Water-splashing Festival is the most grand festival of Dai people, and it is also the festival with the largest influence and the largest number of participants in ethnic festivals. Songkran Festival is the Dai New Year, which is equivalent to mid-April of the Gregorian calendar. The festival usually lasts for 3 to 7 days. On the first day, the Dai language was called "Mairi", which was similar to the New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar. The next day, the Dai language was called "Angry Day" (Empty Day); The third day is New Year's Day, called "Bawangma", which is actually the beginning of the year. People regard this day as the most beautiful and auspicious day. In the early morning of the festival, Dai men, women and children put on festive costumes, carried clear water, went to the Buddhist temple to bathe Buddha first, and then began to splash water on each other to wish each other luck, happiness and health. People are dancing and shouting "water! Water! Water! " The sound of drums and gongs resounded through the sky, and the water of blessing splashed everywhere. The scene was really spectacular.
During the Songkran Festival, Dai youths like to play the game of losing packets in the glade. The flower bag is made of beautiful flower cloth, filled with cotton paper, cottonseed, etc., and decorated with five flower spikes at the four corners and center. It is a token of love, and young men and women get to know each other by losing and receiving the bag. After the girl consciously let the young man lose, the young man gave the prepared gift to the girl, and both left the crowd to fall in love in a secluded place.
there will be a dragon boat race during the water-splashing festival. The competition was held on the Lancang River. Groups of dragon boats, dressed in red and green, beat the waves with the sound of gongs, shouts and whistles, attracting thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists to the Lancang River, adding a lot of tension and joy to the festival.
The Water-Splashing Festival originated in India. It was once a religious ceremony of Brahmanism in India, and was later absorbed by Buddhism. It was introduced to Dai areas in Yunnan through Myanmar, with a history of 7 years. With the increasing influence of Buddhism spreading to the south in Dai areas, the valley-learning of the Water-splashing Festival has become increasingly widespread. The Water-Splashing Festival is a celebration of the Dai New Year, usually between April 13th and April 15th in the solar calendar. At that time, people will go to the Buddhist temple to bathe the Buddha first, then splash water on each other and express sincere wishes with splashing water. Laughter everywhere, full of festive atmosphere.
Another eye-catching activity of the Songkran Festival is dragon boat rowing, elephant foot drum dancing and peacock dance. At that time, on the third day of the Dai New Year, the Dai language called it "Maipaya Wanma", and the festive atmosphere reached its climax. People dressed in festive costumes gathered on the banks of Lancang River and Ruili River to watch the dragon boat race. The activities of the Water-Splashing Festival are rich in content, and others include soaring, cockfighting, peacock dance dancing, etc. People are dressed in costumes and beaming, and the scene is extremely warm!
When the Water-Splashing Festival comes, Dai people are busy killing pigs, chickens and making wine. They also have to make many "rice cakes" and a variety of Baba made of glutinous rice to eat during the festival.
the water-splashing festival lasts for three days. On the first day, rowing dragon boats, flying high and performing arts; Splash water the next day; On the third day, young men and women lost packets and exchanged materials together.
The Songkran Festival is usually held on the banks of the beautiful Lancang River. When the dawn reflected the "City of Dawn", people of all ethnic groups dressed in costumes gathered here from all directions. At the sound of a command, one by one rose into the air and went straight through the sky, like a dragon boat arrow, heading straight for the other side. At this time, thousands of golden bamboos played together, gongs and elephant-foot drums sounded together, and the banks of the Lancang River suddenly became a sea of joy.
At the beginning of water splashing, the polite Dai girl said the words of blessing, while dipping bamboo leaves and branches in the water in the basin and sprinkling it at each other. At the climax, people used copper bowls, washbasins and even buckets to hold water, playing and chasing in the streets and lanes. They only felt that the water facing them and the water behind them were splashed and soaked from head to toe, but people were in high spirits and full of laughter and laughter everywhere. After a period of water baptism, people form a circle and dance with the accompaniment of gongs and elephant-foot drums, regardless of nationality, age and occupation. When excited, people also burst into cheers of "water, water, water". Some men drink while jumping, and stay up all night.
"Lost Packet" is the most romantic, and it is often a special game for unmarried Dai youth. "Bao" is a token of love. It is carefully made by Dai girls with cotton seeds in it, and the four corners of the bag are decorated with colorful flowers. When the bag is lost, men and women stand in a row on the grassy lawn. First, the Dai girl throws the bag to the young man, and then the young man throws it to the girl to convey their feelings. In this way, the flowers flew around, and finally the feelings exchanged to a certain extent. The two sides quietly withdrew from the packet loss field and found a quiet place to whisper to each other.
At the Water-Splashing Festival, young people carry water and splash it like silver flowers in full bloom.
traditional festivals of Dai, Achang, De 'ang, Brown, Wa and other ethnic groups. Dai language calls the New Year "Jingbimai" and the Songkran Festival "Hounan". Therefore, the Songkran Festival is a symbol of the alternation of the old and the new in the Dai calendar year.
Water-splashing Festival usually lasts for three to five days in the middle of April in Gregorian calendar and June in Dai calendar. The first day is called "Wandosanli", which means New Year's Eve, and the last day is called "Wanba Wanma", which means "the day when the king of days comes", which is New Year's Day. The middle is called "wrist brain", which means "empty day". Every festival, we should carry out activities such as splashing water, losing bags, rowing dragon boats, flying high, worshiping Buddha, and catching up with others.
In the early morning of the first day of the festival, people gathered flowers and green leaves to worship in the Buddhist temple, and built four or five towers in the temple. Secular beings sat around the towers, listened to the Buddha chanting, and then carried the Buddha to the courtyard. Women in the whole village came to fetch clear water to welcome the Buddha. After the Buddhist temple ceremony, young men and women quit splashing water on each other for fun, so mass splashing water activities began. People use copper bowls, washbasins and even buckets to hold water, crowd out of the streets and lanes, play chase, and splash it at everyone. Folk believe that this is auspicious water, blessed water, which can eliminate disasters and diseases, so people splash and pour it as much as they like, regardless of whether they are splashed or splashed, although they are soaked from head to toe, they are still very happy. I saw a blossoming spray in full bloom in the crowd, forming a rainbow under the reflection of sunlight, full of laughter and laughter everywhere.
In addition to splashing water, there are also mass singing and dancing activities. Old people from 7 to 8 years old to dolls from 7 to 8 years old put on holiday costumes and came to the village square. Men, women and children formed a circle and danced with mang gongs and drums. Some dance "peacock dance", some dance "Yula Ah", and some improvise, singing and dancing, with beautiful movements, distinct rhythm and moving songs. Jump into high spirits, or burst into cheers of "water, water, water", or end with the song of "Yula, Yula". Some men drink while jumping, such as drunkenness, staying up all night, and even getting drunk on the dance floor.