What are the customs of the Miao people? What is the traditional culture of the Miao people?

The Miao people have their own language, which belongs to the Miao branch of the Miao-Yao language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Originally there was no ethnic script, but a Latinized pinyin script was created in the late 1950s. Most people today speak Chinese.

The Miao people used to believe in animism, worship nature, and worship their ancestors. "Drum Sacrifice Festival" is the largest sacrificial activity among the Miao people. Generally, there is a small sacrifice every seven years and a big sacrifice every thirteen years. It is held on Yihai day from October to November of the lunar calendar. At that time, a Guzi ox will be killed, the Lusheng dance will be performed, and the ancestors will be paid homage to. Invite relatives and friends to gather together during meals in order to enhance feelings and family harmony. The Miao people have a long history of music and dance, and the popular Lusheng dance is highly skilled. The Miao people's arts and crafts such as cross-stitching, embroidery, brocade, batik, and jewelry making are magnificent and colorful and enjoy a high reputation in the world. The Miao people have many festivals, and the more solemn festivals include the "Miao Year", "April 8th", "Dragon Boat" festival, etc.

Traditional customs of the Miao people: ?

1. New Year's Day

The New Year's Day is the "Spring Festival" of the Miao people, also known as the "Hakka Year" . During the Chinese New Year, every household kills pigs and sheep, roasts wine and bakes cakes to celebrate the harvest, hoping for good weather and abundant grains in the coming year. According to custom, the Miao people express their blessings and hopes for the New Year by singing antiphonal songs. Early in the morning, compatriots of all ethnic groups from the five townships and four towns in the Guizhou, Hunan and Chongqing (Guizhou, Hunan and Chongqing) border areas rushed to the foot of Tianxingpo at the junction of the three provinces and cities to express their joy of welcoming the new year with songs. They also need to sing "Spring Song", with lyrics roughly meaning missing spring, looking forward to spring, cherishing spring, and celebrating spring.

2. Stepping on Huashan Festival

Stepping on Huashan is a traditional festival of the Miao people. Miao people in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other provinces are popular in mountain climbing and jumping in the first and second months of the lunar calendar or in April and May, which originated from the courtship activities of young men and women. During the festival, young men and women sing antiphonally, dance the Lusheng dance, and seek spouses; old farmers come to the flower fields to exchange production experience, teach production techniques, and wish for a bumper harvest. Miao people living in mountainous areas also hold bullfighting competitions during the festival. The Miao people in Pingbian County also hold competitions such as lion jumping and flower pole climbing.

3. April 8

A traditional festival of the Miao people. Legend has it that this festival began in the Ming Dynasty. Every eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the Miao people in costumes gather at the fountain in Guiyang City, play the sheng and flute, sing and talk to each other, to commemorate and pay homage to the legendary ancient hero Yanu.

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In addition, April 8th is also a festival of the Buyi people. Some people call it the "Ox King Festival", while others call it the "Shepherd Boy Festival" or the "Seedling Opening Festival". On this day, both humans and cattle eat "Niuwangba" or glutinous rice and take a day off to show their condolences to the cattle.

5. Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival is a Miao festival popular in Shidong and Songtao areas in western Hunan and southeastern Guizhou. Most of them are held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. In addition to dragon boat racing, there are also horse racing, bullfighting, drumming and other activities on this day.

6. Sisters' Festival

In the Miao village by the Qingshui River in eastern Guizhou Province, the Miao family's "Sisters' Festival" is held every year from the 15th to the 18th of March on the lunar calendar. During the festival, the Miao family traditionally eats "sisters' rice". This kind of rice is steamed after dyeing glutinous rice into colorful colors with wild flowers and leaves collected by girls in the mountains. There are also lively bullfighting scenes and "touring" activities in the festival.

7. Going to the Miao Market

It is a traditional festival of the Miao people. Popular in Xuyong and Gulin areas. It is held twice every year on February 13th and July 3rd of the lunar calendar. Regarding the origin of the Miao market, it is said that it was formed by the Miao people after a failed uprising. The government did not allow them to gather together. People started to contact each other secretly in the name of playing Lusheng in Changba, and later it gradually evolved into a fixed festival.

8. Ribbon Giving Festival

It is popular in the Xiadong area of ??Xuyong County. It is held every year on the fifth day of the second lunar month. At that time, young men and women within a radius of dozens of miles. If both parties like it, they can give each other belts as engagement gifts. If you regret it later, you can get your belt back and terminate the relationship.

Extended information

The Miao people are an ancient ethnic group scattered all over the world, mainly in China's Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Qiong and other provinces. , as well as Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries and regions in Southeast Asia.

According to historical documents and word-of-mouth information of the Miao people, the ancestors of the Miao people first lived in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Their ancestors were Chi You. During the "Three Miao" era, they moved to the Jianghan Plain, and later due to wars and other reasons , gradually migrated southward and westward, entering the southwest mountainous areas and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, some Miao people have immigrated to Southeast Asian countries, and in modern times they have migrated from these places to Europe and the United States.

The Miao people have their own language. The Miao language belongs to the Miao branch of the Miao-Yao family of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and is divided into three major dialects: Western Hunan, Eastern Guizhou and Sichuan-Guizhou-Yunnan. Due to the long-term exchanges between the Miao and Han people, some Miao people are fluent in Chinese and use Chinese. The main religious beliefs of the Miao people are nature worship and ancestor worship.

In the 2010 China Census, the total population of the Miao ethnic group in China was 9,426,007, ranking fourth among ethnic minorities.

Reference materials

Baidu Encyclopedia - Miao Nationality

Baidu Encyclopedia - Miao Nationality Festivals

Baidu Encyclopedia - Miao Nationality Customs