Folk customs in various regions
1. The plain and elegant clothing of the Jinuo people
The clothes and skirts of the Jinuo people are made of clothes and skirts specially woven by this ethnic group. Cloth is sewn, and the patterns on the skirts are cleverly arranged during the weaving process. All patterns that can be woven are woven on the cloth during the weaving process. Therefore, fabrics can be divided into top fabrics and skirt fabrics, which generally cannot be mixed. Traditional clothing uses white and black as the basic colors. Due to backward textile technology, the woven cotton lacks a tight and smooth feel and is similar to linen. The Jinuo people love embroidery patterns, and both men's and women's clothing like to be decorated with horizontal and straight colored strips and geometric patterns. The men's jacket is a collarless, buttonless cardigan, made of white cloth woven with crisscross colorful strips. There are colorful stripes on the top of the top above the chest, and the horizontal stripes are colorful and extremely conspicuous. There is a 6-inch square pattern in the center of the back of the clothes, with radiating lines around it, opening like a sunflower. But it still looks like the sun is shining. The Jino language calls this pattern "Boloabo", which means sun flower and moon flower. The edge of the skirt, the base of the sleeves, elbows and cuffs are all inlaid with several conspicuous horizontal colorful strips. The white top is decorated with specially woven patterns and red, yellow, blue and black stripes to create a colorful floral dress.
Men's trousers are white trousers with wide crotches and fat legs. The edges of the trousers are also inlaid with horizontal red, black and white stripes. There is a 3-inch-long slit on each side of the wide trousers waistband, sewn with a square piece of black cloth. The white trousers are folded in front and tied at the waist with a belt decorated with colorful tassels. The man has three locks of long hair on his head and is wrapped with a black turban more than 1 meter long. There is a foot wrap wrapped around the calf. Men's clothes are thick and loose, and when worn on the body, they enhance the man's strong, powerful and heroic appearance. Women corset their chests with pieces of cloth woven with colored strips and embroidered with patterns. The colors of the tops are mostly cyan, black, collarless, and open-fronted. The edges of the tops and sleeves are decorated with horizontal stripes of red, yellow, black, and white. All women, young and old, wear a knee-length apron with a white upper end and a black lower end. The skirt is decorated with red stripes and is opened and closed in front of the abdomen and tied around the waist. Adult women wear a pointed triangular white cloth hat woven with vertical colorful strips. The corners of the hat on both sides hang down over the shoulders. The brim of the hat is turned outwards at the forehead. A sharp-topped white bamboo basket is buckled on the back of the head. Unmarried women prefer to have their hair tied behind their heads, while married women prefer to have their hair tied above their foreheads. Women's clothing is simple yet elegant, making Jinuo girls look charming.
The distinctive feature of Jinuo clothing is the use of colorful strips to decorate the sleeves, edges of the skirt and back. People decorate their clothes with colorful strips, which are said to be related to the rainbow in the sky. According to folklore, in ancient times, there was a man and woman from the Jinuo ethnic group who were in love and inseparable. A very vicious rich man saw that the girl was extremely beautiful, and he became malicious and used a trick to kidnap the girl and force her to get married. When the girl refused, she was beaten to death and bruised all over her body. Her lover went through all kinds of hardships to rescue the girl. The two of them escaped from the tiger's mouth, but the rich man and his men chased them. The young man was hit by several arrows in his leg and fell to the ground. When the disaster was approaching, several rainbows appeared in the sky and entangled the lovers. They emitted colorful lights and forced the rich man back. The lovers soared into the sky surrounded by rainbows... Therefore, when later generations sewed clothes, they used colorful strips to symbolize the rainbow, in order to seek good luck and avoid disasters.
2. Folk customs in Kunming
Kunming is a multi-ethnic city with 26 ethnic groups living in it. The Han, Yi, Hui and Bai ethnic groups that form concentrated villages or mixed villages and streets , Miao, Hani, Zhuang, Dai, Lisu and other ethnic groups. In the long-term production and life, various ethnic groups have influenced each other and integrated, while at the same time maintaining their own national traditions and continuing many unique lifestyles, folk customs, culture and art. Compatriots of all ethnic groups living in Kunming are warm and hospitable, good at singing and dancing, and have simple folk customs. Whether it is their etiquette for dealing with others, unique food, colorful costumes, different styles of residential buildings, and interesting weddings, they can It makes people feel the distinctive national characteristics.
