1. Celebrating the Miao Year
The Miao Year is the age of the Miao people. The time of the Miao Year in different places is very inconsistent. In most areas, it is "from the beginning of the year to winter and March, and each has its own time." 1. "The beginning of the year is the beginning of each year, which means the New Year. Some are in October, and some are in the winter or twelfth lunar month. In recent years, the vast majority of the Miao people have changed their New Year celebrations to the first month of the year and the Spring Festival, but the customs and habits of the Miao people still remain unchanged. The Chinese New Year is the biggest festival, and rich foods should be prepared, such as killing New Year pigs, smoking bacon, making glutinous rice cakes, frying fried rice, and killing chickens to worship ancestors, "keep up the New Year's Eve", open "wealth gates", and honor the "New Year God". In winter, people have to rest from the first day to the fifteenth day of the lunar month. During this period, traditional entertainment activities will be held, which are translated into Chinese as "stepping on the flower mountain", "jumping on the field", "jumping over the year", "jumping over the moon", "eating paijia rice", etc. The entertainment activities during the Spring Festival in western Hunan are called "New Year Festivals", and the main contents include playing on swings, playing with lions, playing with dragon lanterns, singing lanterns, etc.
2. Hundred Lions Club
The most interesting folk activity during the Miao New Year is the Hundred Lions Club. Miao people from neighboring villages dance with nearly a hundred or dozens of lions. Gathering in traditional villages or market towns, beating gongs and drums, shooting blunderbuss and firing muskets, it's almost like turning the world upside down. The Hundred Lions Club has many tricks, such as welcoming lions, holding lions, testing lions, robbing lions, lions climbing, etc. It is rustic, full of Miao flavor, and has a rich cultural heritage.
The Miao people’s love of lion dance is related to ancient legends and Tubai. It is said that in the prehistoric era, demons were rampant and harmed the Miao Mountains. A group of golden lions rushed out of the forest and drove away the demons that devoured cattle, sheep and crops, allowing the Miao family to enjoy peace again. Later, the cunning devil came up with a poisonous plan. The witch used colorful hydrangeas to lure the lions into the rough East China Sea. In order to save his fellow villagers from the sea of ??misery, Yaguo, a brave descendant of the Miao family, braved all kinds of hardships and waded through mountains and rivers. Finally, he picked up the hydrangea floating on the waves, led the auspicious lions back to Miao Mountain, and calmed down the mountain. Evil monsters. Miao people happily flocked to the village head to welcome the auspicious golden lions, beating gongs and drums. From then on, the Miao Township had the "Hundred Lions Club".
Myth is a reflection of life. The primitive and barbaric sunshine penetrates the clouds of history and shines on the present. The "Hundred Lions Club" is actually the ancient great migration of the Miao people. "The Ballad of Migration" sings: "Our ancestors were in the East China Sea, crossing ninety-nine streams, and walking mightily..." Those monsters and monsters refer to the natural disasters encountered along the way.
The Hundred Lions Club is usually held after the third day of the first lunar month of the Spring Festival. The Hundred Lions dance wildly and go from house to house to pay New Year greetings to the Miao family.
When a lion enters the house, the smart host follows the custom of placing a small square table at the door, a washbasin, and a white towel, both to welcome the lion and to test it to see if it is smart and flexible. . Of course, the lion understands the virtuousness of his master. On the New Year's Day, he should wash away the dust and dust before paying New Year greetings. The smiling Arhat who threw the hydrangea took the initiative to pick up a white towel and "wash" the lion's face. The host was so happy that he removed the square table and the face plate and let the lion leap into the house. Some Miao families are more cunning; the three doors in front of the main room are opened at the same time, and a big turtle is being painted in the main room. On the table of the Eight Immortals under the memorial tablet of the family, they drink a bowl of wine in the middle, and the remaining two bowls. Respect the sky and lay a bowl on the ground. After completing these routines in one breath, the lion can stand leaning on the table, jump up and bite off the "red seal" hanging on the ceiling, shake its head and tail to bow to the host's family in New Year greetings. Then exit the gate and find another home.
The Miao flavor of "Panshi" is stronger. The door of the owner's house is open, and the wax light is shining. Red silk is hung in front of the hall, and "Feng'er" is placed. The male host wore a silk handkerchief around his waist and leggings, and stood blocking the door. When the lion jumped in with its head and tail wagging, he roared wildly, grabbed the lion's beard, raised the lion's head and asked loudly: "Lion, where do you come from?" Of course, the "lion" was flexible and quickly replied: "Lion, I come from the east!" The master did not give up and continued to cross-examine: "Come from the east, did you take the water route or the land route?" This was not a problem for the lion, and it flicked its head. , broke away from the master's house and roared: "Lion, I am coming in the clouds and mist"! Seeing that the lion could not be troubled, the owner asked anxiously: "Lion, what did you bring?" The lion replied with a smile: "I'm bringing good luck to you!" The owner's face was filled with joy and he asked: "Where are you going, lion?" The "lion" naturally replied: "I'm going to the west." The owner asked, "Lion, what are you taking with you?" "Lion" answered simply: "I will bring disaster and plague"! The auspicious blessing made the host beam with joy, and shouted: "Manu! Manu!" (in Miao language, it means "good!") The lion took the opportunity to jump into the main room, took off the red silk seal, wished the owner Bai New Year, and left quickly .
