The Mongolian people have the custom of respecting the old and loving the young. Their proverbs say: "Respect people with high virtues and love old people", "Respect and love the mother who breastfeeds, respect the teacher who teaches letters", "The experience of the old educates people, and the radiance of the sun warms people." "etc. These all show respect and love for the elderly.
Birthday celebration is a ceremonial celebration held by the Mongolian people for the elderly. Mongolian birthday celebrations and calendar years are only held when one is older. Birthdays are usually celebrated when people are sixty, seventy, eighty or ninety. However, while the parents are still alive, children and grandchildren are not allowed to celebrate their birthdays even when they are seventy or eighty years old. The thirteenth, twenty-fifth, thirty-seventh and forty-nine years of this calendar year are not very lively, but after sixty-one, seventy-three and eighty-five years old, it is a different matter. People celebrating this year generally do not wish birthdays. Elderly Mongolians in Bahrain will not count their age if they are over 95 years old, nor will they be considered centenarians.
The dates for celebrating birthdays and celebrating this calendar year are generally in the first month. As long as there is a family wishing the elderly a birthday, the children of the host family will prepare a banquet from the end of the year. On the first day of the new year, we started to greet the guests who arrived one after another to celebrate their birthdays. Some people choose an auspicious day and then notify their fellow villagers, friends, relatives, etc.
The birthday celebration ceremony is relatively simple. During the banquet, the guests toasted the old man, presented khatas and gifts. Toasting four, six or eight bowls of wine is called "Zhu Lai" in Mongolian. Then he kowtows to the host and expresses his gratitude for the host's hospitality. Gifts for birthdays usually include: horses, cows, sheep or goats, leather robes, cotton robes, jacket robes, boots, cigarettes, purses, money, etc. Gift categories generally account for "three" numbers. After the birthday celebration is over, the birthday guests cannot return empty-handed. The host must give back cigarette bags, towels, etc. If it is a child, give them mooncakes or one or two yuan of pocket money, etc.
Taboos on Hospitality
Isn’t it great to have friends from far away? Since ancient times, China has been a land of etiquette and hospitality, especially the Mongolians. When you come to a yurt as a guest, you will not only receive warm hospitality from the host, but you will also experience some ethnic cultures that you have never been exposed to and never knew. Of course, before entering the life of the Mongolians, you must understand some of their customs and taboos. Otherwise, if you act casually according to your own ideas, you will not only make a joke, but also make your Mongolian compatriots unhappy.
First of all, when visiting a Mongolian home, it is forbidden to tuck your clothes into your belt and roll up your sleeves when entering the house, and you are not allowed to enter the house with a horse whip. Regardless of guest or host, elders and elderly people should be allowed to enter the house first.
After entering the house, it is taboo to sit in random positions. The visitor is a guest, and the host usually asks the guest to sit on top, while the guest asks the elderly to sit down first. In the yurt, the elders always sit facing each other, with men sitting on the west side and women sitting on the east side.
It is taboo to lose your temper with your children when guests are present, let alone beat or scold them. It is taboo to interrupt or expose shortcomings when speaking to elders. If you have questions or need clarification, wait until the person has finished speaking before asking.
If you come to a yurt as a guest, the host will immediately serve you a bowl of steaming milk tea, and then bring you fried rice and large bowls of butter, milk tofu, naipizi and other dairy products. Please don't refuse when you taste it, otherwise you will hurt the host's heart and make him feel sorry. Mongolians are not afraid of eating too much for others. The more they eat, the happier the owner will be. After accepting the meal and tea from the host, it is taboo not to eat at all; it is taboo to use chopsticks to eat milk and drink milk and eat milk food while standing; it is taboo to spill breast milk casually; when you meet someone passing by with milk, you cannot turn a blind eye, you must taste it again. Walk.
Taboos for drinking tea: Taboo for serving tea with a full cup; Taboo for pouring tea with the left hand; Taboo for pouring tea from the inside out; Taboo for sighing when eating and drinking tea.
Taboos when eating red food: When tasting Deji and eating sheep's back, it is taboo to be disheveled. It is forbidden to play Deji with other fingers except the ring finger; it is taboo to leave meat scraps when chewing bones; when eating shoulder blade meat When eating, it is taboo to bite and eat, and it should be eaten with a knife or torn with hands; it is taboo to knock the bones after eating; in daily meat, it is taboo to eat beef gallbladder, fox meat, dog meat, and cat meat.
