Abstract: All ethnic minorities in Guangxi retain their traditional customs and habits, and have their own characteristics in social etiquette, marriage customs, dress, food culture, song and dance entertainment, which are very interesting. So what are the taboos in life in Guangxi? What are the taboos of ethnic minorities in Guangxi in social etiquette or daily life? The following article will introduce some life taboos of Zhuang people in Guangxi in detail. Let's take a look with Xiaobian now! 1. Festival taboos
There are many folk festivals in Zhuang nationality, including Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Festival, as well as festivals full of national characteristics such as prime of life, Niuwang Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, Maiduai Festival and March 3rd Song Fair. Taboos in festivals vary from place to place.
avoid swearing on the first day of the new year's day, or you will get bad breath; Avoid saying words of color, or you will attract ants, bugs and fleas; Avoid saying the name of birds and beasts, otherwise the seedlings will be affected; Avoid borrowing things, or your family will lose money and you will become a beggar; Avoid sweeping the floor, otherwise it will damage the fortune; Girls should avoid eating zongzi, otherwise it will be stuffy and unreasonable; Avoid killing livestock, otherwise it will damage the prosperity of breeding; Avoid cooking new meals, and eat all the leftovers on New Year's Eve, which means that you have more than enough every year. When the Zhuang people in Guizhou reach their prime of life, from New Year's Eve to the third day, villagers are prohibited from leaving the village, and outsiders are also prohibited from entering the village.
The eighth day of April is the Cow King's Day, which is a day when cows are not allowed to be farmed. In addition to cleaning the cowshed and worshiping Niu Mowang, all families have to wash their bodies and treat them with good food. It is forbidden to scold and beat cattle on that day, otherwise it is considered that cattle will get sick and cannot be cultivated during the year. In southwest Guangxi, when people celebrate first frost Festival, they also respect cows, let them rest for three days and forbid flogging. During this period, cows died unexpectedly, so people can only bury them and not eat their meat.
The Mid-Autumn Festival on July 14th is the most solemn festival for most Zhuang people, and it usually begins on the seventh day of July. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a ghost festival, and people avoid ghosts everywhere. On July 14th, everyone hides at home, fearing that they will be taken away by ghosts when they go out. In some places, doors are either closed or "ghost-avoiding signs" made of peach branches and thatch are hung on the doors to prevent ghosts from entering the house. Children are forbidden to swim and climb trees before and after the festival, for fear of encountering water ghosts or other evil spirits.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th, generally only women offer sacrifices to the moon, but men don't. Because the moon is yin and the man is yang, he is afraid of making a mistake. In some places, you can't eat all the cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but you must leave one, lest the moon never appear again and it will be dark forever at night.
2. Planting taboo
Agriculture is the main production category of Zhuang nationality, which is divided into paddy field agriculture and dry land agriculture. Rice is the main crop planted, and others are corn, potato, dry valley, beans, wheat, peanuts and so on. Farming in most places is quite fine, but in mountainous areas, the harvest is still relatively low due to the influence of production conditions. In the long historical development process, in order to pray for a bumper harvest and ensure the smooth progress of production, the Zhuang nationality has stipulated some corresponding taboos. From spring ploughing to harvesting, we pay attention to the choice and sacrifice of auspicious days.
The Zhuang people in daxin county even formed a "transplanting festival". During the first day of April to the eighth day of the lunar calendar, people choose an auspicious day to hold the opening ceremony, which is presided over by local officials, village elders or parents. The host must shave his head and wear new clothes in the early morning of the festival, and walk to Tian Dong when the night is still dark and the voices are silent. You can't turn back and talk on the road. After you arrive in Tiandong, plant some seedlings in the field. Only after this ceremony can the whole village or family start transplanting rice at dawn. Otherwise, it is considered unlucky. The Zhuang people in Pingxiang have similar customs. After they choose the auspicious day for spring planting, married women in each household wash their hands with boiled water from peach leaves, then insert thatch into the plowed field to form a cross, burn incense and chant incantations, and pray for a smooth spring planting and a bumper harvest before transplanting rice. Widows or pregnant women are not allowed to participate in this ceremony, only other women can be asked to do it for them. In addition, when transplanting rice seedlings, they don't have to hand the seedlings, but throw them into the field from the air.