Among the many ethnic festivals, the Yi people's "Torch Festival", the Bai people's "March Street", "Rao Sanling", the Dai people's "Water Splashing Festival", the Miao people's "Stepping on the Flower Mountain", the Su The Su people's "Knife Rod Festival" has long been famous, and the festival activities are rich and colorful. During every festival, people of all ethnic groups will put on their own hand-embroidered and dyed ethnic costumes and gather together from all directions to hold activities such as wrestling, bullfighting, and antiphonal singing. According to the seasons of the year, many customs are very popular among the people, such as the Xishan Tune Festival on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, the spring outing in the Golden Palace on the ninth day of the first lunar month, the climbing of Luo Peak on the Double Ninth Festival, and the grand moon viewing on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Kunming has a wide variety of local literature and art, such as Yunnan opera, lanterns, Kunqu opera, folk songs and minor tunes, as well as ethnic minority operas, folk narrative poems, folk legends, etc., which have been developed and praised for hundreds of years and are enjoyed by the broad masses of the people. .
3. Tutoring of the Buyi people Tutoring is a way for the older generation to teach the younger generation the ethics and morals of their own nation. It can also be called family training. The Buyi people believe: "If the family education is not strict, it will harm the children and grandchildren."
The Buyi people are polite and hospitable, frugal and courteous, respect the old and love the young, support good and curb evil, which is the example and sincerity of the older generation's strict self-discipline. Cultivated by the teachings. The old Buyi people often encourage themselves: "The prosperity of a family depends entirely on people, and the growth of trees and leaves depends entirely on roots."
Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, very few Buyi people entered school. Death and life are all within the scope of the family.
Therefore, the Buyi family is the educational base for their children throughout their lives, and tutoring is a lifelong education method.
Tutoring for the Buyi people starts from childhood. "If you don't push things when they are small, they will bend when they are big." "If you don't teach or teach, your outlook on the world will deteriorate." These are the words of the old man who warned young parents. Young parents always follow the behavioral norms passed down from the older generation, and try their best to teach their children by example with a loving attitude, so as to prevent their children from getting into the bad habits of arrogance, laziness, and greed. They educate children. "The burdens must be tied tightly, and the work must be done with etiquette", "Foolish people don't study, scholars are not stupid", "Smart people fight for time, fools spend time", "The corridors are dripping with sugar and water, and the younger generations learn from the elders."
The education of the elderly to the young focuses on how to behave. For example: "Eat more when it's delicious, don't talk too much about what's good", "Don't rob others to eat when you're a parent; don't cheat others when you're there", "Be outspoken when communicating, and be polite when doing things." "In the first place", "If your neighbors are in trouble, you will have to help them, if your house is falling, you will have everyone to support you", "There is never too much wealth in the righteous way, but don't touch the ill-gotten wealth", "You should take care of fools more, but help less spiritual people" etc. wait.
Traditional Buyi families follow a patriarchal system, with the eldest being the eldest. There are many families with three or four generations living under the same roof, which provides the soil and conditions for tutoring. For the Buyi people who work outside the home or serve as officials, the old man’s words of warning include: “To be an official, you need to know culture, and to be an official, you need to understand the king’s laws.”, “A clear river can see the bottom, and an official can see the heart.” The people are crying in front of my eyes." ...
The Buyi people have a tradition of tutoring from generation to generation. When a bride gets married, her mother will sing "Marriage Training Daughter" to educate the bride: "Heaven is everyone's heaven, and parents are their own heaven. You should leave delicious food to your parents-in-law. If you don't keep it, people will say you don't understand." Ritual..."
When an elderly Buyi nationality is critically ill and dying, the famous elders in the village will sing the "Legendary Song" to their children on behalf of the critically ill elderly man. Instruct future generations on the inheritance of the old man: "Brothers should share with each other... sisters should share with each other. Don't quarrel if you are narrow-minded, and don't fight if you are angry, so as not to be embarrassed in front of the old man, and also to avoid being embarrassed in front of your friends."
