China Custom: Tibetan Festival

Tibetan festivals have a strong religious color and are accompanied by many entertainment activities. * * * There are festivals every month, especially 1 and February. Its main festivals are:

Tibetan New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve

It is the biggest festival of the Tibetan people in a year and is highly valued. In Tibetan calendar1February, people began to make a series of preparations for the New Year: soaking highland barley seeds in pots and offering highland barley seedlings to Buddhist temples on the first day of Tibetan calendar in order to have a good harvest and good luck in the new year; Fried food, such as "Kasai" made of ghee and white flour; Finish sewing and clean the yard of the house. In the old city and rural areas, people also paint auspicious patterns on the walls with lime, white paint or Ciba powder, and others paint scorpions to ward off evil spirits.

On Tibetan New Year's Eve, every household eats "ancient tu" (that is, a pimple on the face) to exorcise ghosts. When making "ancient pictures", housewives should specially wrap some things to test the luck of their families in the new year. Those who eat porcelain are lazy; If you eat Chili, your mouth is like a knife; Eating meat means respecting the old and loving the young; If you eat cow dung, you will often have good luck. Spitting out what you eat on the spot often leads to laughter. After eating the "ancient tu", an exorcism ceremony was held. People pour the "ancient pictures" left in the bowl into an earthenware pot, which is filled with "ghosts" made of dough. When you pour "Gu Tu", you should say "I'll give you the rest" and so on. Then, take a piece of dough in your hand, beat it around and say "ward off evil spirits", and then throw the dough into the earthen pot. Get rid of the "ghosts" on your body and then get rid of the "ghosts" in the house. At this time, the man at home lit a straw with fire, smoked it around the house and outside the yard, and shouted "the ghost came out" while smoking, so as to drive the "ghost" out of the house. The hostess picked up the clay pot, followed the torch, threw the "ghost" at the crossroads, and the family set off firecrackers behind. It is said that the reason why the "ghost" was thrown at the crossroads was to prevent it from finding its way back to its original house. On this day, as night falls, firecrackers are everywhere in the city, and the streets and alleys are full of "exorcists" holding torches, and the crossroads are full of flames.

On the first morning of New Year's Day, people greet the Tibetan New Year with the sound of "Zhaga" (now played by a tape recorder). In this sound, the old people wish good luck. On this day, families put highland barley seedlings, "Gexi" (oil-squeezed fruit), "Guo Long" (sheep's head), "horse-cut" (grain harvest bucket) and all kinds of sweets on the shrines or cabinets, and the whole family put on new clothes, sat on brand-new card mats and ate "auspicious rice" made of ginseng fruit, ghee and sugar. After dinner, the elders brought grain barrels, and each person took turns to grab a few grains and scatter them in the sky as a sacrifice to God, and then stuffed some into their mouths. At this time, the elders wish everyone "Tashildler" and the younger generation will return "I wish everyone health and happiness forever".

On this day, families basically get together behind closed doors and neighbors don't visit each other. On the second day of the second year, relatives and friends began to visit each other and pay New Year greetings, which lasted for half a month.

Morancimbo Festival

That is, Zhao Dafa will be held on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. This gathering is a continuation of the prayer meeting initiated by Zong Kaba in * * * 14 16. During the Zhao Chuan period, lamas from the three major temples and other temples gathered in the city to recite scriptures collectively and held a "Gesi" degree examination. There will be a prayer meeting in February, which is called "Congjue" in Tibetan. The content of the activity is similar to that of Zhao Chuan Dafa Association, but on a smaller scale, so it is also called "small tricks".

the Lantern Festival

It was held in * * * on the first month of Tibetan calendar 15. At that time, lamas and people from various temples will use colorful ghee to shape various ghee sculptures and hang them on flower stands built in advance on both sides of Jokhang Temple. As night falls, lanterns light up and fall like stars. The lanterns are painted with flowers, immortals, birds and animals. The crowd watching the lamp sang and danced under it all night.

Spring sowing festival

Also known as sowing festival and trial planting festival, it is to put a yoke on the calf who is learning to farm for the first time and try to farm. It is held on an auspicious day in the first month of every year.

