Songkran customs

Dai is one of China has a long cultural tradition of the ethnic minority population of nearly one million, mainly living in southern Yunnan Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Dehong Autonomous Prefecture of western and Gengma, Menglian other counties, other scattered throughout Yunnan. Dai has a long history, the Dai Dai Zhuang language is Sino-Tibetan language family . Faith in Buddhism, but in general than the original religious activities, such as the worship of God camp, camp ghost, agricultural ritual, hunting ritual, worship and other spiritual things.

         Songkran New Year actually Dai, Xishuangbanna is one of the most ceremonious traditional festival, usually in mid-June in the Dai Li (ie, about ten days before the Ching Ming Festival) held a three to four days. Usually in the Gregorian calendar April 13 to 15 three days.

First, the origin

Dai Water Splashing Festival, also known as "Buddha Day", Dai language called "step ratio" (meaning New Year), Xishuangbanna Dehong Dai region known as the festival is "still rare" and "is still key," the two names are the source in Sanskrit, meaning flow, change and transfer, that the sun has been operating in the zodiac the week beginning the transition to the new year. Achang, Deang, Brown and Wa ethnic over the holidays. Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and other countries have also been Songkran.

Water Festival from India, is a ritual of ancient Brahmanism, Buddhism absorbed after about AD 12 by the end of the century to 13 century with the introduction of Buddhism in Myanmar in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. Buddhist influence in the region with the deepening of the Dai, Songkran become a national custom handed down, has hundreds of years. Songkran spread in the process, the Dai people, and gradually of their own national myths and legends combine to give the Songkran more magical meaning and national characteristics.

2, legend

On the origins of Songkran, there is such a vivid legend: Long ago, in the Dai-populated areas there is a cruel devil, who stop at no evil, full of burning and looting, rape of women, which makes crop-free income, people restless, hard times . Suffered harm to his people, he hated it, but can not kill him.

Beelzebub has six wives, but he is still not satisfied, then robbed of a beautiful, intelligent girl. This seven girls to see their compatriots living a miserable life, determined to find ways to eradicate evil. Smart minds hate devil may surface but unemotional, containing and devil is better. One night, the devil win back many treasures from the outside and a servant, she is not prepared to take advantage of when the devil happy to test hair, ask him what could be strangled with devil devil's secret. So, late at night, while asleep, when Beelzebub, the devil girl quietly pull a hair, reined devil's neck. All of a sudden, devil's head will roll in the ground, but the first one the ground, lit fires on the ground. Seeing will lead to disaster, the girls immediately picked up the head, the fire will go out. However, the devil's head and rolled wherever it a disaster, thrown into the river, the river flooded; buried in the ground, everywhere, the stench is the only devil's wife held her safe.

For the removal of the evil people, the girls would take turns holding devil's head, one day hold. Heaven one day, equal to the ground a year, the girls each year rotation date, Dai New Year, Dai people have a feeling of admiration of the girls, give your head a girl splashing water, in order to rush to the body with blood and adult fatigue as a blessing wash sewage purification.

Later, the Dai people, to commemorate the seven brave women wit, on this day each year splashing each other, from the formation of a grand festival of the Dai toot - Songkran.

Third, the main activities

Dai Songkran period of three to four days. The first day of "Jimmy Day", similar to the Lunar New Year's Eve, Dai language called "Wan more still rare," meaning get old. At this point people to clean up housing, cleaning, preparing festive dinner and various activities between sections. The next day called the "angry," and "angry" means "empty", according to custom the day before the year is not, nor is one year, it is "empty days"; on the third day called "Mak Paya late Mary, "Mary said to the souls of this Mai Paya later returned to earth with a new calendar day, people used to this day as" King of the coming days ", is Dai Li's New Year's Day.

To the festival, the Dai people of all ages to wear their holiday best, lug water, a first temple Buddha, and then started splashing each other, you are throwing me, I sprinkle you, countless water droplets in the air in full bloom, symbolizing luck and happiness , health, youth hands of the bright crystal beads, but also a symbol of sweet love. We splashed each other ah splashed everywhere is water baptism, the blessing of water, the water song and. Blossoming spray string of laughter, Songkran has become a sea of joy.

Songkran content, in addition to splashing water, there are driven pendulum, race, Buddha, chanting, Zhang Kazakhstan singing, cock fighting, dancing peacock, white elephant dance, packet loss, up high, let lanterns and other folk activities, and other art performances, trade and economic exchanges.

