The Dai Water Festival
The Dai Water Festival is also known as the "Buddha Bathing Festival", and is celebrated by the Achang, De'ang, Brown and Wa ethnic groups. It is also celebrated in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The Water Splashing Festival originated in India, and as the influence of Buddhism deepened in the Dai area, the Water Splashing Festival became an ethnic custom that has been passed down for hundreds of years. At the festival, the Dai men, women and children put on their festive costumes, while the women each carry a load of water to wash the dust of the Buddha statue and seek blessings from the Buddha. After the "Bathing Buddha", people start to splash water on each other to express their blessings, hoping that the holy water will wash away diseases and disasters and bring about a better and happier life. This is how the collective pouring of water on each other began. Groups of young men and women use all kinds of containers to hold water, pouring it out in the streets and alleys, chasing and playing, and splashing it on everyone. The Dai Family goes wild when water is splashed, and "Splashing water all over the body makes you happy for life"! Symbolizing good luck, happiness and health, water flowers bloomed in the air, and people splashed to their heart's content, laughing loudly, soaked to the skin and in high spirits. At night, the village drums and music are heard, people sing and dance, lively and extraordinary. During the whole festival, in addition to traditional recreational activities such as dragon boat races, releasing high altitudes, releasing Kongming lanterns, splashing water, and bag throwing, there are also new activities such as cockfighting, balloon releasing, gardening, and exchanging materials. Men and women of the Dai and Wa ethnic groups in Yunnan Ethnic Villages also celebrate the Water Splashing Festival with tourists in full costume. The Dai Water Splashing Festival, also known as the "Buddha Bathing Festival", is called "Bimai" (meaning New Year) in Dai language, and is held in the middle of June in the Dai calendar, between April 13 and April 15 in the solar calendar (i.e., about ten days before and after the Qingming Festival in the lunar calendar). The Dai in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna also call this festival "Shanghan" and "Shangji", both names originating from Sanskrit, meaning turnover, change and transfer, referring to the fact that the sun has been orbiting the zodiac for a week and has begun its transition to a new year. The festival is celebrated by the Achang, D'ang, Brom, Wa and other ethnic groups. It is also celebrated in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The Water Splashing Festival originated in India as a ritual of the ancient Brahmin religion, and was later absorbed by Buddhism and introduced to the Dai ethnic area of Yunnan Province of China via Burma in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries AD along with Buddhism. As the influence of Buddhism deepened in the Dai area, the Water Splashing Festival became a national custom that has been passed down for hundreds of years. In the process of passing down the Water Splashing Festival, the Dai people gradually combined it with their own national myths and legends, giving the festival more magical meanings and national colors. The Water Splashing Festival is the grandest festival of the Dai people, and it is also the festival with the greatest influence and the largest number of participants among the festivals of the ethnic minorities in Yunnan. The Dai Water Splashing Festival lasts for three to seven days. The first day is "Mai Day", which is similar to New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar, and is called "Wando Shanghan" in Dai language, which means sending off the old. At this time, people have to tidy up their houses, clean up, and prepare for the New Year's dinner and various activities during the festival. The next day is called "annoyed day", "annoyed" means "empty", according to the custom of this day neither belongs to the previous year, also does not belong to the year after the year, so it is "empty day"; the third day of the New Year, called "aba netma", after all, for the first year, people regard this day as the most beautiful, the most auspicious days. Early in the morning of the festival, the Dai men, women and children put on their festive costumes, carrying water, first to the Buddhist temple to bathe in the Buddha, and then began to splash water on each other, wishing each other good luck, happiness and health. People dance while shouting "Water! Water! Water!" The sound of drums and gongs resonates through the sky, and the blessed water splashes everywhere, which is really a very spectacular scene. Every Water Splashing Festival, the Dai people go to the nearby mountains to collect some flowers and leaves, and on the day of the festival, the Dai men, women and children put on their festive dresses, pick up the water and go to the Buddhist temple to bathe in the Buddha, take the collected flowers and leaves and dip them in the water, and begin to splash water on each other, and you splash me, and I splash you, and a splash bloomed in the air, and it symbolized auspiciousness, happiness and health, and the bright and crystal beads in the hands of young people also symbolized sweet love. It symbolizes good luck, happiness and health. We splash each other, splash, everywhere is the baptism of water, water blessing, water song. The Water Splashing Festival has become a sea of joy with all the splashes and smiles. The more traditional way of splashing water is to use a wooden basin filled with water and throw it over people. Splashing people with dirty water, sewage and water with stones, glass, mud, sand and itchy substances; splashing water on police officers, staff, photographers, journalists, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, pregnant women, infants and young children; blocking passing vehicles and besieging them; using high-pressure water cannons to splash water; splashing water on the crowd with mobile splashing vehicles Other than splashing water, there are also other ways of splashing water: catching the pendulum, dragon boat races, bathing in Buddha's baths, reciting scripture, singing in the Zhangha, cockfighting, dancing, peacock dancing, white elephant dancing, and other activities. In addition to water-splashing, there are also other folk activities such as catching the pendulum, dragon boat racing, Buddha