highest person by people's appreciation, and get rewarded.
During the Water Festival, activities such as bag throwing are also held. Young men and women seek partners and express their love and affection by throwing bags.
On April 13 every year, Thailand celebrates the Water Festival, also known as Songkran. Songkran is a Sanskrit word, meaning "the sun runs into the sign of Aries, that is, the beginning of the new solar year". Songkran is the hottest time of the year in Thailand and is celebrated for three days. Before the festival, homes are cleaned and old clothes are burned to avoid bad luck. On the day of the festival, you should go to the temple to pile up sand towers, insert colorful flags and offer flowers to pray for a good harvest. In the evening, perfume soaked with flower petals is sprinkled on the arms and backs of the elders to express the good wishes for them; thereafter, the elders then drizzle the water on the heads of the juniors to express the blessings from the elders.
The annual Thai New Year, the Water Festival, began on April 13, and for three days the whole of Thailand was enveloped in a joyous atmosphere. During this time, Thais usually celebrate by splashing water on each other, so it is also called the Water Festival.
The traditional practice of splashing water means that you can wash away the bad things of the past year and start a new one. Nowadays, the festival is more of a fun event, so don't get angry if you get wet in Thailand! In fact, Thailand is not the only country with a water festival tradition. It is also celebrated in neighboring countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia.
On this day, men, women, and children dress in new clothes and bring food offerings to temples for the monks. Housewives are the busiest on New Year's Eve, cleaning up inside and outside their homes and setting fire to old clothes and belongings, which traditionally bring bad luck if not thrown away. In the afternoon of April 13, Buddha statues are cleaned, while the younger generation pours fragrant water into the hands of elders and parents as a sign of respect for them and to pray for blessings.
In Pattaya, the festival is celebrated annually with food fairs, float parades, beauty contests and various fireworks displays. In Chiang Mai, beauty pageants and parades are held, and in Thailand it is important to remember the past and the present, so people carry the ashes of their ancestors to the temples for a ceremony to pray for their well-being.
[edit]Deang Water Festival
Deang people also had a Water Festival, time in the seventh day after the Qingming Festival, in addition to pouring water blessing and jumping elephant foot drum dance and other programs and the Dai Water Festival, the Deang Water Festival is the most distinctive custom is to wash the hands of the elders to wash their feet. At that time, the young people of each family should prepare a basin of hot water, bring it and put it in the center of the hall, invite parents and other elders of the family to come out and sit on the hall, kowtow and ask for forgiveness from them for their unfiliality in the past year. The elders are also asked to review what they have not done enough to set an example for the younger generation during the year. The younger generation then washes the hands and feet of the elders while wishing each other a year of harmony and hard work. In the event of a parent's death, older brothers and sisters and sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law become the recipients of the foot-washing. This custom comes from an old legend: a disobedient son working in the mountains on the seventh day after the Ching Ming Festival, saw the scene of the nestlings feeding, and realized that he was determined to treat his mother well, and at that time, his mother was walking towards the mountains to bring food to her son, and she accidentally slipped and fell. The son rushed to help her, but she thought he was coming to beat her, and crashed headlong into a tree. The son regretted it, cut down the tree and carved a statue of his mother, and every year, on the seventh day after the Qingming Festival, he would dip the statue into warm water sprinkled with flower petals to clean it. It has since evolved into a custom.