大 In family life, younger generations often witness what the elders do, and parents often lead by example and set an example for the next generation. The old man often asks the next person to make up for his mistakes. This kind of constantly improving tutoring benefits the nation, the people, the country and the family, and has produced a large number of outstanding Buyi children - Li Qi from Xiaodejiang Village, Zhongshan Township, Luoping County. Influenced by Buyi tutors since childhood, he is hardworking, simple and courageous when he sees justice. . In the early 1940s, he led young people to fight against the local tyrants and evil gentry. After joining the guerrillas and party organizations, he took on logistical work and traveled from village to village to raise food and funds. When the troops went out to open up new areas, he often made preparations to arrange food and accommodation for the troops before they arrived at their destination. He worked hard and without complaint for many years. After Li Jiaqi unfortunately fell into the clutches of the devil, he remained strong and brave in the face of torture by the enemy. In the end, his tongue was cut off, his skin was skinned, and his muscles were cramped, and he died a heroic death. It shows the noble integrity of a Communist Party member of the Buyi ethnic group.
Xiong Xiufen, a Buyi daughter who has served as the eighth, ninth and tenth deputy county magistrate of Luoping County, has been honest and self-disciplined throughout her life, lives a simple life, works hard and is approachable. When he was the deputy county magistrate, he was in charge of cadre and personnel work, but his lover was a farmer. Although Xiong had deep feelings for her husband, she did not arrange a job for her husband because he had the power in his hands. Before she died, several county officials asked her to make personal requests. She only asked that after her death, the funeral should be simple. When asked if her husband and children needed any care, Deputy County Magistrate Xiong was silent for a while before replying: "My wife is a good old man who is used to living in the countryside and is diligent and quick. There are many chores in the county government guest house, and she often Looking for a temporary worker. During the busy season, please give him priority to work as a temporary worker in the guest house."
The tutoring of the Buyi people is one of our country's precious moral heritages. If an official can be familiar with and accept some Buyi family training, he can avoid falling into the pit of corruption and sin; if a citizen can be familiar with and accept some Buyi family training, he can become a civilized and kind-hearted person. people.
4. Miao folk customs
The ancestors of the Miao people gathered in the "Five Streams" area during the Qin and Han Dynasties, which is today's western Hunan, eastern Guizhou and other places. In ancient Chinese classics, there are records about the ancestors of the Miao people more than 5,000 years ago. These are the clans and tribes known as the "Southern Barbarians" from the Yellow River Basin to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The Miao people have a long history, and their ancestors may have been part of the ancient Sannan. One theory is that it originated from the "Zong" people in the Yin and Zhou Dynasties. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, they mainly lived in the areas of western Hunan and eastern Guizhou, and were included in the names of "Changsha and Wulingbian" or "Wuxi Barbarians". Later, they gradually migrated and were scattered in mountainous areas in the southwest. There are also people who are believed to be related to the ancient "Jiuli" "Related. The Miao people in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Hunan still regard Chi You as their ancestor. Legend has it that Chi You was the king of "Jiuli". 5,000 years ago, the Jiuli tribe clashed with the Huangdi tribe and was defeated and withdrew from the lower reaches of the Yellow River and occupied the middle of the Yangtze River. , downstream. After the 2nd century BC, most of the Miao ancestors had moved to Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou and other places. The Miao people in Hainan were soldiers who came from Guangxi in the 16th century. >
The Miao people mainly live in the southeastern part of Guizhou Province, the Damiao Mountains of Guangxi, Hainan Island and the junction areas of Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and other provinces. The Miao people have a long history. In ancient Chinese classics, there are records about the ancestors of the Miao people more than 5,000 years ago. These are the clans and tribes known as the "Southern Barbarians" from the Yellow River Basin to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
The Miao people have no written language, and the Miao language belongs to the Miao branch of the Miao-Yao group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Miao people live in high mountain areas and mainly focus on agriculture, and their crops include upland rice. They include cereals, buckwheat, potatoes and beans, and the cash crop is hemp. They usually grow hemp themselves and spin it themselves. The Miao people have rich folk oral literature, such as ancient songs, poems, love songs, etc. The Miao people are also good at dancing, and Lusheng dance is the most popular.
The Miao population in Yunnan is 907,000, accounting for 12.2% of China’s Miao population. They mainly live in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Zhaotong area, and Wuding, Luquan and other counties. The Miao people have their own spoken and written language.
The Miao people have their own language. The Miao language is divided into three major dialects: Xiangxi, Eastern Guizhou and Sichuan-Guizhou-Dian. After 1956, a text scheme in the form of Latin letters was designed. Due to the long-term exchanges between the Miao people and the Han people, a large part of the Miao people are proficient in Chinese and use Chinese.