Taboos when eating: Do not give salt-free tea and rice to guests; do not blow with your mouth when eating hot meals; do not spill food; do not stretch after meals.
Compared with entertaining guests, the host also has taboos when making preparations: for example, it is taboo to break bones when cutting meat, and the joints should be disconnected; it is taboo to put the head and tail upside down when putting meat. Do not use a bag when adding rice to the pot; do not count when crushing tea leaves; do not shout loudly or speak unlucky words when making pancakes and fried foods.
In short, when visiting pastoral areas, you must pay attention to these small daily etiquette taboos. This is not only a kind of respect for the Mongolian people, but also a guarantee for our good mood. Of course, if you are If you are ignorant of these taboos and have offended your Mongolian compatriots, sincerely apologize and they will forgive you. Those who do not know will not be blamed.
Girls’ Banquet
The day before the wedding, the man will hold a “New House Blessing Ceremony” and the woman will hold a “Girls’ Banquet”. The banquet held by the man on the day before the wedding is mainly to entertain the representatives hired to welcome the bride and the guests who come to the wedding, and to hold a blessing ceremony for the new house. This ceremony is the highlight of the banquet. First, the man must arrange and arrange the new bag with the robes, clothes, and the groom’s bedding and household items given by relatives and friends, because these are all blessings sent by relatives and friends, and of course they must fill the entire wedding ceremony. Bag. Then invite the benefactors, the groom, the bride's parents, and other relatives and friends to take their seats. At this time, the person consecrating the song hangs a silk hada and colorful thread in the middle of the beam and the skylight, smears a little milk food in a wooden bowl on the beam to show good luck, and wishes: I wish you good luck and prosperity/ I wish you peace and happiness/in this room with oak furniture/white roof/two destined lovers/will be married for a hundred years...
After the auspicious and beautiful blessings are completed, The host should offer tea to the guests participating in the new house blessing ceremony and those who are welcoming the bride one by one, and then host a banquet to express gratitude. The complexity of this banquet depends on the man's wealth. But regardless of whether you are rich or poor, this is one of the important rituals that must be completed before marriage. During the banquet, the groom toasted to the guests, who also took advantage of this festive day to toast each other and sing songs late into the night. Some places adjust the time according to the length of time for welcoming the bride, and some even stay up all night to have fun. The groom's side is so joyful and lively, but the bride is crying bitterly on the other side...
In ancient times, people often said that "the daughter who is married is the water that is thrown out", which means daughter. You are destined to be an "outsider" from birth, and your parents' hard work is just to make "wedding clothes" for others. This is due to the special status of women and the patriarchal society of human society after the matrilineal clan. On this day, the woman will hold a girl's banquet hosted by the woman's parents, and invite girls from the same hometown to sit with her daughter who is about to get married. It is determined by the long-term existence in front of the banquet. Therefore, when their daughter is getting married, her parents will naturally hold a banquet to send off and wish their daughter happiness.
Also on the day before the wedding, the woman will hold a girl's banquet. The banquet is hosted by the woman's parents. The main purpose is to invite girls from her hometown to sit with her daughter who is about to get married. Before the banquet, the parents ask their daughter to put on a new robe, remove the belt, put on boots, and wrap the hat in silk silk and sew it on. When all the girls sat down, the mother offered the first bowl of tea to the girl. With tears in her eyes, the girl took the first and last tea her mother offered to her. She took a sip and put it down. Then she returned the favor and kowtowed to her mother. Thank you for your mother's upbringing. Then the woman's mother brought a bowl of fresh milk for all the girls to taste one by one, and then officially announced to everyone that the girl was about to get married. At this time, the girl suddenly felt sad and burst into tears. When the other girls saw this scene, they also cried together. At this time, the congratulators and relatives came forward to comfort: when you are eighteen years old/your braids have grown enough/it is not a bad thing to marry in a remote place...
The girls He also stopped crying and sang "Girls' Banquet Song", using the lyrics to instruct the girls who are about to get married to express their feelings of parting: Get on your horse/Please lift up the front of your robe/When dealing with people, remember to speak quickly/Sew The buttons on the lapel are slanted/be sure not to let the mother-in-law see clearly...
