What are the Mongolian folk customs and their characteristics?

Whole sheep and whole cattle, also known as whole sheep and whole cattle, is a traditional etiquette for Mongolian guests. Mongolians have had the habit of eating whole sheep, drinking koumiss and taking cooked mutton strips to expedition since ancient times. Yuan Shizu Kublai Khan ascended the throne, built a big white yurt, and used the whole sheep to entertain tourists and worship the gods.

There are three kinds of grand banquets: whole cow, horma and whole sheep, mainly to show perfection. In addition to offering sacrifices to the whole cow, only a certain part of the cow is generally taken. For example, on the birthday of the elderly over 65, only Niuwu tea (called Wugu tea in Mongolian, which is the weakness of cattle and sheep) is symbolically presented. Homa, also divided into vertical Homa, is the most exquisite whole sheep, which is characterized by depilation, peeling and baking. The whole sheep mat is not as delicate as Homa's, and it is characterized by peeling and cooking. Whole sheep, like whole cattle, are presented in different ways according to different needs and objects. Sometimes whole sheep are offered, and sometimes some sheep are offered. When entertaining relatives, friends and distinguished guests during the Spring Festival, it is a grand etiquette to put the cooked sheep's head in the middle of a wide wooden plate with all kinds of milk and snacks around it. The processing methods of whole cattle, whole sheep and horma vary from place to place, but it is necessary to ensure the integrity of food and avoid damaging the flesh. Swing the whole sheep; The sheep's head must face the guest of honor. When entertaining guests with whole sheep at a banquet, they usually sing hymns and toast three times. When the guests start to sing together, they will pour a glass of wine and recite the congratulations of the whole sheep. After toasting the person who served the guests with a knife and cut meat, the host asked the old man at the table to move the knife first. The waiter with a knife is called "Hundu Qige" in Mongolian. With a Mongolian knife, the elder drew a "ten" on the forehead of the sheep's head, cut pieces of meat from the back of the head, sides of the mouth, two ears, two eyes, neck and hard palate of the sheep, and then turned the sheep's head to the guest of honor. The guest of honor picked up the sheep's head and gave it back to the owner. The master took an empty plate, a sheep's head and the meat cut by the elders, and put it in front of the Buddhist shrine to worship the Buddha. Then, with a special Mongolian knife, cut long thin slices from the left and right sides of Yangwu Tea and place them left and right. When cutting the first half of the sheep, the blade is outward. After being cut three times like this, the rest of the bones are taken out in sections (only one knife can be cut for the five forks of the sheep that have crossed the mat), turned from the front, and put back into the broth for heating, so that they can be eaten. After the whole sheep has retired its meat, it is served with soup. When a whole sheep is presented as a gift, a special person is usually arranged to give a congratulatory message. Before reciting wishes, you should propose a toast to the person who made them. The toaster dipped his ring finger in the wine and raised the cup. Posture of reciting congratulations: old people sit, middle-aged people kneel on one leg, and young people stand. The content of the congratulatory message varies from person to person, from thing to thing and from region to region. For example, a congratulatory message sang: "Bogdo became Keith Khan and married a radiant lady. Slaughtering a sheep with a painted face and putting it on a crystal plate to entertain VIPs is a ceremony set by Genghis Khan, a tradition of Mongolian hospitality, a symbol of loyalty and chastity, and a symbol of sincere heart. " Everyone poured a glass of wine and sang to each other. The person who carried the message said, "knot!" Please use a knife. And raise a glass and continue to bless and sing; "According to the usual dedication, please come and taste. Follow the old customs and dedication, please come and cheer. " Pour another drink and everyone will sing again. After that, the toast went on to say, "knot!" "

Nadam folk convention

The "Nadam" conference is a grand gathering of Mongolian, Ewenki, Daur and other ethnic minorities living in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. "Nadam" is a transliteration of Mongolian, meaning "entertainment" or "game". It is held every summer and autumn. During the meeting, farmers and herdsmen from all over the country rode horses and drove cars, and brought furs, herbs and other agricultural products. The crowd gathered in the conference square. And put up a white yurt on the green grass around the venue.

Nadam is ancient and sacred in the hearts of Mongolian people. It has a long history. Genghis Khan was the first to record the activity of "Nadam". 1225 was carved on the cliff in Uighur Mongolian (ancient Mongolian). This stone inscription reads: Genghis Khan held a grand "Nadam" conference in Buhasuqihai to celebrate the victory of conquering the flower thorn submodule. An archery competition was held at the meeting. One of his nephews hit the target at a distance of 335 degrees. In addition, the Secret History of Mongolia also mentioned archery competitions many times. Later, the tribes of Maduo held a "Nadam" conference, and they all wanted to race horses. Horse racing is described in the Mongolian literary masterpiece Gestler Biography and other folk epics. Wrestling is more common, and the general "Nadam" conference is mainly about wrestling.