There are also stresses on planting drylands. When planting dryland crops, Zhuang people in western Guangxi must have a full stomach, and all kinds of crops should be planted at the same time, which means that "one seed falls to the ground and ten thousand seeds sprout". When sowing, you can't look back at the seeds that have been planted, and you can't talk about birds and animals or things related to crop growth and harvest, let alone being hungry. After sowing, a branch must be folded and inserted in the middle of the ground, and a handful of fields should be placed, so that farmers can step out of the fields from the branches. This practice is called fief. It is believed that crops can grow well after this ceremony.
there are also planting taboos for picking vegetables and avoiding squatting. When picking vegetables in the garden, avoid crouching down. It is believed that you must take a bent posture when picking, otherwise it means that the bud will be broken, and the branches and leaves will not regenerate after that, resulting in reduced production and poor harvest.
It's forbidden to light a fire and smoke outside in Grain Rain on this day. Legend has it that the gods are making rain, such as burning fire and smoking, which will make the rain gods injured and unable to make rain, thus causing drought. If it is early in the morning, please ask the teacher to make a prayer for rain; Everyone carried a dog around the village, beating the dog while walking, barking constantly. The master then burned incense and recited scriptures, praying for the rain god to send down showers.
3. Feeding taboo
The family sideline of Zhuang nationality mainly includes feeding and fishing. The cattle they value most are cattle, because cattle are the main productive animal power, and they are always taken care of. They don't serve cattle on the day of being shocked, and there is a saying that "the cattle that are shocked are born with lice". On the eighth day of April, it is the Festival of the Soul of Cattle, when both Japanese and cattle stop working. People will feed the cows with delicious food and offer sacrifices to Niu Mowang.
pigs are the main source of people's meat, but ordinary farmers don't keep boars, and only widowers keep boars as their business. In some places, if the sow has only two litters, it must be killed immediately, otherwise it will be considered that it will lose money and lead to restless homes. In some places, sows should avoid the door when they give birth, and people with foreign surnames are not allowed to enter the room. Its sign is to insert a grapefruit leaf and red paper at the gate and hang a steelyard beside the pigsty. Zhuang people in Hechi buy pigs to raise, and they should recite auspicious words such as "three hundred and twenty, four hundred catties" in their mouths, praying that pigs will grow quickly. If they don't, they think that pigs will not grow up. In some places, new pigs that have just been bought from outside are not allowed to enter the pen without "passing the door". The way to do this is to burn a fire at the entrance of the pigsty or at the first threshold where pigs enter the pen. When the pigs are carried over the fire, water is allocated to the pigs. At the same time, the main population also prays for "3672", hoping that the pigs can grow to this weight. Most water splashing people are housewives. It is believed that after being washed with fire and water, the pig's body will gain weight after being washed away. Guests or widows are not allowed to boast that the livestock and poultry in the main family grow fast, which is considered to be the opposite. In addition, double yellow eggs, black eggs or soft-shell eggs laid by chickens are also regarded as bad news, which is a sign of disaster.
Zhuang people often fish in ditches and rivers in appropriate seasons. In some places, Zhuang people are forbidden to urinate in fish dams to avoid offending fish gods. Autotrophic fish ponds are prohibited from fishing and can only be fished.
4. Trade Taboos
In the past, commodity trading in Zhuang areas was mainly limited to agricultural and sideline products and daily industrial products. People should follow certain guidelines when purchasing such important means of production as cattle. Once the sale is done, the seller of cattle must give the buyer a cow rope, and use this rope to beat the back of the cow and say something that makes the buyer happy and auspicious. Otherwise, it means that the seller is dishonest and the cow won't stay in the new home for long. When selling piglets at the market, you should feed them in advance and avoid selling hungry pigs. Deduct the weight of pig cage and pig food after the transaction.
There are trade taboos in Huangwutun and Dasi in Qinzhou City, Guangxi. Where trade goods are made at home, or the goods to be sold will go out, it will mean that it is difficult to sell the goods if family members or outsiders stand across the threshold at home. Therefore, when conducting trade-related matters, it is extremely forbidden for anyone to stand over the threshold, and when sending the goods sold out, you must not stay on the threshold or go backwards, otherwise it will be considered unlucky.