Three or four days before the spring sowing festival, every household should brew highland barley wine and prepare decorations for livestock. At sunrise on the day of the Spring Sowing Festival, a woman over 60 years old and several old farmers put on holiday costumes, brought prepared tea, wine, prayer flags and incense burners to worship the land god and the agricultural god, and then returned to the village. At this time, all the men, women and children in the village put on their most beautiful clothes and led the farm animals to the cultivated land ready for cultivation. Everyone happily divided into several stalls, drinking tea and drinking. After tea and wine, several people burned incense, set up flags, sang hymns and offered sacrifices to the gods in order to prepare for the trial farming. Generally speaking, every family brings a pair of cows, and the housewife of the family toasts the sky three times and puts three pieces of ghee on the cow's forehead to show good luck. The first plow newly cultivated was sown with auspicious seeds by the women of that year, and then began to plow the land. After the worship ceremony, there will be entertainment activities such as running and wrestling.

Sagadawa Festival

April 15 in Tibetan calendar is a unique festival-Sagadawa Festival. "Sagadawa" means the Pleiades moon in Tibetan (Pleiades is one of the 28 stars in Tibetan astrology). In the Tibetan calendar, the Pleiades star appears in April, so this month is called the Pleiades Star Moon, or Sagadawa. According to legend, the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha Sakyamuni were all in April 15, so various activities will be held this month to commemorate it. Over time, these activities will be integrated into a grand turning point.

The so-called prayer is to walk around a certain route, which is a form of prayer. There are three routes to turn the meridian. One is the capsule profile, which goes around the Jokhang Temple Hall. It is all Falun, which is about 500 meters long and is the inner ring line. Tibetan "capsule profile" is the inner ring; The second is Bajiao Street, which surrounds Jokhang Temple for one week, with a total length of about 1 1,000 m, which is the central loop line. In Tibetan, "eight classes" means central; The third is Linkuo Road, which goes around the old town of * * * for a week, with a total length of about 5,000 meters. It is the outer ring road, which is called "Lin Kuo" in Tibetan.

The meaning of outer ring. The flow of people turning around in Capsule Profile and Bajiao Street is constant every day, and Linkou Road is the route for people to turn around on important days. At Sagadawa Festival, the turning of forest contour is the most spectacular. From the first day of Sagadawa, crowds of people passed through the meridian on Linkuo Road. On the fifteenth day of the Tibetan calendar, the turning meridian reached its peak. From 2: 00 a.m. to the evening, there was a flood of people and the river kept flowing.

Shoton/Sho Dun festival

In Tibetan, "snow" means sour, "meal" means feast, and "Snow Festival" is a festival for eating yogurt.

The origin of the Snowdon Festival can be traced back to17th century, when it was a purely religious activity. Zong Kaba, the founder of Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism (Yellow Sect), established a summer housing system for monks, that is, monks are only allowed to study indoors in summer and are not allowed to go out. Because summer is the most active season for all kinds of creatures on the plateau, so as not to be killed unintentionally. This ban will last until the end of June and the beginning of July in the Tibetan calendar. On the day of lifting the ban, the monks went out of the temple and went down the mountain. In addition to enjoying the sour feast given by secular people, they have to have fun.

/kloc-In the middle of the 0/7th century, the Qing emperor officially awarded the titles of the Fifth Panchen Lama and the Fourth Panchen Lama. According to the wishes of the V * * * "Snowton" activity, the content of Tibetan opera performance in Norbulingka was increased, and people were allowed to enter the park to watch the play. In this way, the Snowden Festival has gradually become an annual mass festival. Because the main content of the snow festival has gradually evolved into Tibetan opera performances, it is also called Tibetan Opera Festival.

At present, during the Snowdon Festival, there are mainly activities such as sunbathing Buddha with zhe mussels, Tibetan opera performances and visiting Karin.

Bath Festival [within 7 days of the first half of July in Tibetan calendar]

Known in Tibetan as "Gama Riji" (bathing), it is a special festival for Tibetan people. Every year, the Tibetan calendar lasts for 7 days from July 6th to12nd, also known as "Bathing Week".