During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, archery, horse racing and wrestling were combined, thus forming a fixed form of the men's triathlon "Nadam" competition. At that time, the eulogy of Nadam said: "The handy Ma Touqin sound is melodious and beautiful; White and flawless Hada, sparkling; The traditional three' Nadam' have come and gone; Mongolian lux, the whole team played. " At the end of 14, the literature recording Mongolian customs and habits said: "When the" Nadam "began, Mongolian elders held up silver bowls filled with fresh milk and Hada and read congratulatory messages. There are many kinds of eulogies, such as "Nadam" eulogy and archery eulogy. For example, "Turgut Mongolian Archery Wish" said: "You raise the bow of hosts, take a golden sharp arrow, the bow is like a full moon, and snap it. "You can shoot down towering peaks, and you can shoot through flying geese. Ah! Bless you, a strong man like copper and wrought iron. " From the description of Nadam in the above records and other epic stories, we can see that Nadam occupies an important position in the life of Mongolian people.

In the Qing Dynasty, "Nadam" gradually became an organized and purposeful entertainment activity convened by the government on a regular basis, and its scale, form and content were developed. At that time, Mongolian governors held a "Nadam" conference every six months, one year or three years with Sumu (quite a district), flags and leagues as units, and awarded prizes and titles to winners in different grades. But at that time, due to the manipulation of princes and nobles, the "Nadam" meeting was often attended by the wrestlers of the monarch. Horse racing and archers won the championship.

According to the traditional habits of Mongolians, there have always been three types of "Nadam" conferences: large, medium and small. A large-scale "Nadam" conference, with 5 12 people and about 300 horses, lasts for seven to ten days; Medium-sized "Nadam" conference, attended by 256 wrestlers and 100 One Happy and Fifth horses, lasting for five to seven days; A small "Nadam" meeting, with 128 or 64 wrestlers and about 30 to 50 horses, lasts for 3 to 5 days.

Folk Oroqen nationality

Spring Festival is the most grand festival of Oroqen people. It is held on the first day of the first lunar month every year and usually lasts for four to five days. It is mainly popular in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Oroqen region in the northeast.

The Spring Festival of Oroqen nationality originated from the customs of Han nationality. Before the festival, people were busy buying new year's goods and cleaning the courtyard; People who go hunting in the mountains or work outside should rush home to prepare for the Spring Festival. On New Year's Eve, every family worships their ancestors, worships Beidou, has a family reunion dinner and keeps vigil.

On the morning of the first day of junior high school, people are busy making a new pack of "jiaozi", setting off firecrackers or firing guns into the sky to show the arrival of the New Year. The whole family went out of the house, facing east or south, lit nine sticks of incense, kowtowed to the gods and mountain gods, prayed for the gods to give them prey, and wished the whole family luck and avoid disaster.

After the sun comes out, people put on new clothes, bring their children and celebrate the New Year with wine and meat. They worship the oldest person in the clan or family first, and then go to other homes. Burn incense and worship Vulcan before entering the door, throw a piece of meat into the bonfire and sprinkle a glass of wine. The host will accompany the guests to worship. After the sacrifice, the guests toasted the host, offered cigarettes and kowtowed, wishing the elderly a long and healthy life. Worshipped elders will also say a few words of blessing to admirers, and some even give lucky money or a few sweets. On this day, the old people usually wait at home for the younger generation to pay New Year greetings.

From the second day of junior high school, old people pay New Year greetings to each other, or get together for drinking and entertainment, while young people automatically organize cultural and sports activities, or sing and dance, or shoot horses, wrestle, or play chess and cards. Singing and dancing are especially popular with people. Their dances reflect the lives of birds and animals, show hunters catching wild animals, and depict the scene of women collecting labor. Their movements are simple and pure, and they have a deep breath of hunting life. Recreational activities continued until the fourth day of junior high school. On the fifth day, people thought it was "Ghost Festival", so they were forbidden to go out, have fun and make noise. On this day, people rest at home. From the sixth day, hunters can go hunting in the mountains and resume normal production activities.

Folk custom sacrifice Aobao

"Aobao" is Mongolian, which means to pile up or bulge. Sacrificing Aobao is one of Mongolian grand sacrificial activities. Aobao is generally located on high mountains or hills. It is a cone-shaped solid tower made of stone, with a long rod inserted at the top, animal hair horns and scripture cloth tied to its head, and a cushion stone burning cedar wood around it. Next to Aobao are branches covered with whole sheep, koumiss, butter and cheese. When offering sacrifices to Aobao, in ancient times, shaman wizards beat gongs and drums, chanting and praying; In modern times, lamas burn incense and make fires, chanting scriptures and chanting scriptures. Herdsmen all surrounded Aobao and made three turns from left to right, praying for God's blessing. Mongolian herders follow the primitive religious beliefs of their ancestors and believe that tall and majestic mountains will lead to heaven; This mountain is also the place where imaginary gods live. Therefore, the worship of the mountain and the prayer to God are expressed in the form of offering sacrifices to Aobao. With the development of society, the progress of science and the renewal of herdsmen's concept, today's Aobao has changed in content and form.