5. Handicraft taboo
The family handicrafts of Zhuang nationality include spinning and weaving, carpentry, wine making, paper making and so on. Textile is operated by women. When the yarn is arranged on the machine, the weavers must clean their hands and comb their hair, and can't speak words related to disorder and breakage. Otherwise, they think that the yarn is easy to be confused and the thread is easy to break, and the cloth can't be woven. Most craftsmen are men. In some areas, if Zhuang carpenters are unmarried or married without boys, they will not build wedding beds or ladders for others. If you have built a house for less than three years, you will not help people make coffins; If you make coffins for others for less than one month, you can't make wedding furniture for others. In some places, carpenters have to choose auspicious days or double days to build plows, water wheels or dowry. All these craftsmen make rules in order to get good luck and avoid bad luck.
6. Forestry taboo
Forestry is also an important production category of Zhuang nationality, and many places attach importance to afforestation activities. In the past, Zhuang people could only plant trees straight at the waist, fearing that bending down to plant trees would not grow straight, or even people would hunch over forever. Some tree species, such as peaches, bamboos and plantains, are taboo for young people, thinking that if planted, they will hinder the future development and survival of young people. In some places, children are forbidden to take part in planting bamboo, thinking that bamboo will be cut down when it grows up. If children take part in planting bamboo, their fate will be the same as bamboo in the future, which is very unlucky. When cutting down trees, you should cut them old and leave them tender. After cutting down, you should grab a branch and insert it in the axe mouth of the root to express your prayers for their growth again. Disable the axe and chop these roots. In some places, tung trees are forbidden to be cut because of the homonym of tung and child. This custom still exists today.
It is forbidden to export words such as "death", "injury", "blood", "ghost" and "stink" if you go up the mountain to get firewood together, otherwise the audience will condemn you. When you are injured and bleed, you can only say the word "red", not blood; Speak incense when you smell bad smell, in case it is bad. Legend has it that mountain gods get angry when they hear unlucky words, and people will fall off the cliff or get injured.
7. Hunting taboos
Until modern times, some Zhuang people were still engaged in hunting in the slack season. If they hunted wild animals such as wild pigs collectively, there were many taboos. First of all, you can't hunt on the night of the fifth, fourteenth and twenty-third day of the lunar month. Secondly, you can't hunt when you have dinner, lose your chopsticks, meet a dog and get in the way with a snake.
8. Life taboos
The life taboos of Zhuang people are complicated, which are mainly reflected in the aspects of living, eating and socializing. Especially living, pay attention to the most. When building a house, we should pay attention to the choice of housing foundation and auspicious day, and avoid things that cause ominous things during building. In some places, it is good for strong people to build houses with the door facing south. If they can't face south, they choose east and avoid facing west or north. Because going west means "going back to the west", which not only makes people lose their jobs, but also causes people to die. Going north means "losing" and "falling", which is also unlucky. There can't be trees at the gate, which means that the future is hopeless, the road to life is blocked, the family is not rich, and there can't be east water, for fear that money will go with the water. During the period of building houses, people often automatically avoid such unlucky things as funerals, do not spend the night outside, do not eat dog meat, and husband and wife also have different rooms. Every key process of building a house should be carried out on an auspicious day, especially on the beam, with a grand ceremony and the most attention. Most strong people don't go to the beam at noon, for fear that future generations will be unfilial; Don't say unlucky things when you are on the beam, and you can't let animals fight and bite on the house, for fear that the main house will be restless in the future. In addition, there are some different stresses in different places, such as opening the door in the middle, opening the door on the left, or staggering the front and rear doors, etc., all based on the idea of avoiding poverty and poor population.
The dwelling house of Zhuang nationality is centered on the shrine, with a hall in front of the shrine and bedrooms or guest rooms in the back and left and right. Only the male owner has the right to live in the room behind the shrine. When guests arrive home, male guests are not allowed to enter the middle door. If the guests are husband and wife, they can't live together at night. Violators should hang red on the main house, or send red envelopes, hang red cloth on the bed, and shoot to exorcise evil spirits. Or buy meat to kill chickens, and ask the teacher to do things for the family. In some places, married daughters can't live together when they bring their son-in-law home. People in Longlin County, Guangxi believe that women's menstruation is "unclean", especially avoiding their daughters-in-law sleeping upstairs, and their ancestors will blame them.