During the girl's banquet, the girl's parents also have another task: fill the wine glasses and hire those steady, old-town ladies from among the invited guests. Elderly men and women who understand etiquette well and are good at eloquence are the representatives to send off relatives. Then hire two gentle-tempered, upright, hard-working women with parents and children as the bride's boarding sisters and confinement sisters (the boarding sister will follow the bride to the groom's house for a few days, and the confinement sister-in-law will stay for a month). In order to prepare in advance for the wedding ceremony the next day.
The girl’s banquet is a small banquet for the bride’s family in Mongolian weddings, but it is more important for the married girl, because from now on, she will leave her parents, sisters and brothers, and bear the responsibility of a new life independently. From this, we can also say that the "Girls' Banquet" is a stop for Mongolian girls to mature!
Pay attention to hospitality etiquette
If you are a lark, you must sing the most beautiful tune.
If you are a civilized person, you must pay attention to politeness;
Without feathers, no matter how big your wings are, you cannot fly.
Without manners, others will laugh at you no matter how good your appearance is.
These are two famous proverbs among the ancient Mongolian people, which vividly reflect the Mongolian people's national atmosphere of paying great attention to politeness and advocating etiquette. Garbin, who visited the Mongolian grassland in the 13th century, said that the Mongolian people "respect others very much and are friendly to each other no matter who they are."
Mongolian herdsmen will always greet each other when they meet: "Amul, Sai Bailuo! (Be well)". Hospitality is an outstanding characteristic of the Mongolian people. Visitors, regardless of whether they are familiar with each other, are always welcome and greeted. If they are peers, ask each other: "Sebino! (Hello!)" If they are elders or people meeting for the first time, ask each other: "Ta, Saibeno! (Hello!)" and then say hello to the whole family! Good pasture! Good livestock! Finally, they asked each other: "Sonin Longbaina" (what's going on or what news). If a guest is invited to enter the yurt, the host will lead the way. When he arrives at the yurt door, the host will stand on the west side of the door, with his right hand on his chest. He will bow slightly, point to the door with his left hand, and invite the guest to enter the yurt first. After entering the yurt, the whole family, old and young, will surround the guest. Sit down with a humble attitude, ask questions, talk freely, smile on your face, like a family member who has returned from afar. Then the host brought fragrant milk tea, fried rice, and white prairie milk food. Use exquisite tea sets to give guests a cup of fragrant milk tea. When a host expresses special respect for a guest, he often pours a full amount of the sweet milk wine into a silver bowl, puts it on a white hada, brings it out, and offers it to the guest respectfully. In alpine areas, there is also the habit of drinking. Mongolians regard wine as the essence of food. They drink wine when meeting friends. Toasting is a traditional etiquette of herdsmen. If the guests show politeness, the host will sing in poetic language to persuade them to drink. Especially in the Ordos area, drinking songs often come one after another, each song more popular than the last. The lyrics are like:
"Guests from afar please drink a glass of milk wine. This is the traditional food of our nation." The essence is the deep friendship of our grassland people..."
Usually the guests only stop drinking after receiving the cup or giving it to others.
When entertaining distinguished guests or holding a festive cocktail party, pay attention to setting up the sheep feast. This custom has been passed down to this day. When hosting a banquet, one, two, or three tables are usually placed directly above the yurt (large bag). The right corner of the yurt is the host's reception place. Guests are seated in order of distinguished guests, elders, etc. After the guests are seated, the chef carries the whole sheep to tables one, two, and three. The host cuts a strip of mutton tail meat with a Mongolian knife and puts it on the head of the sheep. After that, he cuts the mutton tail meat into several square pieces and puts them on the head. Put it on the plate, raise your hands above your head, and give it to the distinguished guests at the first table to taste. Then, the host hands the handle of the dinner knife to the distinguished guest at the first table. After the distinguished guest watches, he cuts everything, then carries it back to the kitchen, cuts it into several square pieces, puts it on the plate, and goes to the table to eat. As a Mongolian custom The highest courtesy.
