The traditional festivals of Yi, Bai, Naxi, Jinuo and Lahu ethnic groups. Yi, Naxi and Jinuo are held on the 24th day of the 6th lunar month, Bai on the 25th day of the 6th lunar month, and Lahu on the 20th day of the 6th lunar month, and the festival lasts for two or three days. Before the festival, each family prepares food, get together in the festival and sing songs. During the daytime, they hold recreational activities such as bullfighting and wrestling; at night, they light torches and march in groups around the village and the mountain ridge. From a distance, the fire dragon reflects the sky, winding and undulating, very moving. Finally, people will gather in the square, many torches piled up into a fire tower, flames, people gathered in a circle, singing and dancing, a joyful. June 24th of the lunar calendar, the Big Dipper handle on the finger, the Yi language branch of the ethnic groups are going to have a torch festival, torch festival is also known as the star back to the festival, commonly known as the "star back to the sky and the eve of the" said, equivalent to the Yi New Year. The main activities of the Torch Festival in the night, people or lighting torches to the sky to pray for the New Year, in addition to the filth for good luck, or burning bonfires, Xingxingxing grand singing and dancing entertainment activities. Torch Festival, but also to hold the traditional wrestling, bullfighting, horse racing and other activities. These activities, from a hero to defeat the demon king (or God) legend, the hero and the demon king wrestling, wrestling, but also teach people to light torches to kill the evil spirit of locusts, to protect the village and crops. To commemorate this event, every year, the torch festival, we must symbolically repeat the legendary story, gradually become the main content of the festival activities.
The origin of the Torch Festival is legendary. One says that the god of the sky and the god of the earth struggle, people with torches to help the god of the earth to exterminate insects over the god of the sky. One said from the "Nanzhao wild history" and the teacher "Dian system", the two books: Nanzhao chief Pi Luoguo attempted to annex the other five dao, will be five dao in the Songming building and burned to death, Deng fine dao wife charity advice husband do not go, the husband is not thus killed, charity closed the city to die, Dian people are the day of the torch to hang. Shilin Yi Sani people regard the Torch Festival as a festival to commemorate the victory of the people and the struggle of the devil; Wuding Yi that the Torch Festival is to grow the ears of grain as thick as a torch. Later generations used this fire sacrifice to drive away demons and evil spirits in the fields to keep people and animals safe. To the festival, the young men and women of all ethnic groups lit a torch made of pine wood, to the village field activities, while walking the pine incense to the torch, or rally, singing and dancing, or horse racing, bullfighting, wrestling. In recent times, people have used the opportunity of gathering to socialize or meet lovers, and carry out trade and commerce activities in festivals.
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