The Zhuang people have no strict taboos on the choice of food. In the past, some people didn't eat beef, probably because they worshipped and cherished cows. Some people forbid eating dog meat, while others regard it as a treasure and tonic. However, there are quite a few etiquette when dining among strong people in various places. They generally respect the old and love the young, and treat guests warmly. The younger generation should bring a bowl of rice to the elders, use both hands when handing the bowl, avoid using one hand, and present it around the back of the elderly; Old people only sit in the main seat, others can't sit around casually, and delicious food should be given to the old people first. In some places, girls should pay attention to holding chopsticks well when eating. If chopsticks fall to the ground, they can only pick them up and wash them before using them. It is forbidden to change chopsticks. They think that changing chopsticks means changing husbands after marriage, either widowhood or divorce. When guests arrive home, the host often treats them with banquets. In some places, there is a custom of "leaving guests with empty tables", that is, the host puts tables, bowls, chopsticks, cups and other things on the table after the guests arrive, which means sincere hospitality. The guests can't refuse at this time. In some places, a guest, a host, and a guest want to eat the rim once, and it is impolite not to eat it. As long as you taste a little at every house, you will get the affection and do your best.
The Zhuang people have dietary taboos against eating dead chickens in cages. Folks believe that people under middle age should avoid eating chickens that die in cages, otherwise it means they will "die in prison".
In the social communication of Zhuang people, people pay great attention to etiquette, and everyone should be addressed according to their age, status and status, especially the elderly should not be called by their first names. They are used to adding "Da" or "Low" before girls' names, adding "Te" or "Day" before boys' names to address them. Men and women with sons are called "father of so-and-so" or "mother of so-and-so", while old people with grandchildren are called "husband of so-and-so" and "milk of so-and-so". Even childless couples cannot call each other by their first names.
In the daily entertainment, people should observe some taboos. In some places, strong people, if brothers or relatives and friends marry their daughters-in-law in the same year, then they don't congratulate each other, because congratulating others means giving their luck to others, and they will be unlucky. Not only that, they don't want each other to congratulate themselves, and they are not strange to each other. In some places, if you congratulate others on their housewarming, you must send a double gift to show yes man, but not a single one, otherwise it will be unlucky.
Zhuang people have the custom of "adding food to celebrate their birthday". After the old man's 6th birthday, his descendants will prepare a small jar for him to hold the longevity grain. If he has a slight illness at ordinary times, he will take some rice from the jar and cook it, but don't eat all the rice, otherwise the number of old people will be exhausted. The rice in the jar should be added, but it can only be added when Chongyang respects the elderly, and it can be filled at one time. People think that the Double Ninth Festival is an auspicious day to enjoy 99 years of life, and adding food on this day is to make up for life, and you can live over 1 years old. The custom of "adding food for longevity" expresses the good wishes of Zhuang families for the elderly to enjoy their old age.
Avoid bamboo flowering. Folks believe that bamboo flowering is a bad omen. If the flowering bamboo is near the house, it indicates that there will be disaster in this family, and it indicates famine outside the village. Therefore, bamboo must be cut down immediately before the disaster can be eliminated.
Don't spit in front of people. It's impolite to spit or spit in front of others. It will offend others.
when you go out, don't break the bowl. You have to go out to do business, such as breaking dishes or cooking raw rice, which is "ancestral retribution" and is unfavorable for doing things.
Avoid extinguishing the stove fire in Longlin County, Guangxi. On the third day of the first lunar month, the stove fire has been burning and cannot be extinguished, which means that fireworks continue all year round.
don't eat eggs when driving a horse. You can't eat eggs when driving a horse in Longlin County, Guangxi, otherwise the horse will turn over on the same day.
Don't whistle when you walk at night. Folk believe that you can't whistle when you walk at night, or you will be followed by ghosts.
9. Contraindications to marriage and childbearing
Zhuang people are married outside the clan, and people in the same family are not allowed to marry. Many places can't help but get married with the same surname, but in the west of Guangxi, some strong people regard "marriage with the same surname" as "climbing the ashes" and society forbids it. In the process of marriage, the role of uncle's right is quite prominent, and the opinions of uncles in some places even play a decisive role. It is popular in society that "the biggest in the sky is tripterygium wilfordii, and the biggest underground is my uncle."