The Miao area is mainly based on agriculture, supplemented by hunting. The Miao people's arts and crafts such as cross-stitching, embroidery, brocade, batik, paper-cutting, and jewelry making are magnificent and colorful and well-known at home and abroad. Among them, the batik craft of the Miao people has a history of thousands of years. There are more than 130 kinds of Miao costumes, which can be compared with the costumes of any ethnic group in the world. The Miao people are good at singing and dancing, and are particularly famous for their love songs and drinking songs. Lusheng is the most representative musical instrument of the Miao people.
The Miao people are famous for their ability to sing and dance. The Miao people are especially rich in folk songs. Every year on the second day of the first lunar month or May 5th, the Huashan Festival (i.e., stepping on the Huashan Mountain), young men and women gather together to play drums and dance Lusheng dance. They sing lyrical songs to seek a spouse, and at the same time hold flower pole climbing and fortune-telling competitions. The Miao people are good at weaving with linen, embroidery, and batik. Their exquisite craftsmanship has won praises at home and abroad. Young men and women like to wear "five-color spotted clothes", which combine batik and embroidery and are gorgeous. The Miao people are mainly engaged in family business. In the past, hunting was a major sideline activity. Bows, crossbows and muskets were often used to hunt prey, and the distribution method of "hunting birds from across the mountain, and whoever saw them would get a share" was implemented. Some Miao compatriots believe in folk polytheism and Christianity.
Etiquette
The Miao people attach great importance to etiquette. When guests come to visit, they will kill chickens and ducks to entertain them warmly. If they are distinguished guests from afar, the Miao people are accustomed to treat the guests to drink horn wine first. When eating chicken, the chicken head should be given to the elder among the guests, and the chicken legs should be given to the youngest guest. In some places, there is also the custom of dividing chicken hearts, that is, the eldest host in the family uses chopsticks to give chicken or duck hearts to the guests, but the guests cannot eat them themselves and must divide the chicken hearts equally among the elderly people present. If the guest is a light drinker and doesn't like to eat fatty meat, it can explain the situation. If the host does not force the meal, but does not eat and drink enough, it will be regarded as looking down on the host.
The Miao people value true feelings and are very enthusiastic, and most avoid glitz and hypocrisy. The host should not take the first step when meeting a guest on the road or walk in front; use honorifics in conversation; wear festive clothes when welcoming guests; serve wine outside the village to greet distinguished guests; when guests arrive at the door, the host should call the door and inform them The hostess at home should open the door with a song to welcome the guests; in front of the guests, the hostess should not climb up the stairs; at the banquet, chickens and ducks are served as delicacies to guests, especially the heart and liver are the most precious, and should be given to the guests or the elder first. Then, the guests will share the dishes for everyone to enjoy, the order is the oldest first and then the youngest. Guests should not call the host "Miaozi", they like to call themselves "Meng".
Clothes
It is the nature of Miao girls to wear silver jewelry. They put their hair in a bun on their head and wear exquisite silver flower crowns about 20 centimeters high. There are 6 embroidered flowers in the front. Most of the uneven silver wings are decorated with the pattern of two dragons playing with beads. In some areas, in addition to silver pieces, silver horns about 1 meter high are also inserted into the silver crowns. The tips of the horns are decorated with colorful flowers, which makes them more noble and gorgeous. On the lower edge of the silver crown, a silver flower belt hangs, and a row of small silver flower pendants hangs down. There are several layers of silver necklaces worn around the neck, mostly made of silver flowers and small silver rings. He wears a silver lock and a silver collar on his chest, a silver cloak on his chest and back, and many small silver bells hanging down. Earrings and bracelets are all made of silver. Only two sleeves show embroidery with fiery red as the main tone, but the cuffs are also inlaid with a wider circle of silver ornaments. The costumes worn by Miao girls often weigh several kilograms, and some of them are accumulated and inherited by generations of people. It is known as the "fairy in colorful clothes and silver costumes". The craftsmanship of Miao silver jewelry is gorgeous, sophisticated and ingenious, fully demonstrating the wisdom and talent of the Miao people. Miao costumes vary from place to place. Men mostly use cloth to wrap their heads and wear shorts and shorts. However, Miao women are generally more particular about their clothing, especially their costumes, which are extremely exquisite and have many floral decorations. Some skirts have more than forty layers, hence the name "Miao". Pleated Skirt.” The various patterns embroidered on the dresses are antique and colorful. Women are good at textiles, embroidery, and batik, and their craftsmanship is very exquisite.
