Mulao folk custom

General situation of mulao folk customs and folk customs

According to the statistics of the fifth national census in 2000, the population of Mulao nationality is 207,352. Mainly engaged in agriculture, planting rice, corn and so on. The Mulao language used by the Mulao people is similar to Maonan language, Dong language and Shui language. Most people are fluent in Chinese, and some people can speak Zhuang. Universal Chinese characters. Most of the Mulao people live in mud-walled tile houses, in which there is a ground stove dedicated to burning coal. The staple food is rice, corn and potatoes, and cats and snake meat are not allowed. The clothes are still blue. In the Qing Dynasty, Mulao women were still wearing full skirts, and now they have put on clothes, trousers, braids, earrings, bracelets and rings with large rows of buttons. The man is wearing a double-breasted Tang suit. In the past, most marriages were arranged by parents, and a few people who fell in love and got married in Poe also had to get their parents' consent. Early marriage is prevalent, and there is a custom that the woman does not leave her husband's family for a period of time after marriage, and only lives in her husband's family after giving birth. Marry with Zhuang and Han nationalities. Weddings are complicated and expensive. There are also daughters-in-law. The funeral ceremony was grand, and the tomb believed in Feng Shui and Long Mai. marriage customs

Young men and women of Mulao nationality have always been free to fall in love. In addition to meeting at festivals, parties and fairs, the main ways of love are spreading songs and answering questions and making friends in "Walking Slope". The season of "going uphill" is spring March and autumn August. Young people are dressed in costumes, and men and women go to the market to find partners to sing. After finding the satisfied opponents, we invited them to start duets on the beautiful hillside lawn, asking questions and answering questions with songs as the medium, satisfying each other and giving each other tokens. Finally, let the matchmaker inform the parents to determine the wedding date.

The matchmaker was asked by the man first. If the woman's family agreed, she would give her daughter's birthday to the matchmaker and hand it over to the man. After receiving the woman's horoscope, the man's parents thought it was consistent with his son's horoscope, and the marriage was basically completed.

The way of picking up relatives varies slightly from place to place. The most interesting thing is "sending ten sisters to marry". One month after the bride went through the door, girls of the same age in the same village volunteered to form ten bridesmaids to be sisters in the unmarried bride's house, and stayed with the bride day and night to help her make new shoes, sew wedding clothes and prepare makeup. On the wedding day, the ten sisters and the bride dressed exactly the same, wearing the same "lover's shoes" and "wedding clothes", holding the same "sister umbrella", cutting the same hairstyle, tying the same braid, and even behaving very similarly. If it weren't for relatives and friends, I really don't know who the bride is and who the best man is. When we arrived at the groom's house, eleven girls came into the house together, which was very lively.

On the day of picking up relatives, many places have the custom of setting up "Song cards". When the man and his party visit relatives in the woman's village, they must sing and answer questions before they can enter the bride's house through the "song card". Similarly, when the woman goes to the man's village to see off the wedding procession, she has to answer a question song before she can enter the groom's house. Sometimes people who sing from morning till night crowd around to watch the fun. Finally, if you can't answer, ask yourself and answer yourself, or parents will come forward to sing "Reconciliation Song" and announce the end of "Hurdle Song" in a long conversation. The host should provide delicious food and drinks for the guests to ensure that they are full of energy and full of emotions.

After the bride enters the room, there will be "noisy karaoke bars" in many places, that is, a competition song will be put inside and outside the bridal chamber, and men and women will sing and answer. At the climax, laughter and laughter are integrated and become an excellent place for young people to show their talents.

