What are the characteristics and customs of Tujia nationality on June 6th?

On June 6th, Tujia people's colorful holiday customs showed the cultural characteristics of local ethnic groups. So what are the specific characteristics of Tujia people's June 6th? Next, Lao Huangli will explain this minority festival to you. Let's take a look!

The sixth day of the sixth lunar month is an important festival of the Han nationality in the middle of the year, and it is also popular among Tujia, Miao, Buyi and other ethnic minorities. This means that although June 6th is an important traditional festival of Tujia people, it is not unique to this nation. It not only has the historical image of Han festivals, but also has the characteristics of its own nation.

Most Tujia people call June 6th "drying the dragon robe". According to folklore, June 6th is an important memorial festival for Tujia people. There are many legends about the origin of June 6th, among which the most popular one is that this day was the day when something happened to Qin Nan, the toast of Maogang, Hunan. According to legend, Qin Dong was killed on this day to resist the national oppression of the feudal dynasty.

On the execution ground, Qin Dong glared at him. When the executioner peeled off his skin in a year, nine golden dragons suddenly flew out of him, and suddenly the sky was dark and the sun and the moon were dull. Zhu Yuanzhang was so scared that he fainted from the golden dragon chair and quickly got up and prayed to heaven. At the same time, he ordered the human skin to be dried and tied into a statue of Tan Dong, and let him sit on the throne for seven days every year. Tujia people snatched Qin Dong's bloody shirt back, washed it and dried it, and set up a temple for sacrifice, which is called "drying the dragon robe".

On June 6th, Tujia people have rich holiday customs, some related to the sky, some related to the land, some related to the gods, some related to ancestors, and some related to the year. The customs related to heaven mainly include "worshipping the sun god". Some Tujia people in Xiangxi believe that June 6th is the birthday of the sun, so they should worship the sun god and pray for him to give sunshine, warm everything and ensure a bumper harvest.

The custom related to land is "tasting the new valley". On June 6th, if it is Maori, it is also called New Year's Day. Some Tujia people make new grains and cook new rice, and use eels as dishes to show their surplus. In some places, people cook wine to worship God, give thanks and pray for a bumper harvest.

The custom related to gods is "burning black gods". Tujia people in Lichuan, Longshan and other places believe that the black god can drive away evil spirits and filth. On June 6th every year, they will light incense sticks and carry the black god in red for a parade, which is called "burning the black god".

The customs related to ancestors are "drying dragon robes", "offering sacrifices to the king of the earth" and "offering sacrifices to the king". Most Tujia people dry their clothes, quilts and shoes on June 6 every year, which is called "June 6, drying dragon robes".

Tujia people in Youshui Valley in western Hunan will kill pigs, make rice cakes and make tofu on June 6th every year, invite relatives and friends to celebrate the festival and hold activities of waving hands to worship their ancestors. Tujia people in Qingjiang River valley in western Hubei call June 6 King's Day. They lit incense sticks, set off firecrackers and offered sacrifices to King Lin Jun, praying that he could protect people from sailing safely on the water. The custom related to the New Year is June 6th every year, and Tujia people with Yan surname in western Hunan will celebrate the New Year on this day. Although the festival customs are complicated, it still focuses on drying robes to commemorate the local king Qin Dong and various sacrificial customs extended from it.

On the one hand, the rich and colorful holiday customs of Tujia nationality reflect that it varies from place to place and has obvious regional characteristics, on the other hand, it reflects that it is the crystallization of national cultural exchange and integration and has strong national characteristics. June 6th of Tujia nationality contains rich cultural connotation, which stores the historical information of cultural exchange and integration between Tujia nationality and other nationalities.

In fact, sunbathing dragon robes on June 6th is also a long-standing traditional festival of Han nationality, which is still popular in many areas. There is a folklore in Yangzhou about "drying dragon robes": Emperor Qianlong was caught in a heavy rain on his way to Yangzhou, and his coat was soaked, so it was difficult to borrow people's clothes to replace it. He had to wait until the rain stopped and dry his wet clothes before wearing them. This day happens to be June 6th, so it is called "drying the dragon robe".

Of course, the custom of drying dragon robes was not formed in the Qing Dynasty, but it was formed very early. On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the Han people call it "washing and drying festival". Because the weather is very sultry at this time, coupled with the rainy season and humid climate, everything is easily damaged by mildew, so there are many customs of bathing and drying things from palaces to people, from towns to farmhouses on this day. It can be seen that the custom of drying dragon robes on June 6th was formed by Tujia nationality influenced by the customs of Han nationality and combined with the legends of this nation, and it is not unique to this nation.

The custom of tasting the new valley is not an inherent custom of Tujia people, but a traditional custom of Miao people in Xiangxi and Hubei. As for the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors, black gods and sun gods, they are only the concentrated expression of Tujia sacrifice custom in this particular festival, thus enhancing the festival and its sacrificial nature. Therefore, June 6th is not only an important memorial festival for Tujia people, but also an important sacrifice festival.