Holidays of the Deang

Most of the holidays of the peoples Deang have a religious sense. They can split therefore into two types, the related ones to the Buddhism, and the related ones to his traditional religions.

Of between the holidays Buddhists stand out:

Holiday of the Water. Similar to that of the Dai. In the middle of lunar April. It lasts 3 days Y it is the most important holiday, the people some throw water to others.

Holiday of Closing the Doors. Holiday Buddhist. In September 15 of the calendar Dai. Three days that it is possible to speak neither about love nor weddings, and a religious spirit is had. Also since it is an epoch of a lot of work, one prevents the young people from relaxing.

Holiday of Opening the Doors. On December 15 of the calendar Dai. The agricultural tasks have finished, and the door is opened for the love, the young people can be courted. Now also it has an important Buddhist.

Holiday of Burning White Matchwood. On lunar December 14. In the Xishuangbanna area.
Before the holiday white matchwood accumulates. Then a pig and a chicken sacrifices itself, wine is prepared, and they all eat together. Then one asks Buddha to go along with the white matchwood, and they all sit down in the night about the fire, with the monks singing the writing. This is to ask all those of the village for good fortune.

Of between the traditional holidays:

Zuo Dagong. Area Xishuangbanna. Every several years it is celebrated once, in February lunar March. With the village like unit, the people of other villages are invited, and for 3 days religious ceremonies are done. Then the guests go away and the proper ones sing and dance, happy for having expelled the bad spirits.

To adore the God of the Village: On lunar January 1.
The God of the Village is represented by a big tree of the village or the proximities. The day of the holiday is left of working, they prepare pastries for themselves for the god, and they all are going to pray for the safety and the good harvest. One does not allow to bring in strangers to the village. And in every area it has some different characteristics.

Holiday of Taking Flowers: Between the Bulei of the area of Luxi and Santaishan. The same day of the holiday Qing Ming of the Chinese. When the fields are flowery, the elders and children go out to take flowers. Then they dance the dance of the drum and sing. On having lowered to the village all, they decorate his houses with the newly fixed flowers.

Holiday of Washing the Hands and the Feet: Seven days after Qing Ming. In that the young people of every house washes the feet and hands of the elders as sign of respect.

To adore The Goddess of the Grain: Especially in Xishuangbanna. In honor to this goddess different ceremonies develop throughout the year. From 2, 3 spot, when the sowing, to Qing Ming. The whole agricultural cycle of the Deang turns concerning his ceremonies.

To adore the God of the Earth: In Xishuangbanna. After planting the corn.
According to the beliefs Deang every ground has his spirit, and that the harvest is good or bad, depends on him, by what every year is asked him so that good beech harvests. Every house puts some money, and between all those of the village there is bought a chicken and a glutton, which later sacrifice themselves along with the fields of the village, while a wizard sings the conjurations so that the gods protect the corn harvest.

To adore King Dragón. In lunar March.
Those of the village assemble all along with a pond of clear water, where dragon releases a drawing of the king, him a pig and a chicken sacrifice, and they all eat together with wine. Since the king is a dragon the manager of the winds and the rains.

To adore to the Spirit of the Tree. Especially between the Liang of the area of Baoshan. Three days after the Holiday of the water. In every village Deang there are 4 doors of the spirits, each one with a tree of the spirits. In Half of the night there takes a board in which a dragon and a tiger has showed, and puts itself along with the god of the trees, and they all sing, dance and pray, come with big fanfarría, go away with secretiveness.

Holiday of Adoring to the Sky. In Xishuangbanna. In lunar July, without fixed day. Since according to his legends the man was born of 100 sheets of a tree that fell down to the ground, and the god transformed them into 50 men and 50 women, who are the ancestors of the Deang. One is grateful for this holiday to the god of the sky for creating them. A chicken kills every family and it splashes his blood towards the sky, for the god, then one eats him at home.

To adore the God Snake. In Xishuangbanna. 20-12 spot. Since in his area there are many snakes, they believe that also there is a god of the snakes. In every village there is a big tree that represents this god, whom the people do not approach in normal epochs. But the day of his holiday takes to him rice, vegetables as gift and one asks the god of the snakes that the snakes should not hurt the people of the village.

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