What to do during Torch Festival? What can you do during the Torch Festival?
The Torch Festival of the Yi ethnic group is the most grand traditional festival of the Yi ethnic group. Every year from the 24th to the 27th day of the sixth lunar month, grand sacrificial activities are held in all Yi villages. So do you know what to do during the Torch Festival? What can you do during the Torch Festival? Want to know more about the dates and auspicious and unlucky days in the sixth lunar month of 2018? The fortune teller website introduces you every day of the sixth lunar month in 2018.What to do during Torch Festival? What can you do during the Torch Festival?It is said that June 24th of the lunar calendar is the day to commemorate the use of fire by mankind. The Bai, Yi, Pumi, Naxi and other ethnic groups living in Yunnan have designated June 24th as the traditional Torch Festival. At that time, they hold various activities to celebrate and plant the "sun". The Bai and Yi people in the Xishan area of Heqing hold "sun-planting" activities every Torch Festival. On that day, people erected a big torch in the center of the "singing" field, and piles of dry firewood were piled around the torch. A carefully selected, dry and flammable tree stump was planted directly in front of the torch as a symbol of the sun. When the sun rose above the mountain, people who had already gathered in the field took a carefully selected small wooden stick and took turns to "drill" wood on the "sun" to make fire. No matter who "drills" out the spark, everyone will rush over and use the grass fluff, dry branches and leaves that have been prepared in advance to "light" the fire. And try to move the fire to the firewood pile and light it. Then, everyone used a small torch to light a fire from the pile, took it back home and lit up each family’s fire pit, which was called lighting the "sun". After the sun sets, people all gather at the "singing" field and light big torches again on the bonfire that burned during the day. Then, they sang around the torches and the fire, praising the happiness that fire brings to people.Fire-playing Activities The Bai and Naxi peoples who live at the foot of Wufeng Mountain adjacent to Heqing and Lijiang hold fire-playing activities on the night of the Torch Festival. People tie bunches of red flowers on all the big trees in the village, symbolizing that "the red flowers and trees are burning like torches." When the first star appears in the sky, people each dance with a lit torch, sing and dance, and chant around the "Red Flower Tree". The Pumi people living in Ninglang County hold activities to worship the God of Fire on the Torch Festival . It is said that the fire god worshipped by the Pumi people is called Anggumi, who was originally the female ancestor of the Mosuo people. For the happiness of her descendants and the Pumi people who lived together with her own ethnic group, she sneaked into the Heavenly Palace and stole the fire. She used her body as a torch to lead the fire to the human world, allowing both the Mosuo people and the Pumi people to obtain fire at the same time. In order to remember the kindness of Anggumi from generation to generation, the Pumi people designated the day when Anggumi brought the fire as the Fire God Festival. Huangping Township is a tropical area in Heqing County, rich in products. It is said that the residents here are the descendants of Kong Ming and Meng Huo who stationed their troops here. This fertile land was reclaimed jointly by Kong Ming and Meng Huo when they formed an alliance. On the night of June 24, they lit fires and fought at night, and sowed seeds of grains for the first time. From then on, the barren land was turned into fertile fields. To commemorate this day, every year on this day, later generations would light torches and sow early spring crops at night. At that time, the old people and children waved torches, sang and danced around the fields to liven up the atmosphere, and the young people sowed in the fields. The integration of labor production and folk activities has a unique flavor. Bullfighting : A loud horn sounded, two bulls came towards each other with their eyes wide open, and with a low roar, their two pairs of specially sharpened horns suddenly collided. The audience around cheered and shouted, and the bull was stimulated and encouraged, becoming more stubborn. Sometimes it attacked fiercely, sometimes it confronted the enemy, sometimes blood splattered, and sometimes it waited for an opportunity to counterattack. The victorious bull is dressed in red and has flowers on its neck and is led around the field by its owner, thus doubling its value. Wrestling: Wrestling is very popular among the Yi people. There are two types of wrestling: tripping and non-tripping. The one who falls down is the loser. Different villages select the strongest and most capable wrestlers to compete. In addition to prizes, the winners are celebrated and encouraged by their own villages with wine, sheep, cattle and other delicacies. In addition, there were exciting archery competitions, and the venue was always filled with many young men on horseback and Yi girls in brightly colored clothes, who sang and danced, and the onlookers sang along. Beauty Pageant The Yi people have loved and pursued beauty for generations. "Beauty Pageant" has been the most important and distinctive activity in the Yi traditional Torch Festival since ancient times. It is different from the "beauty pageants" in today's world that combine commerciality and artistry. The traditional Yi folk "beauty pageant" that has been going on for thousands of years has very strict requirements. Beautiful Yi girls dress up, hold yellow umbrellas, and slowly dance around the fire on the lawn to perform "Dolehe". The judges are all respected elders in the village. Their selection is both picky and natural. They not only look at the girls' figure and appearance, but also their dress and appearance; they also look at their filial piety towards their parents and elders; more importantly, they judge based on their usual moral character and reputation for hard work. In order to give the Yi Torch Festival's "beauty pageant" culture new connotations and a contemporary flavor and to make this event both traditional and contemporary, the 2004 China Liangshan Yi International Torch Festival "beauty pageant" event, in order to mobilize audience participation, specially established the Most Beautiful Audience Award so that visitors from all over the world could show their style on the spot. At the same time, not only will there be beauties and handsome men selected by expert judges, but the audience present will also have the opportunity to cast their vote, letting flowers become the audience's spokesperson and choose their favorite beauties and handsome men. As night falls, people eat barbecue, light a fire with pine branches, and run around with torches in their hands, praying for the elimination of pests and diseases and for good harvests every year. The enthusiastic masses formed bonfires with torches, and thousands of Yi people danced the "Da Sanxian" dance. The Torch Festival is also a good opportunity for young boys and girls to ignite the seeds of love and express their affection. The girls wear the clothes they sew themselves to show their dexterity, and the boys win the hearts and smiles of the girls in various competitions and performances. At this point, they have all found their loved ones. According to custom, the man can snatch the token from the woman as a token of love; they also express their love to each other by singing and dancing all night long. |
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