According to legend, a rare plague occurred on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a long time ago, and a large number of people and animals died. The merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva sent seven fairies to take out seven bottles of fairy water from the Yaochi and pour them into all the rivers in the * * *. That night, the common people saw a sallow and emaciated girl in their dreams. After she jumped into the clear river to bathe, she was completely ill and had a good face. From then on, every year in late summer and early autumn, during the seven days when "Karmaji Day" (Venus) appeared, men, women and children in cities, rural areas and pastoral areas went out to rivers, lakes, rivers and streams, set up tents, drew curtains, spread mats and played and swam in the water. Women also bathe in the water without scruple. At noon, the family had a picnic outside and tasted mellow highland barley wine and fragrant butter tea. Do it at sunrise and return at sunset every day, and enjoy this annual traditional festival. Fruit Festival

It is a festival for Tibetan people to wish for a bumper harvest, lasting 1-3 days and held on an auspicious day before the autumn harvest. It has a history of 1500 years. In Tibetan, "king" means "field", "crossing" means "turning around" and "Guo Wang" means "turning a field into a ridge".

According to legend, during the Tubo period, farmers asked the leaders of Bonism how to ensure a bumper harvest of grain. The leader asked the farmers to circle around the field, with people holding incense burners and prayer flags as guides, and then the leader led the way, followed by villagers holding barley ears or wheat ears. After several rounds in the field, they put all kinds of ears of grain in granaries and shrines in order to pray for good weather and good harvests. This situation continues to this day.

At the fruit festival, men, women and children, dressed in festive costumes, or holding highland barley ears, or holding scriptures, holding colorful flags, holding a harvest tower made of white Hada tied with highland barley ears and wheat ears, beating gongs and drums, singing carols and circling the fields. Later, in the forest of Heba, we drank butter tea, highland barley wine, sang and danced, and wished a bumper harvest. Horse racing, archery, sports and Tibetan opera performances are still held in some places. As soon as the festival is over, the tense autumn harvest will begin. Naqu Jockey Club

In all Tibetan festivals handed down from the people, horse racing is almost indispensable. In ancient times, it was not uncommon to select leaders through horse racing and competitions. People living in the special natural environment of the plateau can't move without horses, and they can't fight hard without horses. Therefore, the Tibetan people have cultivated strong feelings for horses in their primitive daily life, that is, sanctifying and deifying horses, believing that horses can determine the fate and leaders of tribes. Based on the strong belief in horses, many horse racing festivals have been formed in Tibetan areas, among which that song is the biggest. Naqu Horse Racing Festival, called "Poverty Alleviation" in Tibetan, is a grand traditional festival on the grassland in northern Tibet. It is held on August 1st of the Gregorian calendar every year for five to fifteen days. In August in northern Tibet, the weather is clear and the sky is blue. Wan Li and Shan Ye are full of flowers and plants. A few days before the festival, herders from all over northern Tibet dressed in gorgeous holiday costumes, brought highland barley wine, sour rice soup and other foods, as well as beautifully designed tents and mats, and rode horses from all directions to the stadium. During the festival, colorful flags are flying on the racecourse. At the beginning of the race, the riders led the horses into the field, circled the field for a week, and then led the horses to the designated place. When they reached the starting point, the riders mounted their horses and got ready to start. When the command sounded, they whipped the horses and ran to the finish line. This traditional festival has been further developed in recent years. In addition to traditional events such as horse racing, archery and equestrian performance, activities such as weightlifting, tug-of-war, singing "Gesar" have been added, and large-scale material exchange meetings have also been held.

Gyangze Dama Festival

The Gyangze Dama Festival has a history of more than 500 years. It is said that during the sagar Dynasty, King Paba Sambu of Gyangze enjoyed high prestige among the masses. After Pabasambu's death, his disciples sacrificed to commemorate him every year, but they were all interrupted by the war. In A.D. 14 16, Gongsang Yopa, son of Pabasambu, succeeded to the Queen of Gyangze and resumed his sacrifice. From April 10 to April 27 this year in Tibetan calendar, Gonsang Yopa chanted sutras to worship his ancestors, and engaged in recreational activities, mainly including religious activities such as showing Buddha and jumping to the gods, and wrestling and shouldering the burden. By the time Zhaxi Raodan was appointed King of Gyangze, namely 1447, recreational activities such as riding and shooting, Tibetan opera, singing and dancing were also added. The Gyangze Dama Festival continues to this day.