Mongolian marriage customs
Marriage system. The Mongolian people have two marriage systems: marriage by robbery and betrothal. Marriage robbery is a form of marriage in a slave society. Before the 13th century AD, most Mongolian society was based on a system of robbery. For example, Genghis Khan's father Yesugei married Atuer and Mrs. Hoelun in a form of robbery. Betrothal marriage is a form of marriage in feudal society. After the 13th century AD, the Mongolian people entered feudal society, and the betrothal system was widely implemented. But there are still remnants of the marriage-robbing system. In inter-tribal wars, marriage abduction or robbery is still common.
Ask for marriage. Before young men and women get engaged, the man must propose to the woman. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the man's parents or a matchmaker usually went to the woman's family to propose marriage. If the woman's family agreed, the marriage could be engaged. According to the traditional marriage customs of the Mongolian people, the man must propose to the bride's family many times before he can get the bride's family's promise. Volume 1 of the "Secret History of Mongolia" records: Yesugei brought his son Temujin (Genghis Khan) to the house of De Xue Chan to propose marriage. De Xue Chan said: "If you ask a few times more, you will be given something, and you will be respected; if you ask a few times, you will be given something, and you will be looked down upon." Later, a Mongolian proverb was formed: "Ask a lot, and you will be despised." It’s expensive, but if you ask for less, it’s cheap.
"After the marriage proposal is reached, the man will bring hada, milk wine and five-forked or whole sheep to the girl's house to "make a decision". The girl's family invites relatives and friends to accompany the guests to drink to express the formal engagement
Brophy gift. Young men and women get engaged. The gifts given by the groom's family to the bride's family are also called betrothal gifts. The amount of the betrothal gift depends on the economic situation of the groom's family. In rural areas, gold and silver jewelry, cabinets, and clothing are often used as betrothal gifts; in pastoral areas, cattle, horses, sheep, etc. are often used as betrothal gifts. Livestock is a betrothal gift. Herdsmen regard "nine" as an auspicious number, and the betrothal gift starts from "nine". From "one nine" to "nine nine", the maximum number should not exceed eighty-one, and "nine nine" means longevity. If a poor herdsman does not have the number of livestock as a betrothal gift, he can also choose an odd number less than nine, with three, five, or seven livestock as a dowry, but he must not choose an even number to accompany his daughter as a dowry. The Mongolian people are very particular about the dowry. The woman should give a corresponding amount of dowry as a bride price. Therefore, the Mongolian people have a saying: “If you can afford a wife, you can’t afford a girl. ”
Choose an auspicious day. One of the Mongolian marriage customs. Also known as choosing a happy day. Before liberation, after the man and woman got engaged, they first asked a lama to divine, choose an auspicious day, and determine the wedding date. After the auspicious day was chosen, The groom's family sends matchmakers, relatives and friends to the bride's family with gifts such as khatas, fine wines, and candies. After the marriage is settled with her parents, the groom's family usually starts cleaning the wedding room or building a new yurt. , slaughter cattle and sheep, prepare betrothal gifts, dowry and other wedding supplies, and notify relatives and friends of both parties to come and congratulate you on the wedding. In the past, Mongolian marriages were very grand and retained. It is a traditional wedding custom for a man to stay at the woman's house to get married. The wedding usually takes place on the day before the wedding day. In a joyful atmosphere, the groom wears a gorgeous Mongolian robe, a ribbon on his waist, a round-top red tassel hat on his head, and a pair of shoes. They wear high leather boots and wear bows and arrows. The groomsmen also ride on horses, carrying floats and gifts, and go to the bride's house to get married. "1 and other gifts. Then, the groom and the groomsmen held Hada and fine wine in their hands, toasted to the bride's parents and eldest relatives one by one, and knelt down to worship. After the ceremony, the bride sat down to dine. In the evening, a five-forked sheep banquet was held. The traditional ceremony of asking for a name. When the bridegroom sets off in the early morning, the groom will ride on the float and ride around it three times. Then the bridegroom and the bridegroom leave together. .
