Stepping into the threshold of Miao family, the first thing you see is all kinds of grains hanging on the roof beams, which is the pride of Miao family and a symbol of bumper harvest. The wooden stool in the corridor is called "everyone depends" by Miao people, which means everyone can sit and rest. The horn hanging at the entrance of Miao family is a mascot to exorcise evil spirits, and it is also a tool for Miao family to toast. Among the many welcome rituals of Miao families, the most grand and fashionable one is to respect the horn wine. Legend has it that when you visit a Miao family, just touching the horn will bring you good luck, and at the same time, you must step on the board in the middle of the hall. This board is called "Peace Bridge", which can make people feel safe and happy.
Miao people are very hospitable. When guests come, they will kill chickens and ducks. Parents or the most prestigious old people in the same family will give them chicken hearts or duck hearts. According to Miao custom, guests can't eat it all at once, but must share it with the old people in the same seat to show selflessness.
Eating New Year's Eve is the most sacred moment for Miao people, and the whole family must get together. At this time, it is especially taboo for outsiders to visit, thinking that the whole family will not be at peace during the New Year. In order to let outsiders know that the host is eating, firecrackers should be set off before meals, and then a door should be half-closed. When outsiders see it, they will not enter the house to disturb the host's dinner.
Although Miao people have lived in remote mountain villages for generations, they are simple-minded and very polite.
Young people meet their elders. When young people meet their elders, whether they are men or women, whether they are familiar with each other or meet for the first time, they must speak sincerely, greet them with a respectful smile and use certain respectful words to match them. If the younger generation is walking and meets the elderly or elders, they must stop; If the younger generation is sitting and the older generation comes, they should immediately stand up and let them sit down. Keep your eyes straight and your hands down. If you meet an elder you don't know, the other person is ten or twenty years older than you. Men are called "De Ne" and women are called "De Mu". For the elderly, men are called "Ada" (grandfather) or "An Nenggong" or "An Nengguo" (old man), while women are called "Ada" (grandmother) or "An Nenggong". After addressing, the younger generation can sit down or leave each other.
See peers in the same trade. When people of the same age meet, they must nod. If you know each other, you should address each other with a fixed title; If they don't know each other, men can be called "A Lang" (big brother) or "Baqiu" (cousin), and women can be called "Aya" (sister).
The elders look at the younger generation. When the elder sees the younger generation, he usually nods. Acquaintances call each other by fixed titles; If a stranger is in the prime of life, men can be called "Dena" and women can be called "Aya". If the other person is young, both men and women can be called "German dogs" (little brothers and little sisters).
Miscellaneous gifts When an old man or elder walks with a young man or younger generation, the young man or younger generation must let the old man or elder go ahead. When young and old eat at the same table, the old man sits on it and the mature man sits below. Most people can sit on both sides. When young people and old people sit by the fire pit on the ground floor and chat, the side near the pillar is used to letting guests, elders or old people sit. In other respects, freedom at will.
Miao people now mainly live in the southeast of Guizhou Province, Damiao Mountain in Guangxi, Hainan Island and the border areas of Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. The population is 7.398 million (1the fourth census in 990), ranking fourth among all ethnic minorities.
In China's ancient books, there are records of Miao ancestors as early as 5,000 years ago, that is, clans and tribes called "Naman" from the Yellow River valley to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
Miao nationality has its own language, and Miao language belongs to Miao language branch of Sino-Tibetan language family. There are three dialects: Xiangxi, Qiandong and Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan. After 1956, the writing scheme of Latin letters was designed. Due to the long-term contact between Miao and Han, a large number of Miao people are fluent in and use Chinese.
Miao is a nation that can sing and dance well, especially flying songs, love songs and wine songs. Lusheng is the most representative musical instrument of Miao nationality.
Agriculture is dominant in Miao areas, supplemented by hunting. Miao people's arts and crafts, such as flower picking, embroidery, brocade, batik, paper-cutting and handcraft, are magnificent and colorful, and enjoy a good reputation at home and abroad. Among them, the batik process of Miao nationality has a history of thousands of years. There are more than 130 kinds of Miao costumes, which can be compared with the costumes of any nation in the world.
Miao jump flower festival. "jump flower festival" is a cultural activity characterized by playing lusheng accompanied by singing and dancing, and it is also a good opportunity for Miao costumes to be displayed wonderfully.
Miao people used to worship nature and ancestors. The larger festival is "Victoria Song" (ancestor worship), which is held once a year in autumn. Bullfighting is Miao people's favorite activity. Bullfighting activities are held in the first month of each year, Duanyang, Torch and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Miao etiquette includes: when guests visit, they will kill chickens and ducks to show their hospitality. If they are distinguished guests from afar, some places will put wine at the entrance of the village to welcome them. When eating chicken, the head of the chicken should be given to the elderly among the guests, and the drumstick should be given to the smallest guest. In some places, there is also the custom of dividing chicken hearts, that is, the oldest owner in the family gives chicken hearts or duck hearts to the guests with chopsticks, but the guests can't eat them themselves, so the chicken hearts must be evenly distributed to the old people present. Some places also offer "Horn Wine" and "Cockcomb Meat", which the guests accept one by one, which makes the host most happy. If the guests seldom drink and don't like fat meat, they can explain the situation. If the host is not reluctant, but he is not satisfied with the food and drink, he is regarded as looking down on the host.