The Deang Water Festival is similar to and different from the Dai Water Festival, which is held around mid-April on the Gregorian calendar. Near the festival, people are busy making new clothes, making rice pudding, making water dragons, buckets and other water-splashing tools. Elderly believers gather at Buddhist temples to build huts and set up water dragons to wash the dust off the statue of Sakyamuni during the Water Splashing Festival. The water dragon is carved from a thick wood, about four or five meters long, painted a new, on the groove. When splashing water, the girl carries a bucket with a basin, and pours the auspicious water into the trough, which flows to the statue of Buddha in the hut to wash the dust for Buddha. Then, a respected elder holds a flower and dips it in the water and gently sprinkles it on the surrounding crowd to give his blessing and congratulate everyone on the beginning of the New Year. At this point, people start to get excited and congratulate each other on the New Year. Young people hold the buckets high above their heads and sprinkle drops of water on the hands of the elderly, wishing people a happy, healthy and long life. The old people, on the other hand, stretch out their hands, put the water stick in their hands, recite the words of blessing for the young people to say good luck and blessing. After this ceremony, people will take the elephant foot drum as a guide, formed a long line, crowded to the spring, the river, singing, dancing, chasing each other, splashing water. Water Festival is not only the De'ang people celebrate the New Year ceremony, but also a good time for young men and women to talk about love and find their sweethearts. Deang popular a gift of bamboo baskets, and take the late night string of girls, the basket will be given to their favorite girls, the most beautiful one, to give their favorite girl, as a way to express their love, test each other's reaction. Therefore, this time, each girl can often receive several bamboo baskets, but the girl in love with who? This depends on the girl on the day of the Water Splashing Festival is who sent her the bamboo basket. On this day, the girls all carry a delicate and beautiful bamboo basket, but whose is it? This can be busy bad lads, they open their eyes, staring at the girls on the bamboo basket, carefully identify the sweetheart is carrying their own to give her a bamboo basket. Pairs of lovers meet, they splash and play with each other to express their excitement and joy.
[edit]Dai Water Splashing Festival
China's Dai is an ethnic minority with a long cultural tradition, with a population of nearly one million, mainly living in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in the south of Yunnan, Dehong Dai Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in the west, as well as Gengma, Menglian Autonomous Prefectures and other dispersed in all parts of Yunnan. The Dai people have a long history, and the Dai language belongs to the Dai branch of the Zhuang Dai language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. All the people believe in Buddhism, but the primitive religious activities are also more common, such as sacrifices to the village God, village ghosts, agricultural sacrifices, hunting sacrifices, spirit worship and so on.
The Water Splashing Festival is actually the Dai New Year, one of the grandest traditional festivals in Xishuangbanna, and is usually held in the middle of June on the Dai calendar (about ten days before and after the Ching Ming Festival on the lunar calendar) for a period of three to four days. It is usually held for three days from April 13 to 15 on the solar calendar.
Origin
The Dai Water Festival, also known as the "Bathing Buddha Festival", the Dai language known as "Bimai" (meaning New Year), the Dai people in the Dehong region of Xishuangbanna, also known as this festival for the "Shanhan" and "Shangji", the two names are derived from the Sanskrit language, which means that the turnover, change and transfer of the sun has been in the twelve zodiacal houses run a week to the beginning of the transition to a new year. The festival is celebrated by the Achang, Deang, Brown and Wa ethnic groups. Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and other countries also celebrate the Water Festival.
The Water Splashing Festival originated in India, is an ancient Brahmin ritual, later absorbed by Buddhism, about the end of the twelfth century to the beginning of the thirteenth century A.D. through the Myanmar with Buddhism into the Dai region of China's Yunnan Province. With the deepening influence of Buddhism in the Dai area, the Water Splashing Festival has become a national custom that has been passed down for hundreds of years. In the process of passing down the festival, the Dai people gradually combined it with their own national myths and legends, which gave the festival a more magical meaning and national color.
Second, the legend
On the origin of the Water Splashing Festival, there is such a vivid legend: a long time ago, in the area where the Dai people live, there was a brutal demon king, who did no harm, burned, killed, robbed, raped and defiled women everywhere, making the crops not harvested, and the people's hearts were restless, and people did not have enough to live. People suffered from his cruelty, hate him to the bone, but no one can kill him.
The devil has 6 wives, but he is still not satisfied, and snatched a beautiful and clever girl. The seven girls saw their fellow countrymen living in misery and were determined to find a way to destroy the devil. The clever girls hated the devil in their hearts, but on the surface they didn't show their faces, pretending to be very close to the devil. One night, the demon king from outside to snatch back many treasures and slaves, she took advantage of the demon king happy not to be prepared to try to ask about the use of the demon king's hair can be strangled with the secret of the demon king. So, in the dead of night, while the demon king was sleeping, the girl quietly pulled out a hair of the demon king and strangled the demon king's neck. In a few moments, the devil's head rolled to the ground, but as soon as the head hit the ground, the ground burst into flames. Seeing that it would become a disaster, the girls immediately picked up the head, and the fire was extinguished. But wherever the devil's head rolled, disaster struck. Throwing it into the river, the river flooded; burying it in the ground, it stank everywhere, and only the devil's wife held it in her arms to keep her safe.