Weddings. The Mongolian people attach great importance to wedding ceremonies. Although the forms vary from region to region, they are all very grand and lively. The general wedding custom in pastoral areas is: when the bride and groom return to the groom’s home, the bride and groom will not leave. Cars and horses first circle the yurt three times. Then, the bride and groom pass through two piles of fire to receive the cleansing of the fire god, which represents the purity of love and the prosperity of their new life. After entering the yurt, the bride and groom first worship the Buddha and worship the stove. Parents, relatives and friends. After the ceremony, the bride is groomed and dressed, and then waits for the wedding banquet to begin. The wedding banquet is usually decorated with a sheep's back or a whole sheep banquet, and the groom carries a silver pot. The bride holds a silver bowl and offers khata and wedding wine to the elders, relatives and friends one by one. The young men hold the silver cups high and drink happily; the girls sing loudly along with the matouqin, and the wedding banquet often lasts for two or three days before relatives and friends leave one after another. The bride's family will also leave someone to stay with the bride for one to three days. Sometimes, the bride's mother will also stay with the bride for more than ten days. When they part, the mother and daughter hug each other and cry bitterly to express their reluctance to part with each other.
It is an important ceremony in Mongolian weddings. Although the forms of fire worship vary among Mongolian people, they are still an indispensable part of the wedding. They both pass through the pile of fire and receive the baptism of fire, making their love more pure, steadfast, happy, and growing old together. The Dulbert Mongolian fire worship ceremony is unique when the bride enters her husband's house. There is a strong fire inside, and the bridegroom and bride must pour milk and wine into the fire together, and kneel down and kowtow. The master of ceremonies stood beside him and recited "Praise of Fire": The flint discovered by the Holy Lord Genghis Khan, the fire preserved by Hoelun's mother and wife, and sacrificed with white hada and milk wine, the national fire has been from ancient times to the present. Please pray for the bride and groom! The divine fire is the witness of your marriage; please kowtow to the bride and groom! The light of Buddha will carry on the family lineage for you.
Ask Geng for his name. One of the Mongolian marriage procedures. Ask for the bride’s name. Also known as asking for a seal.
It's a fun jaunt. On the night when the bride is staying at the bride's house, a five-fork or whole-sheep banquet, also called a famous banquet, will be arranged in the bride's boudoir. The groom, the bride, the bride, her brothers, sisters-in-law, and sisters are all peers and attend this banquet. At the banquet, everyone played tricks on the groom, forcing him to kneel or half-kneel and ask for the bride's baby name or nickname. The bride is shy and silent, or deliberately refuses to answer. The bride's sister-in-law and sisters also didn't answer, deliberately stalling for time. At this time, the man's congratulator and the woman's sister-in-law answer each other and sing antiphonal songs. The name-seeking party does not end until the woman reveals her true name. Seeking fame and asking for Geng is actually an intellectual competition to express the intelligence and wisdom of Mongolian young men and women.
Naughty hat. Also called hat grabbing. In the past, when the Mongolians were on their way to get married, the bride-to-be and the bride-to-be would gallop and chase each other, trying to get home first and become the winner. For this reason, the two sides will have a hat-trick competition on the way. Usually the bridegroom senders try their best to snatch the bride's hat, pick it on the riding crop, or throw it to the ground, forcing the groom to get off his horse to pick it up, thereby affecting his speed. Married people protect each other and don't let the bride-to-be take away the hat. Along the way, you chase each other and play with each other, giving you a strong atmosphere of grassland life.
Choose auspicious days and avoid unfavorable days
The ancient Mongolians chose auspicious days to judge by the profit and loss of the moon, because they believed that the appearance of the moon was closely related to human actions. When the new moon appeared in the sky, or when the moon was full, they set out to do whatever they wished. "The Story of the Black Tartars" says: "When he chooses a day to act, he will proceed based on profit and loss."
The Mongols also used this method to determine the date of the campaign. Regarding this, "History of the Heart", "Historical Records· There are similar accounts in "The Biography of the Huns", "The Biography of the Turks" in the Sui Dynasty and "The History of the Mongols" by Garbini. "Historical Records·Biography of the Xiongnu" records: "When the month of Hou is about to be full, the star and the moon are in charge. When the moon is strong, we attack, and when the moon is weak, we retreat." "Book of the Sui Dynasty: Biography of the Turks" says: "When the moon is about to be full, it is easy for the bandits to copy."
This is a psychological state in which shamans use natural phenomena as divination, and is a manifestation of primitive religion filling people's lives. However, until modern times, there is still a custom of predicting the harvest of the year based on weather changes at the "Beginning of Spring" and "Qingming Festival". This has resulted in some taboos that restrict agricultural and animal husbandry production.