Colorful Miao costumes
Miao autonomous region
After the establishment of People's Republic of China (PRC), it has successively established:
Hainan Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (1 July 9521day)
Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, Guangxi (1952165438+1October 26th)
Guizhou Weining Yi, Hui and Miao Autonomous County (1954165438+10/1)
Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province (1July 23, 956)
Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province (1August 8, 956)
Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Hunan Province (1956165438+1October 30th)
Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province (65438+September 20th 0957)
Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province (1 April 9581)
Guizhou Zhenning Buyi and Miao Autonomous County (1963 September 1 1)
Guizhou Ziyun Miao and Buyi Autonomous County (1966 February 1 1)
Guizhou Guanling Buyi and Miao Autonomous County (19811231)
Guizhou Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (1982 May 1)
Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Sichuan Province (1983165438+1October 7)
Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Sichuan Province (1983165438+10/0/)
Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Western Hubei (1 98365438+February1)
Sichuan Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County (1984165438+10/0)
Qianjiang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Sichuan Province (1984165438+10/3)
Yunnan Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County (1985)
Yunnan Jinping Miao, Yao and Dai Autonomous County (1985)
Two Miao women are making colored leather paper. The white paper making technology of Shiqiaopu in Danzhai County, Guizhou Province has a history of 1000 years. For more than 65,438+0,000 years, the local Miao people used the paper-making technology of the Han nationality for reference, and made white paper from the local rich bark and Chinese fir roots. Paper-making technology is basically similar to the paper-making method recorded in Tiangong Wu Kai written by Song Dynasty in Ming Dynasty, which keeps the tradition of producing white paper in ancient China.
Daily eating habits In most areas, Miao people have three meals a day, and rice is the staple food. First, dry the rice (or dry it on the kang), pour it into a wok to remove the rice bran, and then eat it now, weighing 3-5 kg each time. Now many places have used electricity and water to grind rice. When cooking, Miao people often add 6-7 times of cooking, and then take out the rice soup after it is half cooked and steam it in a wooden steamer. There are also boiled and steamed corn, wheat and millet mixed together. Bags and buckwheat are crushed into flour or granules with a stone mill for eating. Mix more flour with water, pour it into water and steam it as the staple food. Miao people at the border of Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou call it "flour rice". Miao people in Sichuan Province eat noodles and other staple foods made of wheat, buckwheat or corn flour. Miao people in some areas of Guizhou steam oats, bake them in the original pot with slow fire, then grind them into powder and fry them as their daily staple food. Miao people attach importance to glutinous rice and regard it as a symbol of harvest and good luck. When eating glutinous rice, sometimes it is steamed first, then poured into a wooden trough while it is hot, beaten into mud with a hammer, then torn into small balls by hand, flattened with wooden boards, completely cooled and soaked in mountain spring water, and replaced at any time. It can be stored for 4-5 months and can be burned, roasted or fried when eaten. Fried Baba is the most common fried food. The method of making fried Baba is to soak glutinous rice and a small amount of soybeans and beat them into slurry, and then scoop the thick slurry into a mold made of iron sheet and fry it in boiling oil, which is golden yellow. If you add some fresh meat and sauerkraut as stuffing, the taste will be more delicious.