bathing, chanting, Zhangha singing, cockfighting, peacock dancing, white elephant dancing, bag-throwing, releasing high altitude, releasing peacock lanterns, as well as other artistic performances and economic and trade exchanges. Blessings of the Water Splashing Festival: Blessings of the Buddha Blessings of the Water Splashing Festival On the "Mai Day", early in the morning, people have to pick flowers and green leaves to the Buddhist temples for offering, and bring fresh water to "bathe the Buddha" to wash the dust of the statue of the Buddha. After the bathing, the collective splashing of water on each other begins. Groups of young men and women use all kinds of containers to hold water, pouring out of the streets and alleys, chasing and playing, and splashing every person. Water flower release, Daijia crazy", "splashing wet all over, happiness for life"! Symbolizing good luck, happiness and health, a flower bloomed in the air, people splashed to their heart's content, laughing loudly, soaked to the skin and in high spirits. 2, Water Festival Love: Throwing bags Love":, Water Festival "love" Water Festival is also unmarried young men and women looking for love, cultivation of happiness in the beautiful season. During the Water Splashing Festival, unmarried young men and women of the Dai ethnic group like to do the game of "throwing bags". The flower bag crafted with flower cloth in the girl's hand is a token of love. On the day of the bag throwing, the girls dress up as much as they can, and then hit the flower umbrella, carrying a small flower bag to the "bag field", and the young men on both sides of the separation, thirty to forty paces apart, and began to each other to throw the flower bag. If the young man can not catch the girl threw the flower bag, you have to be prepared in advance of the fresh 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 romantic love story began. 3, Water Festival Power: Dragon Boat Racing Power":, Water Festival "Power" Dragon Boat Racing is one of the most exciting events of the Water Festival, and is often held on the third day of the festival, "Mai Paya Evening Ma". On that day, crowds dressed in festive costumes gather on the banks of the Lancang and Ruili rivers to watch the dragon boats race. On the river, there are green and colorful dragon boats with dozens of sturdy sailors sitting on them. When the order is given, the dragon boats in full gear fly forward like arrows, and at once the whole river is filled with the sound of drums, gongs, horns, and cheers, one after the other, and the atmosphere of the festival reaches its climax here. ...... 4. Water Splashing Festival Dance The Water Splashing Festival Dance Water Splashing Festival Dance" Elephant's Foot Dance and Peacock Dance The Dai people are good at singing and dancing, and the Water Splashing Festival naturally involves dancing. Large-scale dances, such as the Elephant's Foot Dance and the Peacock Dance, are mainly organized on the third day of the Festival. Everyone from seven or eight year olds to seventy or eighty year olds dress up for the festival and gather in the village square to participate in the group dances. The Elephant's Foot Dance is enthusiastic, steady and graceful. The dancers form a circle and dance to the manganese gongs and elephant-foot drums, cheering "my, my" or "water, water" as they dance! The peacock dance is beautiful, elegant and lyrical, and it is the soul of Dai dance. The dance is based on the peacock's various postures, and in the re-creation of interest and beauty, it concentrates and unites the aesthetic interests of Dai sons and daughters. There are also many dancers who show off their improvisations, some singing and dancing, some even drinking while dancing, intoxicated and unrestrained, dancing for several days and nights without any fatigue. 5. Water Splashing Festival Gao Sheng Gao Sheng, Water Splashing Festival Gao Sheng Gao Sheng and Kongming Lantern Gao Sheng is another reserved program of the Water Splashing Festival. Gao Sheng is a kind of fireworks made by the Dai people, filling the bottom of bamboo poles with gunpowder and other ingredients, placing them on the bamboo frame, connecting the fuse, and setting them off at night. When setting off the high rise, ignite the fuse so that the gunpowder burning will produce a strong thrust, will be pushed into the sky like a rocket bamboo. Bamboo spit white smoke, emitting a whooshing sound, while in the air emitting brilliant fireworks, as if the flowers, colorful, very beautiful. On the ground, there were cheers and applause, comments and praises, and it was very lively. The higher and farther the village flies, the more colorful and auspicious people feel.
The Dai Water Festival Du Xinwei 2007-4-1 The Water Festival originated in India and used to be a religious ceremony of Brahminism. Later, it was absorbed by Buddhism and introduced into the Dai area of Yunnan through Myanmar. The Water Splashing Festival is a celebration of the Dai New Year, which is usually held between April 13 and April 15 of the solar calendar. On that occasion, people first go to a Buddhist temple to bathe in the Buddha's presence, and then express their sincere blessings by splashing water on each other. Everywhere is full of laughter and festive atmosphere. The Water Splashing Festival usually lasts for 3 to 4 days. On the first day, it is called "Mai Day" in Dai language, which is similar to the New Year's Eve in the lunar calendar. On the second day, which is called "Worrying Day (Empty Day)" in Dai language, people dress up in festive costumes, carry fresh water, and go to a Buddhist temple to bathe in Buddha first. Then they start splashing water on each other. Another notable activity of the Water Splashing Festival is dragon boat rowing, elephant foot drum dance and peacock dance. The festival reaches its climax on the third day of the Dai New Year, which is called "Mai Paya Evening Ma" in Dai language. People dressed in festive costumes gathered on the banks of the Lancang and Ruili Rivers to watch the dragon boat races. The Water Splashing Festival is full of activities, including the release of Gao Sheng, cockfighting, peacock dance, etc. People dressed in costumes are full of joy and excitement, and the scene is extremely enthusiastic. "Sangkan Bimai" is a Dai language, meaning Dai New Year. As the Dai people in the celebration of the New Year Festival, to hold a unique water activities, mutual water blessing, so other ethnic groups will be called this festival for the Water Festival.