Carrying a bow and arrow on the back
One of the Mongolian wedding customs. Before liberation, when the Mongolians got married, the groom would wear a bow and arrow and set off on a horse. After arriving at the woman's house, take off the bow and arrow and place it in the southwest of the yurt. Carry it on your shoulder when you leave the next day. After returning from the wedding, he placed it on the west side of the yurt and no one was allowed to touch it within three days. After three days, the bride will put it away and keep it for life. Think of it as a sacred mascot that can ward off evil spirits and deter monsters. This is a legacy of the ancient Mongolian practice of marriage robbery or marriage robbery.
Cremation, burial, sky burial
A burial method that emerged after Lamaism was introduced to Mongolian areas. Used by princes, nobles, great lamas, officials and others. After the death of ordinary people, most people do not carry out cremation. Cremation is only carried out after the death of an infectious disease or a mother who has given birth. The cremation method is as follows: after a person dies, he takes off his old clothes and puts on new clothes, or wraps his body in white silk and satin. The body is placed in a cross-legged position in a 3-foot-square wooden sedan and the sedan lid is sealed. During the funeral, the lama is first asked to designate the location and direction of the corpse. Afterwards, the car carrying the corpse was pulled to the wilderness, and relatives and friends followed him for the funeral. When burning a corpse, pile firewood around the sedan chair, add fuel and light it, and burn all the things the deceased used or loved during his lifetime. At the same time, lamas chant sutras and pray for the deceased, hoping that the soul of the deceased will "ascend to heaven" and enter the "Blissful World" as soon as possible. On the day after the cremation, the family members of the deceased pick up the ashes. Some scatter the ashes in mountains and rivers, and some are buried in jars as a mark of eternal mourning.
Burial is a burial method commonly practiced by Mongolians in agricultural areas. The burials of the Mongolian people in the agricultural areas of western Inner Mongolia are similar to those of the Han people. After a person dies (or before death), the family changes the deceased's clothes into new clothes, places the body on a wooden board, covers his face with a khata, and waits for burial. During the burial, the corpse cannot see the sun. The corpse is usually carried out of the window and placed in the coffin at dusk. After being placed in the coffin, it is placed in the hospital and the funeral is usually carried out within 3-7 days. During the funeral, the eldest son of the deceased carries the big head of the coffin, and the other descendants carry the smaller heads. The coffin is placed on a hearse or coffin cover and transported to the cemetery. After arriving at the cemetery, the coffin is lowered into the grave using a hanging rope. During the burial, the deceased's descendants and close relatives circle the tomb three times in front and back, and grab soil with their hands and scatter it towards the tomb. Then shovel the earth and bury the coffin.
Sky burial is a popular burial style in pastoral areas. Also known as wild burial or abandoned burial.
After a person dies, the deceased's old clothes are taken off and put on new clothes or wrapped in white cloth. Put the body on the Lele cart and drive it along, making it bump at will. Wherever the body falls, that is the auspicious burial place. Then, the driver drove the car back quickly and went straight to his home without looking back. Three days later, the family members of the deceased go to inspect the body. If the body has been eaten by animals, it is believed that the deceased has ascended to "heaven" or entered the "Elysian World"; if the body is intact, it is considered that the sins of the deceased have not been eliminated, and their descendants will be affected. It is also an ominous sign for future generations, so lamas are asked to recite sutras to express regret for the deceased and eliminate sins. And smear a layer of butter on the body so that the animals can eat it as soon as possible. After a sky burial, the descendants of the deceased generally refrain from shaving their hair, drinking and entertaining, and refraining from greeting passers-by on the road for 49 days as a sign of mourning.
Prairie baby in sheepskin swaddling
The Mongolian people attach great importance to childbirth. Regardless of whether the baby is male or female, a sign is set up outside the home after the baby lands. If the baby is a boy, a bow and arrow measuring one foot five inches to two feet is cut from an elm tree branch and hung outside the door. If the baby is a girl, a red cloth banner is hung outside the door. On the third day after the baby is born, a baptism ceremony is held, and a banquet is prepared to entertain relatives and friends to announce the good news. After washing, the baby is wrapped in a sheepskin swaddling bag, and according to traditional customs, the baby's forehead is smeared with butter and other milk products to wish him healthy growth. This is an ancient custom that no one does today: "The treasures of the prairie are wrapped in sheepskin swaddling clothes."