Dress

The costumes of the Mulao nationality have their own characteristics, but in some respects, they are basically the same as those of the nearby Han nationality and Zhuang nationality because of their long-term coexistence and mutual influence. Mulao costumes retain the characteristics of ancient courtiers 60 or 70 years ago. For example, women's blouses are very short, only to the waist, and all the sleeves are embroidered with scales. Wearing a pleated skirt and hooked shoes. Men wear double-breasted clothes and both men and women cover their heads with long handkerchiefs. Mulao's clothes are generally dark blue. In the past, most of them were self-spinning, self-weaving and self-sewing. In modern times, after modification, it is not much different from the clothes of the local Han and Zhuang nationalities. Men wear double-breasted jackets and trousers, while old people wear pipa double-breasted jackets; Generally wear straw sandals, not many feet. In the past, girls used to braid their hair and tie it in a bun after they got married, but now most people have their hair cut. Jewelry includes silver earrings, bracelets and rings.

prescribe a diet

Most Mulao people are used to eating three meals in the solar eclipse, porridge for breakfast, porridge left over from breakfast for lunch, rice and rich dishes for dinner. In busy farming season, porridge is usually eaten for breakfast, and lunch and dinner are dinner. Sweet potato is one of the main auxiliary grains of Mulao nationality. Soybeans are generally fried and cooked before eating, and are used to make tofu during holidays and weddings. Every autumn, every household makes twenty or thirty Jin of bean paste with porridge.

Mulao people always like cold food. After the food is cooked, it should be cooled before eating. If you can't finish one meal, you don't have to heat the next one. Usually drink raw water. When the Mulao people were in cook the meat, they used to "cook in white", that is, they boiled large pieces of pork or slaughtered whole chickens and ducks in water, then cut them into small pieces, and added salt or dipped in salt water when eating. Fish is often fried and beef is often fried alone.

Mulao people like to eat sour and spicy food, and every family has acid jars to pickle all kinds of pickles, such as sour beans and garlic. Folk breakfast and lunch are only served with hot and sour vegetables. Vegetables are used to boiling in water first, and then adding salt. The local specialty coal sand jar is a unique drinking utensil for cooking rice, vegetables and tea in Mulao nationality.

The typical food of Mulao people are: tofu dishes; White steamed bread is a traditional snack of Mulao nationality, which is made of cooked glutinous rice.

build

In the Mulao inhabited area, the mountains are undulating, and Wuyang River and Longjiang River flow through them. In the crisscross of Dashishan and Tushan hills, there are canyon flat dams with different vertical and horizontal dimensions. Mulao people mostly live in mountainous areas or semi-mountainous areas, and build villages by mountains and rivers. Mulao folk houses are mostly brick walls, tiled roofs and low-rise buildings. No matter on the flat ground or on the slope, the foundation should be built as a platform 30 to 60 cm above the ground. The foundation of the wall is made of refractory bricks. People live on the ground floor, and upstairs is the barn. The most prominent feature of folk houses is that they are heated and cooked by ground stoves, which has a history of more than 400 years.

Floor stoves are built on both sides of the door of the hall or kitchen. First, dig a hole in the ground, build a stove with bricks in the hole, and put a big water altar next to the stove. The jar mouth and underground stove mouth are slightly higher than the ground to avoid sewage inflow. Build a coal pit in front of the furnace and cover it with a movable plate. Except for the dusty oven door, the periphery of the stove and jar is filled with mud and the surface has to be plastered with concrete. The stove will not go out all day, and there will always be hot water in the water tank. In addition to cooking in a pot at any time, winter is like a ground heating device, which makes the room comfortable and warm. Especially in the wet and rainy season, the food and clothes at home will not be moldy. On holidays, it is very convenient for family and friends to eat "hot pot" around the ground stove. Because the Mulao area produces anthracite, it is very common to use ground stoves.

