Daughter's Day is a Hani festival.
Hani people in Bibo Mountain, Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province celebrate a special Girls' Day every year on the fourth day of the second lunar month.
On this day, before the cock crows, the man should take a handful of water first. When gastrodia elata is bright, they will cut back a bundle of firewood. Then, they will make a fire and boil water, and respectfully bring the water to the woman who gets up slowly. Then, men cook, wash vegetables, chop pig food, wash dishes and take care of children, while women stand by and do some needlework or command men to do this and that. Unmarried girls don't even do needlework. After lunch, the men hurried to the public places of entertainment in the village. According to custom, those who arrive first are diligent, and those who arrive last are lazy. The boy borrowed a woman's new clothes and trousers from his lover, dressed as a girl, danced in the cheerful strings, and didn't go home to cook until the sun set, and continued to serve the woman until late at night.
Legends and stories of Girls' Day
Long, long ago, there was a girl named Yuma in Bibo Village, where mountains surrounded, mountain springs gurgled and trees flourished. Yuma fell in love with a handsome and tough young hunter. But the marriage of Hani girls at that time was decided by the toast and parents. Yuma's parents betrothed her to the one-eyed son of the toast. Yuma is in great pain for this, and she is determined to express her pursuit of love with death. On the fourth day of February, Yuma went to sketch the mountain and cut firewood alone, and met three girls from the same village and neighboring villages. Yuma told them her misfortune, which made the three girls cry. It turns out that they are also unhappy in marriage. Four girls forgot to chop wood and go home. They complained to each other about their difficulties at the top of the mountain. The more they complained, the sadder they became. They jumped off the cliff together and committed suicide. After the tragedy, the Hani people feel that they can no longer interfere in the marriage of girls and boys, especially girls, and should be given the right to choose suitable candidates. In order to warn future generations, the Hani people set February 4th as "Daughter's Day" every year to show their respect for women and freedom of marriage.
Now, young Hani men and women in this area choose their own date to get married after free love, without bride price or banquet, and entertain the guests who come to congratulate with a cup of fragrant tea.
Dong girls' day
Traditional festivals of Dong nationality. Popular in the border areas of Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi. It is held on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month every year. Legend has it that Yang Bamei, an ancient heroine of the Dong nationality, used a trick to give black rice (black glutinous rice board) to her brother in prison and let him rush out of his cell to lead the rebel army to lead Liuzhou City in Daqi. In order to commemorate her achievements, every day, the married girl surnamed Yang will take the black rice back to her family, pass it on to celebrate with her sisters and girls, and distribute it to relatives and friends with other surnames.
Yao girls' day
Daughter's Day is a traditional festival of Yao nationality, which is held on the first street after the Spring Festival every year. In this street period, girls of all ethnic groups put on gorgeous national costumes and flocked to the market from all directions. There is a joyful atmosphere in this festive town. In the square, girls of all ethnic groups form a circle, singing and dancing with the accompaniment of musical instruments. And the top competition is also very eye-catching. The top is made of hardwood. During the competition, the two groups are separated by a certain distance, and the people in each group take turns to hit each other's rotating gyro with their own rotating gyro. After the hit, the hit gyro is still spinning, and the winner wins. In addition, the streets and alleys are filled with colorful silk thread, lace, silverware, jewelry and other commodities and various delicious snacks.
Miao daughter's day
In the local area, there is a beautiful legend about the origin of Girls' Day. It is said that on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, Yang, a descendant of the Song Dynasty, was captured by the enemy in the battle and put in a cell without food. Her sister Yang Jinhua delivers food to her brother every day, but every time she delivers food, she is eaten by the jailer. Sister Yang Jinhua has a plan. Yang Jinhua didn't know his brother was as strong as an ox until he ate it, so he went to the mountain to taste leaves and roots. He found that the juice of black rice leaves was dark and fragrant, so he took it off, mixed it with glutinous rice and cooked it, and gave it to his brother on April 8 of the lunar calendar. When the jailer saw the black rice, he didn't dare to rob the food. After eating black rice, Yang broke through the cage and rushed out of the predicament, but he died in the rescue. Since then, the Miao people have designated April 8th as Girls' Day to commemorate Yang Jinhua. On the day of the festival, after the Miao people take the married girl back to her family, they have to hold a grand ancestor worship ceremony so that the whole family can eat black rice.