What are the traditional festivals of She nationality?

She nationality (shē zú) calls itself "Shanha", which means that the guests living in the mountains have their own language, but they don't have their own characters, and generally use Chinese characters. Some borrow Chinese characters to give new meanings, or simply create new words with Chinese characters. The reason for the migration is described in the Song of Origin of the She nationality: "The fields are poor and it is difficult to grow grain, and the fields are competitive for officials; It is difficult for an official to have children, and then consider moving. "She people frequently migrate from Guangdong to Fujian, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, and live in the mountains in a mode of scattered and small gathering. They are engaged in hunting, mountain planting, hard work and poor life. They work together as men and women, and they remain optimistic despite the hard life.

December 24th of the lunar calendar is the day when the She people bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. On this day, every household of She nationality is busy with "dust removal". They put on hemp fiber and hats, go through the chimney first, clean the dust in the kitchen and house, and then scrub the partition and floor. In order to welcome the new year, clean the house inside and outside.

After dusting, she people generally don't go to Shan Ye to work or go out to visit relatives and friends. Everyone stays at home to make tofu and rice cakes, kill pigs and sheep, and kill chickens and geese for the New Year.

From1February 30th to the fifth day of the first month, it is the New Year's time for the She nationality. They light candles until dawn every night to show that they will get rid of the old and welcome the new. On New Year's Eve, every household holds the "Red Year Pig". Is to eat New Year's Eve, adults and children around the stove, put a dried maple stump in the ash pit (stove pond) behind the stove, cover it with firewood and ash, and burn it slowly until dawn. Burning maple stumps means that pigs will grow as fast and fat as the wind blows in the coming year. In fact, "Red Year Pig" means that life will be prosperous and better in the coming year.