Customs and habits of the Dai people: The family and marriage of the Dai people used to have obvious feudal overtones, characterized by hierarchical endogamy.

Strict hierarchical endogamy was practiced among the chieftains, and polygamy was prevalent.

The vast majority of farmers practice a patriarchal monogamous family, with family members consisting of parents and unmarried children.

Young men and women have quite free social activities before marriage and can fall in love freely.

It is very popular for unmarried young people to "look for unmarried women to fall in love" during festivals or grand events.

It is a popular custom to call one's bride to the door.

Burial was common, and the burial places of nobles and poor people were strictly separated.

After the death of monks and Buddhas, they are cremated first, and then their ashes are held in earthen jars and buried behind the temple.

Dietary habits of the Dai people: Rice is the main staple food of the Dai people.

Dehong area eats japonica rice, while Xishuangbanna and other places like to eat glutinous rice, which is usually freshly pounded and eaten.

The famous fragrant bamboo rice of the Dai people, also known as bamboo tube rice, is made by putting glutinous rice in a fragrant bamboo tube, soaking it in water for 15 minutes, and then baking it over fire.

Etiquette culture of the Dai people: The Dai people have been a nation that pays attention to etiquette since ancient times.

When outsiders arrive at a Dai home, the host will take the initiative to say hello, serve tea and water, and entertain them with meals.

Regardless of men, women, or children, they always smile to their guests, speak softly, and never yell, curse, or use bad words.

When a woman walks in front of a guest, she should hold up her skirt and bow down and walk lightly; if the guest is downstairs, she should not walk upstairs where the guest is.

Extended information Festivals 1. Close-Door Festival, Open-Door Festival Close-Door Festival, "Hai Wasa" in Dai language, is fixed on September 15th in the Dai calendar (mid-July in the Gregorian calendar).

The Open-Door Festival, called "Wengwasa" in Dai language, is fixed on December 15 in the Dai calendar (mid-October in the Gregorian calendar).

On these two festival days, men, women, and children from all villages will go to Buddhist temples to hold grand Buddha worship activities. They will present delicacies, flowers and coins to the Buddha statues, chant sutras and drip water in front of the Buddha statues, in order to pray for the blessings of the Buddha on people.

The three months from the Close-Door Festival to the Open-Door Festival is the "closed" time, which is the most frequent period of religious activities in the year.

Pay homage to the Buddha, listen to the Buddha's sermons, and earn a small fortune every 7 days.

In the evening, fireworks, firecrackers, and high-rise lanterns (Kongming lanterns) are set off to hold a "rushing display".

During the closing period, young men and women can fall in love, but they cannot get married or go out; they can only get married and go out after the "opening".

2. Water Splashing Festival Dai calendar year - Water Splashing Festival is a traditional festival of the Dai people.

In Dai language, it is called "Sangkan Bimai" or "Lenghe Sangkan", which means New Year in June.

The time is in late June or early July in the Dai calendar (mid-April in the Gregorian calendar).

Held approximately ten days after the Qingming Festival in the lunar calendar, it symbolizes the "best days".

The festival usually lasts for 3 days.

The first two days are for seeing off the old, and the last day is for welcoming the new.

In the early morning of the festival, men, women, and children from Dai villages dress up and go to Buddhist temples to worship Buddha. They pile sand and build 4 or 5 pagodas in the temple. Everyone sits around the pagodas and listens to the Buddha chanting sutras.

Afterwards, the women each carried a load of water to "wash away the dust" of the Buddha statue.

After the ceremony in the Buddhist temple, the young men and women exited and poured water on each other to bless each other.

Then groups of people parade around, splashing water on passers-by as a blessing.

Every year during the Water Splashing Festival in Xishuangbanna, the Dai people hold a huge dragon boat race on the Lancang River. After the race, the dragon boats are dismantled and put into the bamboo building of the Buddhist temple for safekeeping. The dismantled dragon boats will be taken away before the Water Splashing Festival comes the next year.

When assembled, the assembled dragon boat is called "dry black".