1, Songkran "blessing": Buddha

In "Jimmy Day", early in the morning it would take some flowers to the temple dedicated to the green leaves, worried to clean water, "Buddha" - as the Buddha dust collector. "Buddha" is completed, the collective started splashing each other. Groups of young men and women from a variety of containers filled with water, emission from the streets, chasing play, everyone they pour. "Spray release, Dai crazy", "throwing a wet and happy life!" A symbol of good luck, happiness, health, spray a blossoming flowers in the air, people poured heartily heartily sprinkle, laughing Lang Lang, body soaking wet, spirits high ... Mi ...

2, Songkran "Love": packet loss

Songkran is also the unmarried young men and women looking for love and happiness of good planting season. During Songkran, Dai unmarried young men and women like to do "packet loss" game. Girl hand crafted with fabric flower package, is that a token of love. Packet loss that day, the girls dressed and feared his best, and then name of Hua San, carrying flowers package arrived in the "private use", and points out the boys on both sides, away from the three 40-step, start throwing flowers to the other packages. If the guy lost the girl to pick flowers not live package, you have to plug in a prepared flower girl's hair Jie, the girl lost boy vain if access to the package, you have to plug into the boy's chest ... flowers ... So gradually the other is selected, a section of a romantic love story begins.

3, Songkran "power": race

Dragon-boat race is the Songkran one of the most exciting, often in the Songkran's "Mai Paya late Mary" (the third day) at. That day, dressed in splendid attire of the people gathered at the Lancang River, Ruili River, watch dragon boat races. Phi green river anchor bloodied the dragon boat, boat sailor sat dozens of Jing Zhuang, orders a ring, ready to set off the dragon boat flew like an arrow forward, suddenly the whole river, drum, gong, chant the sound of applause sound, one after another, repeatedly Accordingly, the festive atmosphere reached a climax in here ... ...

4, Songkran "dance": dance and Peacock Dance of foot

Dai people sing, dance, dance indispensable nature Songkran. Large-scale dance be located primarily in the third day of Songkran, such as such as the feet dancing and Peacock Dance. Seven-year-old from seven to eight-year-old child to the elderly, are put on their holiday best, gathered in the village square, take part in collective dance. Dance like feet warm, robust, handsome. Dancers in a circle, co-manganese gong, drum dance of foot while dancing while cheering, "I, I" or "Water, water!" Peacock Dance beautiful, elegant, lyrical, is the soul of the Dai dance, dance all in the attitude to Peacock, based on interest and beauty in the re-creation, the focus on children who embodied the aesthetic purport Dai. There are many dancers be freely own improvisations, some singing and dancing, some even jumping side edge to drink, great joy, wild informal, jump straight days and nights I do not know fatigue.

5, Songkran "High": put high lift and Sky Lanterns

Put a high lift is another Songkran repertoire. Dai people is soaring as a home-made fireworks will fill the bottom with bamboo powder and other ingredients, placed barricaded the soaring bamboo shelves, connected to the lead, always at night discharge. Soaring up, the light will lead to combustion of gunpowder produced strong thrust will push the bamboo, such as high-altitude rocket. Bamboo gilded white smoke, the zip of whizzing issued, while in the air jet released brilliant fireworks, like flowers, dazzling, and even is wonderful. On the ground are cheering, cheers come and go, buzz, praise loud, bustling. Soaring flying higher and farther in the stockade, people feel more glory, more good luck.

Dai let lanterns are unique to the region's activities. At night, people in the square open space, the lights in the light, put self-made large "balloon", the use of air buoyancy, to a light lanterns flying to heaven. A brightly lit lanterns in the dark of the night getting high, more and farther. People in order to commemorate the ancient sages Ming.

Fourth, heritage value

Songkran is a comprehensive show Dai water culture, music and dance culture, food culture, costumes and other traditional culture and folk culture, advocating a comprehensive stage history is an important window of Dai has high academic value. Songkran show chapter Kazakhstan, white elephant dance and performing arts can give people the enjoyment of art, help to understand the natural Dai sentiment, love of water Jingfo, gentle and quiet of national identity. Songkran is also to strengthen the state's people of all nationalities in Xishuangbanna, an important link between the great unity of Xishuangbanna friendly cooperation and exchanges with Southeast Asian countries, in promoting socio-economic and cultural development across the state played a positive role.