When the baby is one month old, cattle and sheep are slaughtered again, and a banquet is held for relatives and friends to celebrate. Among the gifts given by relatives and friends, only the maternal grandparents of the baby are the most important. For example, in winter, they will give various exquisite furs, and in summer, they will mostly be silks, satins and cloths. If the baby's maternal grandparents live in a wealthy family, they will also give cattle, sheep or horses.
When babies are infancy, in the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, wooden cradle is usually equipped. The basket is covered with soft items and thick buckwheat skin mattresses. The baby lies on his back in it and is tightly held with cloth ropes. They are tied up and rested on small hard pillows filled with rice. It is said that children who grow up like this will have good-looking heads and bodies. Hang ancient coins or other auspicious objects on the head of the cradle block. Generally, babies are put into the cradle after they are one month old. When they are put into the cradle for the first time, a small cradle feast is held, and the cradle is smeared with butter and other milk products to celebrate. In the central and western regions of Inner Mongolia, babies are usually separated by cloth in a corner of the room to protect them from wind and cold. In order to maintain the normal body temperature of the baby, the baby should be covered with a bedding made of camel down. After frying the Mingsha, put it in two cloth bags and place them on both sides of the baby's belly in rotation. Where there is a cradle, the cradle is placed next to the mother. The mother often rocks it with her hands, and some even hum a lullaby to make the baby sleep peacefully. Place fried Mingsha that is easy to absorb moisture in the area where the baby urinates and defecates. If it gets wet, replace it with a new one. Under the conditions at the time, this was considered a convenient and hygienic solution. The author was tightly tied up in this traditional cradle and grew up, with no physical abnormalities seen. Although he is now in his seventies, he is in good health and in good health. This may be due to the traditional upbringing methods of my nation. Today, except for people in their hometown who still use this kind of cradle, few Mongolians living in the city use it. My three children did not grow up in the old cradle. They are also very healthy now. They are all young and promising and working hard at their jobs. Of course, this is inseparable from the rapid development of my country's economy and culture after the founding of New China, the improvement of the living standards of the Mongolian people, and the improvement of medical and health conditions.
Family inheritance
As early as the 13th century, Mongolian animal husbandry production had developed considerably. With the development of the animal husbandry economy, the economy based on private ownership also Mongolian families developed. The "Secret History of Mongolia", written in the early 13th century, contains many records of the Mongolian family situation. For example, after the death of Ahua, the five brothers "divided the family wealth among the horses", and Boduanchar, with the help of his brothers, He captured Adanghan from the Zharguti tribe, established his own family, and had his own horses, family members, slaves, slaves, etc.
Because men play an important role in the main production areas, men occupy a dominant position in Mongolian families. Under normal circumstances, the head of the family is served by the oldest man in the family. After the death of the oldest man, The eldest woman should be in charge of housework, but women cannot be in charge of sacrifices and major celebrations. In this case, if there is an older son, the son will step in. If there is no son, the closest person in the same clan will be invited. The elders preside over it.
According to the "Secret History of Mongolia", after Yesu died, Mrs. Hoelun took charge of his housework. However, during the ancestor worship ceremony, Mrs. Hoelun could only participate in it but could not preside over it. In the long historical period before liberation, the Mongolian extended family, when both parents were alive, consisted of several generations including parents, sons, daughters-in-law, unmarried daughters, and granddaughters. Although the son lives in a different room after marrying a wife (another yurt is set up in the pastoral area), the head of the family is still the same. Until the liberation, among the Mongolian people, both parents were still alive, and there were not many sons who separated and lived separately before marrying a wife but before having children. Regarding property inheritance rights, when brothers divide the family, the property is distributed according to the following principles: the older person gets more, the younger person gets less, and the last son inherits the father's property. Its specific embodiment is, "The elders are ten, and the younger are four." (Mongolian proverb) Rasht Aidin said: "According to Mongolian custom, because the last son stayed at home, he was called Ezhen." Tolei This is how he became the representative of Genghis Khan's family. (Ezhen, in Mongolian, means master.) Until the liberation, the Mongolians divided and inherited property according to the custom of the eldest son and the last son.