Customs
When visiting a Miao family, remember not to eat chicken heads. Guests are generally not allowed to serve chicken livers, offal, and drumsticks. Chicken gallbladders and offal are reserved for elderly women, while chicken drumsticks are reserved for children. When you leave the Miao host's house, you must politely say "Wow Zhou", which means "thank you", and thank the Miao family for their hospitality.
In some Miao areas, it is forbidden to wash drinking bowls, rice bags, and rice bowls at any time. They can only wash them when eating new rice, as a sign of getting rid of the old rice and welcoming the new rice. Washing at any time will wash away the wealth of the family, and there will not be enough food to eat. When drinking raw water on the mountain, avoid drinking it directly. You must first put a grass mark on it to show that you will kill the sick and ghosts. Avoid touching other people's clothes left on the roadside to avoid spreading leprosy. It is forbidden for children to play with small bows and arrows at home, for fear of hitting their ancestors. Avoid crossing the child's head, otherwise the child will not grow taller. It is forbidden for women to sit on the same bench as their elders.
Marriage Customs
The Miao people are monogamous, and young men and women have traditional social activities before marriage. For example, "Meeting Girls" is a way for Miao young people to fall in love freely. The traditional festival of the Miao people is the annual Huashan Festival (held on the fifth day of the first lunar month, also known as "Stepping on the Flower Mountain"). This is the most popular festival for the Miao people. During the festival, young men and women dressed in festive costumes gather to sing antiphons and perform step-stepping. Drums, lion dance and Lusheng dance are very lively.
Glutinous rice is also an indispensable food in the marriage process of young men and women. The Miao people in Chengbu, Hunan, give each other glutinous rice cakes painted with mandarin ducks as tokens. During a wedding, the bride and groom drink cups of wine, and the officiant invites the bride and groom to eat glutinous rice cakes painted with dragons, phoenixes and dolls.
Food Customs
The Miao people in most areas have rice as their staple food for three meals a day. Fried food is the most common fried food. If you add some fresh meat and sauerkraut as filling, the taste will be more delicious.
Most of the meat comes from livestock and poultry breeding. The Miao people in Sichuan, Yunnan and other places like to eat dog meat. There is a saying that "the dogs of the Miao people are the wine of the Yi people". In addition to animal oil, the edible oils of the Miao family are mostly camellia oil and vegetable oil.
Chili is the main condiment. In some areas, there is even a saying that "no dish can be made without spicy food". The Miao people have a wide variety of dishes. Common vegetables include beans, melons, green vegetables, and radishes. Most of the Miao people are good at making soy products.
The Miao people in various places generally like to eat sour dishes, and sour soup is a must-have for every household. Sour soup is made from rice soup or tofu water. After fermentation in an earthen pot for 3-5 days, it can be used to cook meat, fish, and vegetables.
The Miao people generally use the pickling method to preserve their food. Vegetables, chickens, ducks, fish, and meat all like to be pickled to make them sour. Almost every household of the Miao people has a jar for pickling food, collectively called a sour jar.
The Miao people have a long history of brewing wine and have a complete set of techniques from making koji, fermentation, distillation, blending and cellaring. Camellia oleifera is the most common daily beverage. The Miao people in western Hunan also make a special kind of Wanhua tea. Sour soup is also a common drink.
Typical foods mainly include: blood soup, chili bone, Miaoxiang turtle and phoenix soup, cotton cake, insect tea, ten thousand flower tea, pounded fish, fish in sour soup, etc.
Festivals
The Miao people used to believe in animism, worship nature, and worship their ancestors. There are many festivals. In addition to traditional New Year festivals and sacrificial festivals, there are also festivals specifically related to eating. Such as: Duck Eating Festival, New Eating Festival, Fish Killing Festival, Tea Picking Festival, etc. In addition to preparing wine and meat for the festival, seasonal food is also necessary.
Miao Year The Miao Year usually begins on the first Mao day of the first lunar month and lasts for three, five or fifteen days. Before the New Year, every household must prepare a sumptuous New Year's meal. In addition to slaughtering pigs and sheep (cows), they must also prepare plenty of glutinous rice wine. The New Year's meal is rich, with emphasis on "all seven colors" and "all five flavors", and the best glutinous rice is used to make "New Year cake". Treat each other to feasts and give gifts.