Shigatse New Year

The Shigatse New Year officially began on February 29th, 65438 in Tibetan calendar. On this day, there will be an "ancient investigation" activity, that is, a thorough cleaning of indoor and outdoor areas, kitchens, courtyards and courtyards, and a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and send ghosts at night.

On New Year's Day, as soon as the East turned white, the daughter-in-law or eldest daughter at home got up to make soju. When the rooster crows for the first time, it toasts the whole family. If you drink one or two bowls of wine and say "I won't drink now", you will be fined three bowls. If you can't drink it, the rest of the wine will fall on your head. When the cock crows three times, people take "cutting the horse" and "Ciba" to get "four innovations", that is, other people's cow dung is new, Xia Geng is new, the water source is new, and the dog kennel dung is new. When taking the "four innovations", sprinkle some rice cake powder in the above four places. At dawn, people put on new clothes and went to the nearby mountains to worship the mountain gods and pray for a bumper harvest in the coming year.

How many days the New Year lasts depends on local customs and conditions, and there is no fixed time limit. On the evening of the end of the year, some families will hold a "New Year's Banquet" to gather family members, neighbors, relatives, friends and men and women who can sing and dance as much as possible, and put on Tibetan "Chema", Ciba powder and grain wine to celebrate. After the banquet, everyone sprinkled a little rice cake powder of "bamboo chariots and horses" and prayed loudly: "Gigi is long-winded, may the good god prevail!"

Dangxiong Jockey Club

The Dangxiong Jockey Club starts in July 10 every year and lasts for three days. In Tibetan, it is called "chanting benevolence", which means asking lamas to recite scriptures. The Jockey Club was originally an activity to celebrate the bumper harvest, carry out the exchange of agricultural and livestock products, and conduct cultural entertainment. Later, it was infiltrated with religious color. Dangxiong's horse racing activities are rich and colorful, including horse racing, archery, song and dance performances and so on.

Linzhi Gongbu Festival

Legend has it that a long time ago, a foreign army invaded * * *, and the local people were unable to resist and had to ask for help from all over the country. In order to defend the motherland and hometown, workers and peasants formed a patriotic army to support them. When they set foot on the journey, it was already September, and the soldiers regretted that they could not drink highland barley wine for the New Year, eat New Year's Eve dinner or bake pine fire for the New Year. The people of the Ministry of Industry advanced the Tibetan calendar year to 1 October1day. In order to commemorate the brave soldiers who joined the army in those years, on October 1 every year, workers and peasants offered three sacrifices to keep vigil for the soldiers. Over time, the custom of celebrating the year of workers and peasants on October 1 was formed.

Compared with Tibetan New Year, Gongbu Year has rich forest characteristics. The main activities include exorcising ghosts, inviting dogs to eat, eating "Jieda", carrying water, and offering sacrifices to the goddess of harvest.

Karin Festival

Tibetans who love outdoor life enter Karin from the river in summer, which is called "playing Karin" or "Karin Festival". Karin Festival is very rich in activities. Generally speaking, there are two themes: worship of God and entertainment. When festivals come, people dressed in costumes will flock to Karin in the suburbs from the city. Cars, mules and horses, bicycles and motorcycles are carrying people, tables and chairs, food and drinking utensils, and they are bustling in the streets. Some set up tents in Linkari, mostly white and embroidered with blue auspicious patterns, which are simple and beautiful; Others use colorful tents to enclose a small environment. In tents or tents, people set up stoves, set tables and chairs, spread mats, put on all kinds of snacks, dishes and drinks, and sing, dance, play Tibetan cards, roll dice, tell stories, play games, treat people to banquets, indulge in wine, and sometimes watch movies, cultural programs and Tibetan operas, and conduct traditional sports, archery and competitive competitions. In recent years, Linkari's activities have become more abundant. Television sets, video recorders, karaoke and video games have also moved into tents, where traditional culture and modern entertainment live in harmony.