Traditional festivals of the Mulao ethnic minority The Mulao ethnic group [mulǎoz?] is an ethnic minority with a small population in China.

They call themselves "Ling" and "Jin".

The Zhuang people call it "Bu Jin", and the Han people call it "Mu Lao".

The word "Malao" means "mother" in the national language.

[1] The vast majority live in Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County, Guangxi.

The rest live scattered in Xincheng, Yizhou, Liucheng, Duan, Huanjiang, Hechi and other counties, mixed with Zhuang, Han, Yao, Miao, Dong, Maonan, Shui and other ethnic groups.

What are the traditional festivals of the Mulao people? I have collected relevant information for your reference! Traditional festivals Overview The Mulao people used to believe in many gods and had many festivals.

There are festivals almost every month of the year except October and November.

The triennial Yifan Festival, also called Xi Le Hou, is the most solemn festival of the Mulao people.

The main purpose of "Yifan" is to fulfill the wishes of the ancestors and pray for the safety of people and animals and a good harvest.

The special festivals of the Mulao people include: the Third Po-Wang Festival (also known as Children's Day) in early March, in which sacrifices are held in villages; and the Ox Festival in early April, in which the cattle are allowed to rest and worship the Cowshed God.

;Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May.

In addition to having the same content as the local Dragon Boat Festival of the Han and Zhuang people, each village also carries paper boats to patrol the fields to drive away insects to ensure a good harvest; the second day of June is the Insect Eating Festival, which is a traditional festival that promotes insect control methods; in August

The 15th day of the twelfth day is the Housheng Festival, which is a festival for young men and women from all over the world to carry out "walking" social activities.

There is also the Yifan Festival, which is a big celebration every three years and a small celebration every year. It is held on an auspicious day after the beginning of winter. The Daqing is based on the village (religion), where pigs and sheep are sacrificed to the ancestral temple, performances, dragon and lion dances, and folk songs are held.

and other activities; Xiaoqing’s family activities are carried out alone.

The three-year-old Yifan Festival, also called Xi Le Hou, is more solemn.

The Yifan Festival is held on the auspicious day after the beginning of winter.

The main purpose of making Yifan is to fulfill the wishes of ancestors and pray for the safety of people and animals and a good harvest.

Twelve kinds of food such as old ginger, eggs, sesame seeds, soybeans, old roosters, fish, and pig hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys, intestines, etc. are commonly used as sacrifices.

The whole village performs lion dance, dragon dance, singing and opera for three consecutive days, which is now rare due to the impact on production.

Every festival, in addition to various celebration activities, every family should buy sumptuous food.

Such as: chicken, duck, fish, meat and glutinous rice foods, and different seasonal meals must be made according to the season.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to celebrate the Little New Year, glutinous rice cakes must be made; on the second day of the second lunar month, rice dumplings must be made; on the eighth day of April, glutinous rice must be steamed; on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, dog (cow) tongue rice dumplings must be made; on December 24, water balls must be made (water balls).

Rice dumplings), steamed rice cakes; eat water dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and treat guests on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

Married women return to their parents' home on the second day of the Lunar New Year and bring pork, chicken, and duck legs as New Year gifts. As usual, they also bring back some festive food when they return to their husband's home.

Glutinous rice products are the main food during various festivals and festive days.

It is necessary to make glutinous rice cakes for weddings, children's full moon, etc. In addition, they also need to make tofu and hold banquets.

The Mulao people's sacrificial activities were mostly carried out during festivals. In the past, whenever there were major festivals, the whole village or several villages jointly held a collective worship ceremony. The gods worshipped varied according to the festival. Each time a god was worshiped, the sacrifice used was different.

The cost of the sacrifices is shared equally by everyone. After the sacrificial activities, the sacrifices are divided equally among households, which is called "Nianfen".

A portion of the personal income can be used to worship ancestors after returning home, and then be used as festival food.

April 8th is the birthday of the cow. On that day, the cow is allowed to rest, and chickens, ducks, wine, and meat are prepared. Steamed glutinous rice is used to worship the cowshed god, and a ball of glutinous rice is given to the cow.

Sour food: The Dong people have a saying that "Dong cannot live without sour food", and the Mulao people's diet cannot live without sour food.

In Mulaoshan Township, no matter which restaurant you are in, sour food is indispensable.

Such as sour lemon, sour papaya, sour radish, sour beans, etc.

Making Rice Dumplings with Tung Leaves Every year during the Autumn Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival in August, every Mulao family makes rice dumplings with leaves made of Tung leaves.

This rice dumpling is flat and long, shaped like a dog tongue, and is also called dog tongue rice dumpling.

This kind of glutinous rice cake is soft and elastic, delicious and suitable for all ages. It is a special delicacy of the Mulao people.

Drinking Double Ninth Festival Wine In the ninth month of the lunar calendar in Balaoshan Township, the rice is harvested.

People use the best glutinous rice to brew a rich and powerful glutinous rice wine.

Because it is the Double Ninth Festival, it is called "Double Ninth Festival".

Walking slope, also known as slope meeting, singing slope and walking slope festival, is a traditional form of Mulao young men and women gathering to sing, find friends and have social activities. It is usually held during the Spring Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th.

Selected on a mountainside with pleasant scenery in the wild or among caves, "walking" is a good opportunity for young men and women of the Mulao ethnic group to find each other's love.