There are many kinds of Miao vegetables. Common vegetables are beans, melons, vegetables and radishes. Most meat comes from livestock and poultry. Miao people in Sichuan and Yunnan like to eat dog meat, and there is a saying that "Miao's dog is Yi's wine". Dog meat is hot, which has the functions of warming stomach, strengthening stomach and nourishing food. In addition to animal oil, most of Miao's edible oils are tea oil and vegetable oil. Pepper is the main condiment. In some areas, there is even a saying that "nothing can be done without pepper". Most Miao people are good at making bean products, for example, using soybean milk without filtered residue and cooking it into "soup with residue"; Boil soybean milk with tender cabbage, and then order gypsum water to make "vegetable tofu", which is a daily dish for next meal. Miao people who live in alpine mountain areas still like to cook vegetables into mussels with white water, and then dip them in various "dipping materials" to eat them. Sichuan Miao people also make soybean milk into tofu pudding to entertain guests. Miao people everywhere generally like to eat sauerkraut, and sour soup is a must for every family. Sour soup is made of rice soup or tofu water, fermented in a crock for 3-5 days, and then used for cook the meat, fish and vegetables. In dog days, add some fish, coriander and ginger to stimulate appetite and help digestion. In the summer in southeastern Guizhou, when guests come in, the host always sends sour soup first, and then drinks it to quench their thirst. Miao people in Guangxi like to make hot and sour soup with Chili bones in winter and spring. The food preservation of Miao people generally adopts pickling method, and vegetables, chickens, ducks and fish like to be pickled into sour taste. Hunan Miao people call this method of pickling food "Fu". Almost every Miao family has jars for curing food, which are collectively called acid jars. Before curing pork, cut fresh meat into large pieces, and then laminate a layer of meat and a layer of salt. After three days, the raw salt is dissolved and immersed in the meat, then some glutinous rice is cooked and mixed with sweet wine and inferior wine, and rubbed with the meat. Finally, add some Chili powder and other ingredients, seal the jar and serve. Meat cured in this way can generally be preserved for 1-2 years. Sour jars can also pickle sour fish and sauerkraut. In addition, Miao people also use smoked bacon to preserve all kinds of livestock and poultry meat. Miao people in southern Sichuan often kill Nian pigs in winter, soak pork in salt, hang it on the stove and smoke it with poplar branches or other firewood. Smoke it dry and then take it down and store it. This smoked wax has a unique flavor and is often used to entertain guests. It can be stored for 2-3 years without deterioration.
Miao nationality has a long history of brewing, and has a set of techniques from koji-making, fermentation, distillation, wine blending and cellar storage. Drinking wine is unique. When drinking, the bamboo tube is inserted into the urn, and the drinker forms a circle along the urn. The elders drink first, and then turn from left to right. After the wine juice is sucked out, it can be washed into drinking water until it is tasteless. Once the altar is opened, the remaining wine, no matter how strong or weak, will not be used again. On holidays, every household still brews glutinous rice liqueur. Camellia oleifera is the most common daily drink. When making, stir-fry the oil, salt, ginger and tea together, boil the oil with water after smoking, then filter the residue, then pour the tea into a bowl filled with corn, peanuts, rice flowers or glutinous rice, and add some chopped green onion, garlic leaves, pepper and mountain pepper appropriately, and then you can drink it. Xiangxi Miao people also specially made a kind of scented tea (also called ginkgo tea). Besides tea, sour soup is also a common drink.
Miao compatriots held a lantern festival in Miaojia Fire Dragon. The dragon dance in Taijiang County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province has a history of hundreds of years.
Festivals, Etiquettes and Sacrifices Miao people used to believe in animism, worship nature and worship their ancestors. There are many festivals, besides traditional festivals and sacrificial festivals, there are also special festivals related to eating. Such as: eating duck festival, eating new festival, killing fish festival, picking tea festival, etc. Besides preparing wine and meat, seasonal food is also a holiday necessity. For example, during the Duck Festival, every household has to slaughter ducks and cook porridge with rice. When eating the new festival, you should cook with new rice, make wine with new rice, and even pick vegetables and fish and leave the pond. During the festival, women usually wait by the river with food, bacon, sausages and other tables. As long as they catch fish, they will light a bonfire and cook the fish in the pot until they enjoy themselves. Miao year is the biggest traditional festival. The year of Miao usually begins on the first day of the first month and lasts for three, five or fifteen days. Before the year, every household should prepare rich New Year's dishes. Besides killing pigs and sheep (cattle), it is also necessary to prepare enough glutinous rice wine. The New Year's Eve dinner is rich, paying attention to "seven colors and five flavors" and making "Nianba" with the best glutinous rice. Banquet and exchange gifts. The biggest ritual activity of Miao nationality is "eating dirty meat", also known as "Drum Festival". Generally, a small sacrifice lasts for seven years and a big sacrifice lasts for thirteen years. It is held on the second day of October to November in the lunar calendar. At that time, a roe deer will be killed and a Lusheng dance will be performed to commemorate the ancestors. Invite friends and relatives to get together during meals to promote emotional and family harmony. Glutinous rice is an indispensable food for Miao festivals and social activities, and it is also an indispensable food for young men and women in the process of marriage and love. Miao people in Chengbu, Hunan Province gave each other glutinous rice cakes painted with mandarin ducks as souvenirs. When a wedding is held, the officiating person also invites the bride and groom to eat glutinous rice cakes with dragon and phoenix and doll patterns; Miao people in many areas often make glutinous rice noodles into jiaozi, which is also a kind of food during festivals. No matter the wedding or funeral, wine, sour meat and sour fish must be prepared, otherwise it will be considered impolite. When welcoming distinguished guests, Miao people are used to inviting guests to drink horn wine first. At the wedding, the bride and groom will drink a toast. Miao festival
Typical foods mainly include: blood soup, Chili bone, Miaoxiang Guifeng soup, cotton cake, insect tea, scented tea, catfish, mashed fish (also eating sour soup fish) and so on.