The characteristics and customs of the Dai people

The characteristic of the Dai people is that they pay attention to etiquette and their custom is to believe in religion.

The Dai people have been a nation that pays attention to etiquette since ancient times. When outsiders come to the Dai family, the host will take the initiative to say hello, serve tea and water, and entertain them with rich meals. Regardless of men, women, or children, they always smile to their guests, speak softly, and never yell, curse, or use bad words. When Dai people dry their clothes, their tops should be dried at a high place, and their trousers and skirts should be dried at a low place. You must take off your shoes when entering a Buddhist temple. It is taboo to touch a series of Buddhist sacred objects such as the head of a young monk, Buddha statues, spears, flags and flags.

When outsiders arrive in the Dai family, the host will take the initiative to say hello, serve tea and water, and entertain them with rich meals. The Dai people regard peacocks and elephants as mascots, and their folk stories are rich and colorful. The Dai people like to live by water, love cleanliness, and often bathe. Women love to wash their hair, so they are known as the "people of water". In the past, the Dai people generally believed in the Southern Tradition Theravada Buddhism and primitive religions. Most of the Dai people have the habit of eating two meals a day, with rice and glutinous rice as the staple food. They usually eat it freshly, and rarely eat overnight rice. They are accustomed to kneading rice with their hands.

Festivals of the Dai people

The festivals of the Dai people are mostly related to religious activities. The main festivals include Door Festival, Open Door Festival, Water Splashing Festival, etc. The Close-Door Festival, "Hai Wasa" in Dai language, is fixed on September 15th in the Dai calendar. The Open-Door Festival is called "Ongwasa" in Dai language and is fixed on December 15th in the Dai calendar. On these two festival days, men, women, and children from all villages will go to Buddhist temples to hold grand Buddha worship activities. They will present delicacies, flowers and coins to the Buddha statues, chant sutras and drip water in front of the Buddha statues, in order to pray for the blessings of the Buddha on people.

The three months from the Close-Door Festival to the Open-Door Festival is the "closed" time, which is the most frequent period of religious activities in the year. Pay homage to the Buddha, listen to the Buddha's sermons, and earn a small fortune every 7 days. In the evening, fireworks, firecrackers, and high-rise lanterns (Kongming lanterns) are set off to hold a "rushing display". During the closing period, young men and women can fall in love, but they cannot get married or go out. They can only get married and go out after the "opening".