In order to avoid the disaster scourge of the people, the girls will take turns to hold the devil's head, one person to hold a day. A day in the sky, equal to a year on the ground, every year the girls rotate the day, that is, the Dai New Year, the Dai people with admiration for the girls, to hold the head of the girl splash water, in order to wash away the body of the blood stains and adult fatigue, as a kind of blessing to wash the dirt clean body.
Later, the Dai people in honor of the seven brave women, on this day every year to splash water on each other, since the formation of the Dai people to celebrate the old and welcome the new grand festival - Water Festival.
Three, the main activities
The Dai Water Festival lasts for three to four days. The first day is "Mai Day", which is similar to the New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar, and is called "Wan Duoshanghan" in Dai language, meaning sending the old. At this time, people have to tidy up their houses, clean up, and prepare for the annual dinner and various activities during the festival. The next day is called "annoyed day", "annoyed" means "empty", according to the custom of this day is neither the previous year, also does not belong to the year after the year, it is "empty day"; the third day is called "MaiPaYa evening horse", it is said that this MaiPaYa evening horse of the spirit of the new calendar to return to earth with the day, the people used to be regarded as the day of the king of the day to come, is the Dai calendar of the New Year's Day.
To the festival, the Dai men, women and children will put on festive dress, picking water, first to the Buddhist temple bath, and then began to splash each other, you splash me, I splash you, a flower in the air in full bloom, it symbolizes good luck, happiness, health, young people in the hands of the bright crystal beads of water, but also symbolizes the sweet love. We splash each other splash, everywhere is the baptism of water, water blessing, water song. Duo Duohua string smile, Water Festival has become a sea of joy.
The content of the festival, in addition to splashing water, there are catching pendulum, dragon boat racing, bathing Buddha, chanting, Zhangha singing, cockfighting, dancing peacock dance, white elephant dance, throwing bags, put Gao Sheng, release the lanterns and other folk activities, as well as other artistic performances, economic and trade exchanges.
1, Water Festival "blessing": Bathing Buddha
In the "Mai Day", early in the morning, people have to pick flowers and green leaves to the Buddhist temple offerings, and bring water to the "Bathing Buddha" - for the statue of the Buddha to wash the dust." Bathing Buddha" finished, collective mutual water splashing began. A group of young men and women with a variety of containers of water, gushing out of the streets and alleys, chasing and playing, splashing everyone." Water flower release, Daijia crazy", "splash wet all over, happiness for life"! Symbolizing good luck, happiness, health, a flower in the air bloomed, people splashed to their heart's content, laughter, soaked to the skin, interest in the high ......
2, the Water Festival "love": throw the bag
The Water Festival is also a wonderful time for unmarried young men and women to seek love and cultivate happiness. During the Water Festival, the Dai unmarried young men and women like to do "throw the bag" game. The flower bag crafted with flower cloth in the girl's hand is a token of love. Throw package day, the girls dress up to the best of things, and then hit the flower umbrella, carrying a small flower package to the "package field", and the young men on both sides of the separation, thirty to forty paces apart, began to each other to throw the flower package. If the young man can not catch the girl threw the flower bag, you have to put the pre-prepared flowers inserted in the girl's hair on the fly, the girl if you can not catch the young man threw the bag, you have to put the flowers inserted into the young man's chest ...... so gradually selected each other, a period of romantic love story has begun.
3, the water festival "power": dragon boat
Race dragon boat is one of the most exciting projects of the water festival, often in the water festival "Mai Paya evening horse" (the third day) held. On that day, people dressed in festive costumes gather on the banks of the Lancang River and the Ruili River to watch the dragon boat race. River moored in green and colorful dragon boat, the boat sits dozens of sturdy sailors, the horn, ready to start the dragon boat like an arrow flying forward, at once the whole river, drums, gongs, trumpets, cheers, one after another, sound corresponding to the festive atmosphere here reached a climax ......