The Fish Killing Festival is usually held on the riverside. Women bring rice, bacon, sausages and other food and drinks. As soon as they catch a fish, they light a bonfire and cook the fish in a pot until they are satisfied.
"Drum Sacrifice Festival" is the largest sacrificial activity among the Miao people. Generally, there is a small sacrifice every seven years and a big sacrifice every thirteen years. It is held on Yihai day from October to November of the lunar calendar. At that time, a Guzi ox will be killed, the Lusheng dance will be performed, and the ancestors will be paid homage to. Invite relatives and friends to gather together during meals in order to enhance feelings and family harmony.
Traveling on Huashan Mountain is a grand traditional festival for the Miao people in the territory. It is usually held on the first, third and sixth day of the first lunar month every year. In all counties where the Miao people live, flower poles will be erected in these days and grand flower climbing activities will be held. This is not only a good time for Miao young men and women to fall in love, but also an important place for Miao people to carry out cultural, sports and entertainment activities. Men, women and children of the Miao family, dressed in gold and silver, came from all directions to the foot of the flower pole to play reeds, play jingle, jump on tripods, play machetes, bullfight, wrestle, fight thrushes, and climb flower poles.
The Back Beating Festival is popular in some areas of Funing County. It is held every year from the third to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It is a festival for young men and women of the Miao ethnic group. During the festival, young men and women gather happily on a beautiful hillside. When the spanking begins, the men rush out in large numbers and rush to the girl they have chosen. One hand holds the girl's neck and the other hand covers the girl's eyes. The other boys go Hit her back. Not to be outdone, the girl laughed and struggled. When he breaks free, he catches the young man and treats him in his own way. Throughout the venue, men chased women and danced happily. When they are tired of playing, both men and women will find a place to make a local phone call (that is, use two bamboo tubes with a long line in the middle, and you can hear each other talking or singing into the bamboo tube on one side), pouring out sweet words to each other, and forming a bond. companion. After you are in love, tell your parents and choose an auspicious day to get married.
Architecture
Due to long-term dispersed living, different regions have developed their own characteristics. Most of the houses are wooden structures with roofs of tiles, cedar bark or thatch. Central Guizhou or Western Guizhou The area is covered with thin stone slabs. In mountainous areas, there are mostly stilted buildings; in places such as Hainan Island and Zhaotong, Yunnan, people live in long thatched houses or "fork houses" made of crossed tree trunks; in the area in western Hunan, they live in stone houses.
The Miao people mostly live in mountainous areas. Their houses mostly use tree fences as walls, peeled bark as walls, and weaving as tiles, or they use people to build walls and bamboo or wood chips to make tiles. The interior is divided into bedrooms and kitchens. and stables, furnished simply. Some Miao people live in the dam area, and their houses also have tile-roofed houses with a water and soil structure. They are divided into three rooms. The left and right rooms have doors on each side, and the middle room has a main door, which is the main entrance.
Among some Miao people, the main entrance is generally not allowed to be entered or exited casually. Only when there are weddings, funerals, or sacrificial events at home, can the main entrance be used.
5. Naxi marriage customs
The Naxi people in the Lijiang Dam area in the past had the deepening influence of Han culture on the marriage of the Naxi people in the Lijiang Dam area due to the policy of reforming the native land and returning them to the locals in 1723. The system of monogamy and parental arranged marriage. The marriage of children is decided by their parents, and is arranged by a matchmaker, who hires them with cattle, sheep, pigs and wine. Marriage pays attention to the traditional ethics of the Han people, such as being from the right family, the three obediences and the four virtues, and the husband and wife accompanying each other. There are many marriages between Naxi people in Lijiang and Han and Tibetan people. Within the same ethnic group, people with the same surname and different clans can intermarry, but people from the same family are absolutely prohibited from marrying. Getting married involves the following procedures: betrothal, invitation to drink, and wedding ceremony:
Betrothal is called "Riben" in Naxi language, which means "give two away". Boys grow to five. When he was six years old, his parents paid attention to finding a wife for him. They asked fortune tellers or priests Dongba to arrange their horoscopes, tell their birthdays, or go to temples to burn incense and ask for fortune-telling. If the girl in the photo matches their son's birthday, the parents will ask the matchmaker to bring a jug of wine to the girl's house to tell the story for their son. If the girl's parents agree, the wedding will be held on a date when the girl is about ten years old. When getting engaged, the groom's family must give gifts to the woman. The first time is called "little wine". The man gives the bride's family two liters of white rice (about 20 kilograms), a jar of wine (about 5 kilograms), two to four boxes of brown sugar, Two bags of tea. Sugar, tea, and wine are indispensable gifts. The amount of other gifts depends on the man's wealth. After a small drink, either party can regret it if they feel that the marriage is not appropriate. If the woman wants to break off the engagement, she must. Return the gifts received to the groom's family in full: If the groom's family wants to break the contract, just inform the woman of the decision.