traditional festival

In the past, the Mulao people believed in many gods and held many festivals. There are festivals almost every month of the year except October and November. The triennial "Fan Yi" Festival, also called "Joy and Enrichment", is the biggest festival of the Mulao people. The main purpose of "relying on food" is to make a wish to our ancestors, pray for the safety of people and animals, and reap a bumper harvest. The special festivals of the Mulao nationality are: Women's Day (also known as Children's Day) on the third day of March, and its activity is to hold sacrifices in villages; On the eighth day of April, the activity is to let the cows rest and worship the cowshed god; The fifth day of May is the Dragon Boat Festival. Besides having the same content as the local Han and Zhuang people's Dragon Boat Festival, each village also carries paper boats to patrol the fields to drive away insects to ensure a bumper harvest. The second day of June is Insect Eating Festival, which is a traditional festival to promote pest control methods. August 15 is a festival for young men and women all over the world to carry out social activities. There is also a sail festival, once every three years and once a year. It is held every "auspicious day" after beginning of winter. In Daqing, taking the village (religion) as the unit, pigs and sheep are prepared to sacrifice to the ancestral temple, and performances, dragon and lion dances, folk songs and other activities are held. Xiaoqing is a family activity.

In the past, the Mulao people believed in many gods and held many festivals. There are festivals almost every month of the year except October and November. The triennial "Fan Yi" Festival, also known as the "Happy Festival", is even more grand. The Yifan Festival is held on an auspicious day after beginning of winter. The main purpose of "relying on grain" is to make a wish to our ancestors, pray for the safety of people and animals, and reap a bumper harvest. Twelve kinds of foods such as ginger, eggs, sesame seeds, soybeans, old chickens, fish, pig heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and intestines and stomach are commonly used for sacrifice. The whole village danced with lions and dragons, singing and dancing, and singing opera for three days in a row. Now it is rare, because it affects production. Every holiday, in addition to various celebrations, every household should buy rich food. Such as chicken, duck, fish, meat and glutinous rice, and different seasonal meals can also be made according to the season. On the fifteenth day of the first month, it is necessary to smash; In February, spring society makes zongzi. Steamed glutinous rice on the eighth day of April; On August 15, we will make a dog (cow) tongue jiaozi; 1On February 24th, we will pack jiaozi and steam rice cakes. On New Year's Day, the draft round, the next day began to treat. Married women return to their parents' homes on the second day of the Lunar New Year, bringing pork, chicken and duck legs as New Year gifts, and returning to their husbands' homes to bring some holiday food as usual. Glutinous rice products are the main food for various festivals and festive days. In addition to tofu and banquets, weddings and children's full moons should also be made. The sacrificial activities of Mulao people are mostly carried out on festivals. In the past, during major festivals, the whole village or several villages held collective sacrificial ceremonies, and the sacrifices to the gods were different according to different festivals. Every time you offer sacrifices to the gods, the cost of the sacrifices used will be shared equally. After the sacrificial activities, the sacrifices are distributed equally by households, which is called "divided painting". Personal income can be used to worship ancestors after returning home, and then used as holiday food. On April 8th, "Birthday of Cow", let the cow have a rest, prepare chicken, duck, wine and meat, steam glutinous rice to worship the "Niubi God" and give Niu Yi a group of glutinous rice.

Sour food and sour products

Dong people have the idea that "Dong people can't live without acid", and Mulao people can't live without acid. In Mulaoshan township, no matter which one, sauerkraut is indispensable. Such as sour lemon, sour papaya, sour radish, etc. Every August Mid-Autumn Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, every Mulao family will make jiaozi with tung leaves. This kind of zongzi is flat, long and shaped like a dog's tongue, also called a dog's tongue. This kind of Ciba is soft and elastic, delicious, suitable for all ages, and it is a delicious food of the Mulao people.

Drink chong yang wine.

In the ancient mountain village, rice is harvested in September of the lunar calendar. People use the best glutinous rice to brew glutinous rice wine with high alcohol content and great stamina. Because it is the Double Ninth Festival, it is called "chong yang wine".

