Traditional to the Yi people, theFlower ArrangementFestival is tinted with a strong Yi flavor, and is grandly celebrated in the Tanhua mountainous region of Dayao County, Southwest China'sYunnan Province.
On the festival, which falls on February 8 of every lunar year, richly dressed local people, with a bamboo basket on their back and beaming with pleasure, can be seen scattered all over the mountain, busily pickingAlbizzia julibrissinflowers (from a kind of Asian silk tree), which are later used to decorate farm tools, shrines, and the doors, windows, and the surrounding areas of the people's respective house. Sometimes, flower-capped sheds are set up over the main paths, turning the whole village into an ocean of flowers. On that day, the locals even dress the cows with flowers, wash their mouths with salty water, and then drive them onto the mountain. Singing and dancing together in their splendid attire, the Yi people also present the flowers to others, expressing their best wishes for a healthy and prosperous year.
In celebration of the festival, hens and cattle are killed, and glutinous rice cake made in every household. As night falls, the whole village gathers around a bonfire, singing and dancing among the bursts of joyous Lusheng (a reed-pipe wind instrument) music. While the young people dance around the bonfire hand in hand, the elder squat under big trees, smoking, drinking, eating, and talking freely and cheerfully.
For the young people in love, the Flower Arrangement Festival is also a day of love when flowers are presented as an engagement gift. Usually, the young man puts fresh camellia flowers on the head of the girl he is in love with, who in return will adore the man's Lusheng withAlbizzia julibrissinflowers, expressing their passionate affection towards each other.
Firebrand Festival
The Firebrand Festival is the traditional festival of the Yi ethnic minority, one of the minorities of China. It is held on the 24thJune of the Chinese lunar calendar. Not only the Yi people celebrate the Firebrand Festival, but also other minorities such as the Naxi, Bai, Lahu and Jino observe the festal celebration.
Prior to the festival, every family has to store up food in order to enjoy as much as they like in the gathering.
The Firebrand Festival usually lasts three days. The first day will be reserved for the family reunion feast. People cut the cooked meat into lumps for the worship of gods and ancestors. Afterwards, the offerings are used for the feast. During the evening, the fires light around and commonly last three nights. People in the village, excited, uphold the firebrands and walk around the village and the field like one thousand fire dragons soaring.
On the 2ndand 3rdday, the Firebrand Festival is up to its upsurge. Young men put on their new clothes and wear head wrappers decorated with a hero knot; women put on their pleated skirts. They gather on the vast meadow and hold various traditional sport competitions. Young men hold wrestling, horse racing and arrow shooting contests. Women sing, dance and play oral string instrument. In some areas, people slay swine and sheep to worship their believed god. As they consider that fire can drive away ghosts and demons, they set off the firebrands and light up households one by one. They add rosin on the firebrand while walking.
On the Firebrand Festival, the most animated is the scene of the bullring. The bullfight is not only a kind of entertainment, but also a good practice for the selection of bull for breeding. It is of great significance for the promotion of the agriculture and stockbreeding. The one, whose bull has won in the contest, will be considered the master hand of the stockbreeding and at the meantime, idol for girls.
Prior to the bullfight, every village will send their deputy and pull the selected strong bull to the bullring. The dressed up audience come to enjoy the sight. A person of prestige will announce the beginning of the contest. At this moment, it comes a deafening sound of beating the gongs and drums; trombone care calling together, the firecrackers sound earsplitting. Young men and girls in couple play the tri-string instrument around the bullring and perform festal dances.
In the animation of the jubilation, the contestants pull their big, strong and sharp-horned bulls to the bullfight for the inspection of the referee. At the order of the referee, the contestants release their bulls and let them have a fierce fight. The fierce bull cocks its horn and raises its hooves, charges at its opponent. They wrestle with horns until the rival is defeated. The winner will be awarded a ball-shaped prize hung on the pole erected on the border of the ground.
Another important activity during the Firebrand Festival is wrestling. The contestants wear short pants only and are barebacked. They embrace to show their kindness. At the order of the referee, they start wrestling and fall over the rival. The one will lose the game if his shoulder touches the ground. The scene of the contest is spectacular. One place of the wrestling attracts crowds of viewers. The audience in festal costume surrounds to watch the contest with cheers. Young men carry their tri-string instruments and flutes; girls with embroidered bags. The music and dance put the contest in a great animation.
The Miss Beauty run in the festival is a feature program. An elder of prestige will be the judge. At the beginning, the contested Yi girls stand in a circle: each one holding the handkerchief of the one in her front, singing elegant folk songs and walking in circles. In the meantime, young men form a large crowd around the girls, and behave in a generous way.
As a young man has found his beloved girl, he will hand up the judge the gift he has prepared and ask him to deliver the gift to the girl. The girl who gets maximum gifts will be elected as the Miss Beauty. When the Miss Beauty crowned girl leaves the ground with many gifts, her friends and relatives will crowd around her and express their greetings; the young men come to surround her to show their aspirations by playing yu-kin.
The Firebrand Festival creates the good chance for young men and girls to get to know each other and select their lovers. During the festival, they enjoy themselves by upholding the firebrands and gather in a mountain and a field to hold the need fire party. They play music and sing around the need fires, enjoy dancing and singing all night, in order to find their lovers. The winners of the bullfight and the wrestling often become the ideal icon to be courted and loved.
On the 4thday, the ash of the firebrand will be cleaned up. The feast will be arranged for the worship and this is made to pray for good luck.
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