Miao people have their own language, which belongs to Miao language branch of Miao Yao language family of Sino-Tibetan language family. Originally, there were no national characters, but in the late 195s, the Latin phonetic characters were created. Nowadays, most people use Chinese.
Miao people used to believe in animism, worship nature and worship their ancestors. "Drum Festival" is the biggest ritual activity among Miao people. Generally, it is a small sacrifice for seven years and a big sacrifice for thirteen years. It is held on the second day of the lunar calendar from October to November. At that time, a roebuck will be killed and Lusheng dance will be performed to honor the ancestors. Invite friends and relatives to get together when eating, in order to enhance feelings and family harmony. Miao people's music and dance have a long history, and Lusheng dance, which is popular among the masses, has high skills. Miao people's arts and crafts, such as flower picking, embroidery, brocade, batik and jewelry making, are magnificent and colorful, and enjoy a good reputation in the world. There are many Miao festivals, and the grand festivals include "Miao Year", "April 8th" and "Dragon Boat Festival".
In most areas, Miao people eat rice as their staple food. Fried Baba is the most common fried food. If you add some fresh meat and sauerkraut as stuffing, the taste will be more delicious.
most meat comes from livestock and poultry. Miao people in Sichuan and Yunnan like to eat dog meat, and there is a saying that "the dog of Miao people is the wine of Yi people". Besides animal oil, Miao's edible oil is mostly tea oil and vegetable oil.
Miao people attach great importance to etiquette. When guests visit, they will kill chickens and ducks for hospitality. If they are distinguished guests from afar, the Miao people are used to inviting guests to drink horn wine first. When eating chicken, the head of the chicken should be given to the elderly among the guests, and the drumsticks should be given to the youngest guests. In some places, there is also the custom of dividing the hearts of chickens, that is, the oldest owner of the family uses chopsticks to give the hearts of chickens or ducks to the guests, but the guests can't eat them themselves, so they must divide the hearts of chickens equally among the old people present. If the guest drinks a little and doesn't like to eat fat meat, it can explain the situation. If the host is not reluctant, but he doesn't eat enough, he is regarded as looking down on the host. Miao people pay attention to truth and sincerity, are very enthusiastic, and most avoid glitz and hypocrisy. Host Lu Yu guests don't take the first step, don't walk in front; Use honorifics in conversation; Welcome guests to wear holiday clothes; For the distinguished guests, welcome them with wine outside the village; When the guest arrives at the door, the host will call the door and inform the hostess at home that she will sing to open the door to welcome the guests; In front of the guests, the hostess doesn't climb upstairs. Miao taboo
maternity taboo: pregnant women are forbidden to enter the room. Those who go by mistake should wash their feet when going out and drink a bowl of cold water to prevent the maternal milk from being "trampled dry". Maternal avoid eating old beef, pork, pheasant, small fish, vegetables, peppers and so on. In some Miao areas, it is forbidden for pregnant women to meet with pregnant women or go to other maternity homes, otherwise it will prolong the delivery period.
Farming taboo: Miao people are forbidden to meet outsiders when they come back from delivering dung to the fields for the first time every year. If they meet them, they are forbidden to say hello. When planting seedlings, if you see fish in the seedling field, don't say fish, otherwise the fish will eat the roots of the seedlings. In some villages, when harvesting millet, the ears are small and don't harvest. If the children ask, don't say "no", but say "they haven't grown up", otherwise the millet will refuse to grow again because of sadness. Don't mention mice in Tanaka, for fear that they will hear them coming to ruin crops, so they can only be called "their father and son" instead. Avoid May Day. After beginning of spring in the first month, avoid breaking ground and carrying water on May Day.
Funeral taboo: In some Miao areas, it is forbidden for men to die during the day and women to die at night. It is considered that the time is wrong, and the deceased must be accompanied by another deceased of the opposite sex. Therefore, when he died, he was unwell. When he lost his family, he often asked the wizard to recite the mantra "Change" and at the same time made a palm-sized wooden coffin to be buried with him, indicating that he had a companion. Avoid putting non-silver metals such as iron and copper, cotton and things coated with tung oil in the coffin, thinking that if the deceased can't buy water to drink on the way back to the East, iron and copper will toss the talents to death. In some Miao areas, on the day of the dead in the village, you can go to work, but don't go to the fields. On that day, people in the same village should avoid picking firewood to go home, otherwise there will be disaster for the firewood picker. During the period of suspension, family members are forbidden to eat vegetables. Within one month after burial, nothing in the family shall be sold or lent.
Taboo of living customs: In some Miao areas, it is forbidden to wash the drinking retort, rice bag and rice basin at any time, and only when eating new rice to show that the old rice is removed and the new rice is welcomed. Washing at any time will wash away the family wealth, and there is not enough food. Drinking raw water in the mountains should not be drunk directly, so you must first mark the grass to show that you are killing the sick ghost. Don't touch other people's clothes on the roadside, so as not to infect leprosy. Avoid children playing with small bows and arrows at home for fear of shooting their ancestors. Avoid crossing the child's head, otherwise the child will not grow tall. It is forbidden for women to sit on a bench with their elders.
guests should not call their hosts "Miao Zi"; they prefer to call themselves "Meng"; It is forbidden to kill and beat dogs, and not to eat dog meat; You can't sit in the ancestral shrine of Miao family, and you can't step on the tripod on the kang with your feet; No whistling at home or at night; Can't shoot the ashes and eat the chaff baked by fire; You are not allowed to use bound Miao people when frolicking; Don't enter the house when straw hats, branches or wedding and funeral ceremonies are hung on the door; Lu Yu newlyweds, don't go through the middle, etc.
glutinous rice is also an essential food for young men and women in the process of marriage and love. The Miao people in Chengbu, Hunan Province gave each other glutinous rice cakes painted with mandarin ducks as keepsakes. When holding a wedding, the bride and groom should drink a toast, and the officiating person should also invite the bride and groom to eat glutinous rice cakes with dragon and phoenix and dolls painted on them.
rules of eating chicken
Mayang Miao people take chicken as the most important thing in receiving and entertaining guests. There are certain rules for eating chicken. When the chicken is put on the table, you can't eat it casually. Generally speaking, the head of a chicken and the tail of a chicken are the most respected men given to this table. If the person who receives the head of a chicken knows manners, he will divide the head of a chicken into upper and lower halves and give the lower half to someone who respects him more. Chicken viscera and chicken blood are specially for old people. If there are several old people at a table, give chicken blood, chicken liver, chicken belly and chicken intestines to one old person each. Chicken legs and wings are for children. Chicken feet and wing bones are for young people to eat, symbolizing that they can fly far away and get money into treasure. Eat the rest at will. So is eating ducks and geese.
Etiquette of drinking
It is a Miao custom to treat guests with wine. The general etiquette of drinking is: when a distinguished guest comes, invite the guest to sit on the table, accompanied by the host, and then discuss the seniority to sit on the right, left and right, and the one sitting in the lower right corner is the "pot officer". When wine and delicacies are served on the table, you can't reach the top of your rice bowl. You must first propose a toast by "putting a pot of wine", usually two cups, and respect the elderly first to show respect; "After three rounds of drinking, it's optional." After three cups, the hostess invited by the host usually makes a toast to show his understanding and friendship. Everyone saluted each other several times, and it was suggested by the host or hostess that everyone drink while eating. The Miao girl or sister-in-law who stands by to serve will serve the guests, and everyone will "walk on land and water" (drinking while eating). When the old man leaves after he has had enough to eat and drink, the young man can continue to drink, or sing while drinking, or guess boxing and drink.