Zoupo

Also known as Pohui, Gepo and Walking Slope Festival, it is a traditional social activity form in which young men and women of Mulao nationality gather together to sing and find bosom friends. Generally, it is held during the Spring Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15, and it is usually chosen on the hillside or in the field with pleasant wild scenery. Walking on the Slope is a good opportunity for young men and women of Mulao nationality to find suitable objects for each other. On this day, women dress up with paper umbrellas or flower umbrellas, and men wear new clothes to go up and down. They come in groups of three and five, and when they see any girl, they will express their feelings with songs. If the woman is also interesting, they will sing with her, and you will come and go, praising each other and asking names, ages, residences, etc. And meet again and give each other tokens (usually flowers and towels from men to women, and women). Walking on the Slope embodies the love freedom of Mulao youth, is full of romanticism, and is a reflection of Mulao traditional culture.

Meet relatives

It is one of the manifestations of Mulao marriage. The so-called "meeting relatives" means that the matchmaker is agreed by both men and women, and the man's family prepares the banquet first, puts it at the predetermined intersection, and then avoids it. Then the woman's parents, uncles, brothers, relatives and friends came to the intersection, had a meal and took all the leftovers back. The next day, the woman's family also prepared a banquet on the roadside, and the man's parents, relatives and friends all went to eat.

A sail joint

Also known as "Grandpa Jing Mi", "Happy Wish", "Ancestor Wish" and "Congratulations Xiang", it is a traditional grand festival for the Mulao people to sacrifice their ancestors, protect the safety of people and animals and celebrate the harvest. The "Yifan Festival" lasts for two days. Every family packs jiaozi, cooks glutinous rice, kills chickens and ducks, and invites relatives and friends to hold banquets. Nowadays, when the Mulao people celebrate "Fan Yi Festival", they add some contents full of the flavor of the times, such as performing new dramas, singing new songs, holding various sports competitions and economic and trade activities, which has enhanced national unity.

Grab the cake.

Grabbing Ciba is the most lively activity of the Gelao people. The three of them are a "winter" (group), and the * * * three "winter" people take turns to grab the triangular zongzi put in the crock with long chopsticks, but the three of them can only * * land on three feet, pulling with their hands and clasping their feet to keep balance. If they accidentally lose their balance, the zongzi they caught will also fall to the ground. Suddenly, cheers and drums came and went until all the zongzi in the jar were robbed, and the "winter" that grabbed the most zongzi was the winner. Triangular zongzi is the mascot of Mulao Fan Yi Festival. The Mulao people believe that whoever grabs more will get more blessings.

taboo

The taboo of Mulao nationality is: don't say unlucky words when digging coal; Don't step on the threshold when entering the door; Don't eat cat meat, snake meat, and in some places, don't eat dog meat or pig heart.

Religious belief

Mulao people have no unified religion, and their ancestors' worship of nature has developed into polytheism. In the past, there were many Buddhist temples in the Mulao area, and both Buddhism and Taoism had beliefs. In Taoism, there are two kinds: Maoshan religion and Meishan religion. There are many and complicated gods that the Mulao people believe in. There are two kinds of gods: domestic gods and external gods. This is because the science and technology in Mulao nationality areas have not been fully popularized. In the past, people were puzzled by many phenomena in nature and their own illness and death, so they pinned their good wishes on the will of ghosts and gods. Now there are very few people who believe in religion in Mulao area.

The sacrificial activities of Mulao people are mostly carried out on festivals. In the past, during major festivals, the whole village or several villages held collective sacrificial ceremonies, and the sacrifices to the gods were different according to different festivals. Every time you offer sacrifices to the gods, the cost of the sacrifices used will be shared equally. After the sacrificial activities, the sacrifices are distributed equally by households, which is called "divided painting". Personal income can be used to worship ancestors after returning home, and then used as holiday food. On April 8th, "Birthday of Cow", let the cow have a rest, prepare chicken, duck, wine and meat, steam glutinous rice to worship the "Niubi God" and give Niu Yi a group of glutinous rice.