After a year and a half of drinking, the groom's family will give a second gift to the woman's family. The gift is called "big wine". In addition to the gift of small wine, you also need to give a piece of cloth (about 7 feet), two pieces of clothing, a pair of jade or silver bracelets, thirty pounds of pork, and some cash. The bride and groom are dressed in red and colorful clothes and sent to the bride's house by the matchmaker and relatives and friends of the groom's family. A pot of wine and two boxes of brown sugar or some straw are given as oral gifts to the groom's family. The groom's family will then offer the gift of wine to their ancestors and entertain their relatives and friends.
The day after sending the "big wine", the groom's family went to the bride's family to get married. From then on, the two families began to visit each other every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Winter Solstice. Ask the matchmaker to bring a plate of rice (about 5 kilograms), two bags of tea, and two boxes of brown sugar to the bride's family. In some places, when the harvest is busy, the man will ask his unmarried daughter-in-law to help cut wheat for a day, and choose to give one or two loads of high-quality wheat as a gift to the woman. , as a woman's "private house." Every Spring Festival, unmarried men and women each find a companion to accompany them to each other's home for New Year greetings. If either party has something to do at home, the other party can go to help, but unmarried couples cannot talk or contact each other and must strictly abide by traditional ethics.
When a man and a woman are about twenty years old, they choose an auspicious day to hold a wedding. The Naxi language is called "Chu Meiru", which means "taking a wife". The capable elders of the groom's family assign people from the same family to organize the wedding. A few days before the wedding, a large tent is set up in the yard of the groom's house, and a wedding memorial arch is built at the gate and in the courtyard. Wealthy people also hang palace lanterns, calligraphy and paintings, and hang lanterns and festoons on the doorframe of the wedding room. Insert three arrows made of willow or peach into the blank sieve, and write the four words "Qilin is here" on the well to ward off evil spirits and gain blessings.
The day before the official wedding. , the matchmaker leads the groom's relatives, friends and drummers to carry the wedding clothes, cloth, wine, meat, rice, sugar, tea, moon cakes and bait (rice or glutinous rice is steamed and then pressed into a wooden mold), and then Add thirty to fifty yuan and a half (the value in the past), and go to the bride's house, playing and playing music along the way. The bride's family places the bride's gift on the square table in the courtyard, and holds a simple ceremony to collect the gifts. The bride's family returns after having tea or a light meal. That night, the groom's family places sweets, preserves, wine and tea in the courtyard and entertains the young men and women from the neighboring villages while singing wedding songs, dancing, guessing and laughing. , to celebrate. The bride's family also entertained young men and women in the village, singing and dancing the ancient song "Married Girl". The young people looked forward to a happy life in the future and danced happily late into the night, with the groom and a little boy or a friend who had both parents. Living together in the new house is commonly known as "pressing the bed". It symbolizes that the groom will be like a friend's family in the future, with children and grandchildren and a whole family.
On the second day, the bride is officially welcomed and a big banquet is held for guests and friends, also called "a big banquet". In the early morning, the groom's family's matchmaker, drummer, relatives and friends bring the clothes that the bride needs to wear during the wedding to the bride's house to greet the bride. The bride puts on the new clothes sent by the groom's family, a red coat, a initial and flowers in her hair, and then Wearing a red cloth kerchief, weeping while worshiping our ancestors and bidding farewell to our parents, relatives and friends, expressing our reluctance to leave them. Whether the bride rides in a sedan chair or walks depends entirely on the financial conditions of the groom's family and the distance of the journey.