4, the Water Festival" Dance": Elephant's Foot Dance and Peacock Dance
The Dai people are good at singing and dancing, and the Water Splashing Festival is naturally full of dances. Large-scale dances are mainly arranged on the third day of the Water Splashing Festival, such as the Elephant Foot Dance and Peacock Dance. From seven or eight years old dolls to seventy or eighty years old, all dressed in holiday costumes, gathered in the village square, to participate in the collective dance. The Elephant's Foot Dance is enthusiastic, steady and elegant. The dancers form a circle and dance with manganese gongs and elephant foot drums, cheering "my, my" or "water, water" while dancing! Peacock dance is beautiful, elegant, lyrical, is the soul of the Dai dance, dance to the peacock's posture as the basis for the recreation of the interest and beauty, focusing on the cohesion of the Dai sons and daughters of the aesthetic purpose. There are also many dancers to show off their own improvisation, some sing and dance, some even dance and drink, such as intoxicated, wild and unrestrained, jumping for several days and nights also do not know how to get tired.
5, the Water Festival "Gao Sheng": put Gao Sheng and Kongming Lantern
Put Gao Sheng is the Water Festival is another reserved program. Gao Sheng is a kind of fireworks made by the Dai people, the bottom of the bamboo pole filled with gunpowder and other ingredients, placed on a bamboo frame, connected to the fuse, often burned at night. Release high rise, ignite the fuse so that the gunpowder combustion will produce a strong thrust, will be pushed into the sky like a rocket bamboo. Bamboo spit with white smoke, emitting whooshing whistling sound, while in the air released brilliant pyrotechnics, as if the flowers, colorful, very wonderful. The ground is cheering, applauding one after another, talking, praising the sound of endless, very lively. Gao Sheng flying higher and farther away from the village, people also feel more colorful, more auspicious.
Playing Kongming lanterns is also a unique activity in the Dai area. At night, people in the square on the open space, will light candles, put into the homemade large "balloon", the use of air buoyancy, a hole in the sky lanterns. A bright Kongming lantern in the darkness of the night higher and higher, more and more far away. People use this to honor the ancient sage Kong Ming.
Fourth, the value of heritage
The Water Festival is a comprehensive stage to show the traditional culture of Dai water culture, music and dance culture, food culture, dress culture and folk veneration, etc. It is an important window to study the history of Dai people, and has a high academic value. The artistic performances such as Zhangha and White Elephant Dance displayed at the Water Splashing Festival can give people artistic enjoyment and help them understand the national characteristics of the Dai people, such as their sense of nature, love of water and respect for Buddha, and gentleness and serenity. At the same time, the Water Splashing Festival is also an important link to strengthen the unity of the people of all ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna, which plays a positive role in promoting the development of social, economic and cultural development of the whole state through friendly cooperation and exchanges between Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries.
The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, on May 20, 2006, the folklore approved by the State Council included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.
[edit]Myanmar Water Festival
The Water Festival is also a traditional festival for the people of Myanmar, similar to the Spring Festival in China. It is usually held in mid-April of the Gregorian calendar and usually lasts for 3 or 4 days.
According to Burmese custom, during the festival, men and women, young and old, can splash each other with water to express the meaning of washing the old and welcoming the new. The sophisticated ones use fragrant cherry blossom branches, dipped in rose petal-soaked water from a silver bowl, to gently splash others. Ordinary people like to splash the whole bucket and basin, or even use a hose to spray. Children were not scolded for spraying adults with a water pistol. The more people are splashed, the happier they are, because water symbolizes happiness.
The origin of the Water Festival in Myanmar has different legends. According to one theory, one year, the king of Myanmar encountered a fairy in the palace, and the king of Myanmar was so pleased with the dragon's heart that he ordered people to mix spices with water and splash it on the bodies of civil and military officials to show that they were washing the old and removing the dirt and welcoming the new to receive blessings.
Dwelling in the "Peacock Country" of the Dai
The Dai New Year is the Water Festival. Every year, in the early morning of the 10th day after the Qingming Festival, people bathe and dress in brightly colored costumes, go to the Buddhist temple to bathe in the Buddha's sutra, build sand towers, and then splash each other with water to symbolize good luck and good fortune. It is said that the more water that is poured over one's body, the happier one will be in the New Year. Meanwhile, dragon boat races, bag throwing, fireworks, and the lighting of Kongming lanterns are very lively activities. At night, people are still singing and dancing and laughing.
The Dai mainly live in Yunnan Province. Most of the Dai people live in the valley and dam area surrounded by mountains, with abundant rainfall, four seasons of spring, abundant production of rice and sugar cane, camphor, coffee and other cash crops, as well as wild elephants, rhinoceros, golden monkeys, peacocks and other exotic birds and beasts, known as "Peacock Township."