The cycle of the year Buyi, popular holidays

The big year.

They celebrate to him simultaneously that the spring holiday of the Chinese. Before the holiday a pig sacrifices himself and his meat blackens, it does glutinous rice to itself, and new clothes are woven. On the 30th of last lunar month it is necessary to take the meal of the unit. And the night of the first day of the year, the colors lamps must catch fire. During of the following ten days, it is still considered that the holiday lasts. The young people of both sexes meets to sing and to be courted. In the street there touch the drums of bronze and other musical instruments, while the people dance the typical dances of the Buyi.

In the Zhenning area they are continued by the holidays of the dragon (of the 3rd to 12), during which it is sung, dances, drinks, horse racings are done, etc.

In other areas the ceremony is realized of inviting to the dragon. During that the people prepare numerous gifts for the dragon, generally food and wine. Then the priest or Bumo, sat, reads the writing of inviting to the dragon. Once this writing has been read, the chief brings two eggs, which will be buried on the foot of two posts. The egg symbolizes the wealth, since his egg yolk collaborates to the gold and his egg white to the silver. While these eggs are buried, it is sung: "he keeps the gold and the silver that we bury, and do not leave that anybody takes it." And in fact, if throughout the year, some dog or cat scratches this area, he will be dead, and the exorcized house of his proprietors.

On the third of the third month.

It is a holiday of venerating the mountains. This is one of the most popular holidays between Buyi, as between others of peoples with the same origin. As its own name indicates that there is celebrated the third day of the third lunar month. In some parts this is a holiday in homage to the gods of the village, and to the gods of the mountain. Generally the people meet to sing and to dance eln festive ambience.

In the same date the Maoshanshu holiday is celebrated in the county of Anlong. This is the local name where it is said that two legend lovers are buried. The holiday lasts three days. The people meet in festive ambience, singing and dancing close to his grave.

The holiday of the king of the oxen.

In some places also it is called the Holiday of initiating the plantation. There is celebrated the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. During the same one the people use glutinous rice, which offers the king of the oxen. Each one bathes to his oxen, which to rest during this day. It symbolizes the love and gratitude the oxen for plowing the ground.

The holiday of the songs of Chalang and Baimei.

There is celebrated the 21st of the sixth lunar month. According to the legends of the Buyi, there was once two young called Chalang and Baime that were loving each other tenderly, but the landowner killed the boy. His dear one, in the date that celebrates the holiday burned the house of the landowner, being thrown itself to the flames of the fire. To remember his love every year this holiday is realized. Whose principal activity the meetings are to sing.

Fang ji or to visit several.

There is celebrated every year the first day of the sixth lunar month, when every family puts some money and some meal, to prepare the wine, the pig and the chickens necessary for this ceremony. A Bumo usually presides at it, and it is especially an invocation to ask for protection for the village and his people. The priest covers the village, stopping before every house and asking aloud: "does the demon go away or not goes away?" Another priest answers him: "it goes away" Then some lucky charms are placed in every entry of the village so that the evil remains out. To the evening the whole world meets in the temple of the god of the village, where a big banquet is celebrated and the people are drinking, singing and dancing until high hours of the night.

The holiday of 6 of 6

In some places they call it the holiday of the small year. There are many legends that they speak about the origin of this holiday, but they they all are different. With what the Buyi of different places coincide it is in the celebration of the same one. That always is always provided with the sacrifice of pigs and chickens, the people dressed in his best finery, singing short duets and dancing to the sound of the musical instruments.

Holiday of the demons.

From 12 to 16 of the seventh lunar month. In that the Bumo blesses a few roles that hung on the door will banish the demons.

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