But she must be accompanied by her elders, brothers, sisters and female companions to her husband's family. The dowry given by her mother's family usually includes two large wooden cabinets, a pair of boxes, two to four bedding beds, several sets of clothes, and one or two embroidered shoes. Ten pairs of fire sets, copper pots, copper basins, copper kettles, copper plates, copper spoons, copper locks, copper buckets and other daily utensils, as well as toiletries, are sent with the bride to the groom's family: at the front of the bride-to-be team, one person Holding a torch made of cypress wood to open the way means clearing away filth, expelling evil, and bringing good luck. On the way, "the teenagers rushed to snatch the red kerchief that covered the bride's face. After they got it, the bride exchanged it with wedding candies.
The groom wears a long gown, a mandarin jacket, and a hat to greet the bride at the door (sometimes he goes to the bride’s house to greet her in person). As soon as the bride arrives, the groom goes forward and lifts the curtain of the sedan chair, helps the bride out of the sedan chair, and then bows to thank the people who are seeing her off. When the bride enters the door, she must cross the "saddle" in the middle of the threshold (it is wrapped in a big red paper and stuck on the door), which means that if she crosses the "saddle", she is considered a member of the groom's family. The bride and Xinliang first. The bridegroom goes to the ancestral hall to worship his ancestors, and then enters the bridal chamber. The groom must immediately put on the new shoes with red silk threads given by the bride, which means that they will never be separated in the future, and then go out of the bridal chamber to greet the guests. He took off his red coat and dressed up again. After a while, the groom's companions gathered around the bride, and the bride went to the main room to hold a "separation ceremony", that is, to thank the groom's elders according to their age, and finally to pay homage to the guests.
After the ceremony, according to traditional custom, male and female guests take their seats respectively. At the male guest seat, the bride’s brother or nephew is honored as the guest of honor and sits at the chief seat. At the female guest seat, the bride’s mother and The companion girl is the most respected; the rest of the guests are seated according to their elders and younger ones. At least six plates and six bowls should be placed at the wedding banquet. The groom proposes a toast to the male guests, and the bride goes to the female guests' table to encourage them to drink. Relatives and friends drink happily and wish the new couple a happy marriage. At night, young people sing wedding songs, happy songs and joyful tunes around the bonfire, some staying up all night. The host entertains the guests with wine, tea, fruits and sweets, and the bridegroom and bride also come out to toast. The higher the interest of the guests, the more honor and auspiciousness the host will feel. After the bride and groom get married, there is a custom in some places of having a bridal chamber.
On the third day, the newlyweds return home and are entertained by the bride’s family. After breakfast, the dressed-up bride and groom, accompanied by their male and female companions and relatives, went to the bride's house to visit her bride and brought gifts such as tea, sugar, meat, and bait. When they approached her parents' house, the bride burst into tears and expressed her urgency. I longed to see my parents and brothers and sisters. After arriving at the bride's house, the new couple first worships their ancestors, then their parents and elders, and finally makes a toast to the guests: the groom performs three rites and nine kowtows, and the bride performs four rites and eight kowtows. The guests drank and blessed the bride and gave her some gifts. The young men and women from the bride's side went to the special table where the groom and his groomsmen were sitting to toast, and at the same time teased and made things difficult for them, such as putting vermicelli noodles in the big bowl they were served, skewering pieces of meat with ponytails or hair, and piling up rice. The cakes are full and sharp, etc. That night, the couple must return and cannot stay at the daughter's house. The daughter's family should give gifts such as wine and candy to their daughter and son-in-law.
On the fourth day, if the groom and the bride are close to Lijiang Old Town, they will go to the streets of Lijiang Old Town together and distribute wedding candies to relatives and friends they meet on the way. On the fifth day, the bride went back to her parents' home alone to visit her parents and stay with her mother. Sisters and companions talk. Her parents once again taught her the rules and etiquette in dealing with others and life. But the bride must return to her husband's house that night.
In marriage relationships, it is popular in Naxi, Lijiang Dam area, to give priority to aunts and cousins ??in marriage (the name in Naxi dialect is "Abeizimeigai", which means "the uncle can force his aunt's daughter to be his daughter-in-law"). According to traditional customs, the uncle's son has the first right to marry his cousins. Even if the uncle's cousin is a fool, the cousins ??have no right to refuse the marriage. The uncle will only allow his niece to marry a stranger if she is sick or disabled or if her horoscope does not match his son's.