The New Year and other holidays of the Raojia

The Raojia concentrate principally on the municipality of Duyun, region of Raohe and district of Majian, region Heba. They are approximately 8.000 persons. The clothes, meal, marriage, funerals and holidays of the Raojia present its own ethnic peculiarities.

The New Year in Winter (1)

Call in language Rao "Yiyuxian" is a ceremony to venerate the ancestors. One asks them to protect his progeny and to bring to them prosperity and descent. There is celebrated the first day tiger of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar.

According to the legends his origin is: "It does a lot of, a lot of time, the Raojia had a forefather whom they were calling "Agong", one presents herself especially strong and ingenious, that often directed the people in the wars against the powerful enemies who they were invading. After dying Agong transformed in a fierce tiger, through which, helping the ancestors of the Raojia to avoid his extermination, to they allowed to live and to multiply. The later generations to remember him and to remember his own ancestors decided that the year should begin in November, and on the first day tiger to venerate them."

The arrangements start days earlier, killing chickens and ducks, even cows or pigs, doing pastries, going fishing, etc. The previous night the Raojia they do "calling to the winter", the most important ceremony of this holiday. In the middle of the silence, the people with solemn freightage. In this holiday incense is not burned, since his ancestors, very poor ones, did not have him, also they do not want to offer to the ancestors empty, but broke smoke, fruits, wine and cakes." The Raojia live on the foot of the mountain and to the shore of the river, during generations they have fed on the fruits of one and the fish of other" That's why use fruits and fish in his ceremonies, to be grateful to both. The fish have to be entire, caught with network, the toothpicks also reflect the life of his ancestors. They were using sheets as bowls. The people then, opposite to the slat of the ancestors, they place 12 bowls of wine (one for every month), along with each one a fish on a sheet, a fruit and a cake, presided by the biggest elder of the house, who remembers the name of the ancestors, at least for three generations. Generally of approximately seven generations, starting by the most recent deceased, inviting them to be informing in the holiday. After offering the wine to the ancestors, the participants distribute the meal of the gifts, leaving the head of the fish and a little of cake for the ancestors.

After finishing of "Calling to the Winter" they run after the New Year is congratulated mutually, receive the guests, sing and dance, drink and they are of holiday until the day it dawns.

The New Year's Day, the young people Raojia of one and another sex dress new clothes, dancing to the sound of the lusheng, sing and are courted. There are celebrated also fights of bulls, of birds, horse racings, jumps, and a sport similar to the basketball.

Holiday of Eating the New thing (2)

In Majiang, Heba lives through approximately 4.000 Raojia
In language Rao this holiday is called "Longguanian" ó "Seven dragon eight snake", snake of the eighth month celebrates the first day dragon of the seventh lunar month, or day.

Every family prepares gifts of glutinous rice, caught and five cereals, according to the legends his origin is that "Long ago, the officials were oppressing cruelly to the minorities. The Raojia, to try to survive, got up joined being opposed to the officials. One year at the beginning of autumn the officials came suddenly to Heba, as the Raojia were not prepared remained shut up in his village. An elder had the idea of doing a big clamor with beams and drums, managing to make to doubt the soldiers one day, one day that they delayed his attack. When they entered the village on the following day, his inhabitants had already had time to flee to the forest, being saved".

This holiday remembers this action.

Holiday of the Animated Fish (3)

In the area of Heba the people catch fish and some give fish to others.

This is a holiday that is celebrated in the middle of lunar July, when the tasks of the field are lighter, and it has a fundamentally playful character, in that the young people of both sexes is, although also it is a call to the prosperity of the ground.

(1) Zong Shiji. - Raojia "Guodongnian" (The winter year of the Roujia) In Guizhou shaoshu minzu jieri daguan (Panorama of the holidays of the minorities of Guizhou).-Guizhou minzu chubanshe (Publishing house of the Nationalities of Guizhou) Guiyang. 1991

(2) Dai Juyi. In Guizhou shaoshu minzu jieri daguan (Panorama of the holidays of the minorities of Guizhou).-Guizhou minzu chubanshe (Publishing house of the Nationalities of Guizhou) Guiyang. 1991

(3) Yan Wan. In Guizhou shaoshu minzu jieri daguan (Panorama of the holidays of the minorities of Guizhou).-Guizhou minzu chubanshe (Publishing house of the Nationalities of Guizhou) Guiyang. 1991

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