The Origin and Customs of the Water Splashing Festival

The Water Splashing Festival first originated in Persia in the 5th century A.D. After that, it was introduced from Persia to Myanmar, Thailand and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province of China through India, and then to the Dai area of Yunnan Province of China along with Buddhism through Myanmar from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century. The customary activities of the festival include splashing water, catching the pendulum, racing dragon boats, bathing in the Buddha, chanting sutras, singing in Zhangha, and performing the peacock dance and the white elephant dance.

The Water Splashing Festival is the New Year's festival of the Dai, Achang, Brown, Wa, De'ang and other ethnic minorities in China, as well as certain ethnic groups in the Central and Southern Peninsula. It is the grandest traditional festival of the year for the Dai people. China's Dai festival in the Dai calendar in June and July (about ten days after the Qingming Festival). It is now fixed on April 13-15 of the Gregorian calendar.

Splashing Water Festival activity flow:

The first day of the Splashing Water Festival is similar to the New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar, people have to pack up their houses, clean up, and prepare for the New Year's dinner and the festival's various activities such as rowing dragon boats, releasing gaosheng, and cultural and artistic performances. The second day is usually held to splash water activities to commemorate the people to eliminate harm to the heavenly maiden, to the holy water to eliminate disasters, wishing each other peace and happiness; the third day is called "MaiPaYa evening horse", it is said that this MaiPaYa evening horse of the spirit of the return to the earth with the new calendar date, the people used to be regarded as the day of the king of the day to come "is the first day of the Dai calendar.

Every water festival, the Dai people to the nearby mountains to collect some flowers and leaves, to the day of the festival, the Dai men, women and children will put on festive dress, picking water, first to the Buddhist temple to bathe in the Buddha, and then take the collection of flowers and leaves dipped in the water, began to splash water on each other.

Refer to Baidu Encyclopedia - Water Splashing Festival