In Miao Township, if a lion dancer does not have extraordinary martial arts, not only will he not be rewarded, but he will also be ridiculed, because lions have to jump through fire rings, jump over tables, and stand in the air to celebrate the New Year. Without excellent skills, they will never be rewarded. .
Compared with the height of the Lion Stool, jumping over a table to get a reward pales in comparison. Thirty-six Eight Immortals tables overlap on the open ground, just like a steep hill. There is a small square table at the top with its legs turned upward. As usual, the small square table turned upside down is indispensable. Amidst the loud sounds of gongs and drums, the exciting lion dance began. The leaping lion followed the boxer who was performing tricks and nimbly penetrated the table holes and jumped over the table. When the lion climbed to the top of the "Table Tower," Boxer blew the horn. The "lion" vigorously stepped on the four inverted legs of the small square table, and performed thrilling stunts by spinning in circles. First, the lion's head danced in all directions, worshiping heaven and earth. Then, they jump onto the top of the erected wooden pole to "spread the wings of the eagle"; or the lion dancer puts his head on the edge of the steel blade and stands upside down to "boil the fish to support the sky". The most exciting trick is called "Carp Beach". The lion roared several times, jumped down from the "table tower", and landed steadily on the ground. No lion dancer who is not a skilled martial artist would not dare to try this move easily.
3. Solitaire
Miao Solitaire can be divided into large-scale village Solitaire and family Solitaire. The two activities only differ in scale, and their processes are basically the same. "Jilong" is usually held at dawn, and the ceremony is grand and lively. The main room of the new residence is filled with candles, a large bamboo mat is spread out, and five pieces of red, yellow, black, white, and green colored cloths and five-color paper are laid out.
4. Eating Paijia rice
The most interesting thing about celebrating the Miao New Year is "eating Paijia rice". The Miao people are a hospitable nation. For thousands of years, the Miao people have followed this rule: in the same village, no matter which family has a guest or the number of guests, every household in the village must take turns to invite them. , do your best to entertain guests warmly. Guests who are invited must not refuse with any excuse, otherwise they will be considered to be looking down on others. When guests accept the invitation, they do not need to bring any gifts. Only when every household has eaten can they say goodbye and go home. The Miao people call their way of entertaining guests "Nonglielang", which literally translates into Chinese as "eating paijia rice". The reputation of a village with a large number of households and a long period of time for guests to eat "paijia meal" will be higher. Not only are there people who listen to what I say, but there are also people who help me with what I do. It is much easier for a young man to find a partner than in other villages.
Everyone who has read "The Peach Blossom Spring" by Tao Yuanming, a great poet of the Jin Dynasty, has been deeply attracted by this description: "When he sees a fish man, he invites him back home, sets up wine and kills chickens. Make food". Because of this special way of treating guests, the "fisherman" had to stay in the Peach Blossom Spring for several days before "resigning."
If you want to fulfill the fisherman’s wish, Miaoshan is the land of peach blossoms!
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4. Miao Family Dao Ladder
Climbing the Dao Ladder is a traditional custom of the Miao people. Whenever they attend New Year fairs or major folk festivals, they will There are warriors performing a show of climbing up the knife ladder. The equipment of the knife ladder is a wooden pole more than ten meters high. Thirty-six steel knives are cut on the pole. The steel knives are one foot and five inches long and the back of the knife is 0.5 to 1 centimeter thick. The blade is sharp and the edge is upward. Knife ladder, fastened with bolts. One foot per ladder is a thirty-six-knife ladder. The poles are fixed with wires around them, and various colorful flags are tied to the top of the ladder, symbolizing hope and victory. Those who climb the sword ladder must have courage, skill and martial arts. Climbing up from the first level, the knives are sharper than the last. When you reach the top of the ladder, you put your hair on the knife and it breaks into two pieces. Those who climb the ladder must perform performances such as hanging the golden hook upside down, spreading the wings of a big roc, sitting on a lotus with Guanyin, and twisting the roots of an ancient tree to show off their skills. Climbing the knife ladder is a thrilling performance, done by a hero, and a manifestation of the past life of the Miao people, which is full of blood, sweat, sweetness and beauty. The viewers are all amazed.