Although the Mongolian people have already entered a patriarchal society, as far as a family is concerned, the housewife is the center. Mongolian housewives are very docile and diligent. They work hard all day long, are filial to their mothers-in-law, virtuous to their husbands, and loving to their children. Although they work hard, they are not shy at all. When you have visitors, you should also treat them warmly. The hardworking and docile style of Mongolian women has a long history. In the history of the Mongolian nation, Mrs. Hoelun, known as "born a virtuous person", her husband Yesugei was brutally killed. After being abandoned by the Taichiwud people, she lived a hard life with her children alone, overcoming difficulties on the vast prairie. After all kinds of difficulties, they used wild grasses such as Burnet Burnet, Dogtongue Grass and Du Li to feed their children, and finally Fu Gu was established. Hoelun's virtues were passed down from generation to generation, and women in the past generations took her as an example and followed her to form a habit, which formed the Mongolian women's virtues of diligence, thrift and simplicity in housekeeping.
In Mongolian families, in pastoral areas, men are mainly engaged in major labor such as herding, surveying pastures, moving camps, and repairing production tools. Their status in the family is deeply respected by family members. It is customary for a wife not to call her husband by his first name. However, when men deal with family matters, they usually discuss them with each other and the husband and wife solve the problems together. They attach great importance to mutual respect, love, mutual respect, harmony, unity and peaceful family tradition.
Taboos about women
In the old days, there were concepts of male superiority and female inferiority and feudal superstitions. There are many taboos about women among the Mongolian people.
Except for housewives, women are generally not allowed to participate in important sacrificial activities; when grain is passed in the courtyards of Eastern Mongolia or semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral areas, women are not eligible to participate, and they are not even allowed to watch on site. I'm afraid that some ghosts and gods have disturbed the harvest. In addition, women are not allowed to go to the house, because going to the house will step on people's heads. Mongolians believe that the top of the head is sacred. For this reason, women are not allowed to sit on a man's hat. Once After sitting down, you should wrap the hat with fire or incense sticks three times. For the same reason, when folding quilts in the family in the morning, you should not stack them in the order of pillows, quilts, and pillows. They should be stacked in the order of quilts and pillows. Dirty things and dirty papers used by women must be buried.
Fire and water taboos
The Mongolian people worship fire, fire god and kitchen god, and believe that fire, fire god or kitchen god are holy objects that can ward off evil spirits. Therefore, after entering the yurt, it is forbidden to bake your feet on the stove, let alone dry your boots and shoes next to the stove. You are not allowed to cross the stove or step on the stove. You are not allowed to knock tobacco bags, throw things, or throw dirt on the stove. Do not use a knife to stir the fire, insert the knife into the fire, or use the knife to remove meat from the pot.
Water taboo is also one of the Mongolian taboos. Because the Mongolians believe that water is a pure god. Therefore, it is taboo to wash hands or bathe in the river, let alone wash women's dirty clothes, or throw unclean things into the river. Another main reason is that the grassland is dry and lacks water, and water-seeking grasses are grazing. Without water, they cannot survive. From this point of view, protecting water sources and caring for water flow are major issues related to their survival. It is recorded in "Changchun Zhenren's Journey to the West" written in the 13th century: "In order not to offend the water god, the Chinese people do not bathe in the river, and their clothes are damaged and cannot be undressed." These taboos have even been established in the form of law, in spring and summer. No one is allowed to enter the water during the day, or to wash his hands in the river, or to draw water in gold or silver vessels. Therefore, herdsmen are accustomed to saving water and paying attention to keeping the water clean.
Taboos on childbirth and illness and death
The long-term nomadic life of the Mongolian people has led them to form many unique customs and taboos, and they also have specific taboos on pregnant women giving birth. The taboos for Mongolian women when giving birth are similar in various places.
Specifically, there are the following: During pregnancy, it is taboo for two pregnant women to sit face to face; it is taboo for pregnant women to participate in worshiping the Kitchen God; it is taboo for a married woman to give birth in her natal family; it is taboo to bury the afterbirth in an unclean place. ; Mongolian woman?/ca>