The customs and customs of Shidong Town

There are as many as 19 festivals in Shidong every year. "Sisters' Festival" is actually called the "Eating Sisters' Rice" Festival, which is one of the ancient festivals of the local Miao people. In the past, this festival was held in many places in southeastern Guizhou, but it has faded over time. Only Shidong Town in Taijiang has the most complete and grandest festival. Among them, the fifteenth day of the third lunar month is the most lively day, when every household kills chickens and ducks to make "sister rice". At noon, banquets were held in spacious places in each village, with singing and drinking. Then the girls put on their festive costumes and silver jewelry, gathered on the river beach connecting Shijiazhai and Yangjiazhai, and formed various circles. , with the sound of drums, they danced "Pigu" and didn't disperse until sunset. In the evening, they sing love songs to each other and make friends, which is called "youfang". Young unmarried men and women look for their loved ones on this occasion. Therefore, this festival is also called the ancient "Valentine's Day" in the East.

According to custom, the festival is celebrated on the 15th day, "playing drums" on the river beach on the 16th day, and farewell to relatives and friends on the 17th day. Since the local government began to organize the "Sisters Festival" as a large-scale event in the county in 1998, the content arrangements in each village have also changed. A stage has been set up on the river beach in the town, and the "Sister Flower Selection Contest" is going on. The young Miao girls are all dressed up like flowers and jade, and they are bright and charming. They are really charming!

Shidong has been a place where beauties have been produced since ancient times. I used to hear that there are "four beauties" in Taijiang County, all of whom came from Shidong, so the contest to choose the "sister beauties" is held here. Well-founded. In addition to those from nearby villages and the county, the beauties also come from surrounding counties. There is a girl who said that she is from Gulong in Huangping County. Of course, they are all Miao girls. In addition to their faces and costumes, they also have talent performances. Each one displays their talent, swaying in various ways, and the atmosphere is lively.

The Miao aunts are beautiful when they play the drums, and the women in silk clothes dance in colorful costumes. If you win the gold medal, your clothes will be glowing, but if you lose the duet song, your face will be glowing. "The people who danced under the red sun returned to the village and trampled on a beach of white jade sand." The "Mei girl" in the poem refers to the girl who calls herself "Mei family". She is a branch of the ancient Miao nationality and lives in the Huangping area. Eat New Festival, It is a traditional festival of the Miao people. It was called "nongs

mol" in ancient times and takes place every year in Xijiang, Taoyao, Danjiang and other places on the first and middle days of the sixth month of the lunar calendar. ), so it is also called "Chimao", which means the first Mao day of the sixth month in the lunar calendar, or "Nugexi", which means new rice. In Langde, Baode and other places, rice harvests begin on the Mao day of the seventh month. Calculating the day of the gate, it is held every 50 days in Lianhua, Qiaogang, Taojiang, Zhanglei and other places on the "Mao Day" in the first and middle of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Apart from the Guzang Festival, it is the most solemn festival except the Miao New Year Festival. According to the locals, it should be about 50 days after the rice is transplanted, and the specific time is determined by the Guzang head. , the time is probably between July 1st and July 10th.

The festival has three origins: one is to commemorate the Miao ancestors who developed Leigong Mountain; the other is to take advantage of the leisure time in farming after the busy season. During the festival, people can rest and have fun to adjust their life; thirdly, the rice seedlings are already booting and heading, which indicates a good harvest. During the festival, every family makes rice dumplings and several households jointly kill a pig or a whole family. A cow is slaughtered and eaten separately, and each household prepares its own chicken, duck, and fish. The sacrifice before the meal is to pull 7 to 9 buds (booting ears) from the rice fields and place them on the rice to worship the "flower tree" (jenl hlod). , "Yan Ma" (wuk vib) or worship "bridge" (jux) and ancestor gods, with glutinous rice as the staple food, antiphonal songs, race songs, and horse racing to commemorate the Miao ancestors "Yin Fu Fei" and "Mo Fu Fei". I thank God for his blessing and wish me a good harvest that year. Danjiang (now the urban area of ??Leishan County) is still busy at this time. The festival lasts for two nights and three days. Sheng is played and antiphonal songs are played all night long. Thousands of households in Leishan County are busy. Miao Village - Xijiang has the traditional habit of eating the New Festival. During the Xijiang New Year Festival, in addition to Xijiang, there are also about 10,000 people of all ethnic groups in neighboring counties such as Taijiang and Kaili. Many people participate.

During the festival, both men and women, young and old, wear festive costumes, especially girls who wear silver ribbons, necklaces, bracelets, collars, earrings, etc. Everyone wears silver jewelry. Some wear pleated skirts with jingling silver jewelry all over their bodies.

In the festival, the main activity is to play the reed, but not to dance. , bird fighting, horse racing, swimming, etc. Among these activities, bullfighting and swimming are the main ones.