1. Festival of Water-Splashing Festival:

Water-Splashing Festival, also known as "Bathing Buddha Festival" and "Leng He Shang Han", is a traditional festival of Dai, Achang, Bulang, Wa, De 'ang, Thai-speaking and Southeast Asia. On that day, Xishuangbanna, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia in China. Songkran Festival is the New Year of the Dai people, which is equivalent to the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar and generally lasts for 3 to 7 days. ?

The Water-Splashing Festival is a comprehensive stage to show the traditional culture of the Dai people, such as water culture, music and dance culture, food culture, costume culture and folk worship, and it is an important window to study the history of the Dai people, with high academic value. The artistic performances such as Zhangha and White Elephant Dance displayed in the Songkran Festival are helpful to understand the national characteristics of Dai people's understanding of nature, love the water's respect for Buddha, gentleness and calmness. At the same time, the Songkran Festival is also an important link to strengthen the great unity of the people of all ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna, which has played a positive role in friendly cooperation and exchanges between Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries and in promoting the social, economic and cultural development of Xishuangbanna.

On May 2th, 26, this folk custom was approved by the State Council and included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in China.

Second, the customs and habits of the Water-splashing Festival:

Celebration:

When the Water-splashing Festival comes, the Dai people are busy killing pigs, chickens and making wine, and they have to make many "rice cakes" and a variety of Baba made of glutinous rice to eat during the festival.

the water-splashing festival lasts for three days: the first day is "Mairi", which is similar to Chinese New Year's Eve. In Dai language, it is called "Wan Duo Shang Han", which means to send the old. At this time, people should clean up their houses, clean up, prepare new year's dinner, row dragon boats during the festival, let them go high, perform arts and other activities. The next day is called "angry day", which means "empty day". According to custom, this day is neither the previous year nor the next year, so it is called "empty day".

On this day, water splashing activities are usually held to commemorate the goddess who has saved the people from harm, and to avoid disasters with holy water and wish each other peace and happiness. The third day is called "Maipaya Wanma". It is said that the spirit of Maipaya Wanma returned to earth with a new calendar. People used to regard this day as "the arrival of the king of days" and it was the New Year's Day of the Dai calendar.

Song and dance activities:

Old people aged from 7 to 8, and dolls aged from 7 to 8, put on festive costumes, and * * * gather in the central square of the village, where men, women and children form a circle and dance with the gongs and drums. Some jump "peacock dance"; Some jump "jade wax"; Some improvise, singing and dancing, and some men drink while dancing. During the Water-splashing Festival, Dai people like to line up, beat gongs and drums, collectively dance "Yilahe", and go door to door to celebrate the New Year, wishing them a happy New Year and all the best.

Bathing Buddha:

On "Mairi" (the first day), people will bring flowers and green leaves to the Buddhist temple early in the morning to offer sacrifices and bring clean water to "bathe Buddha"-to welcome the dust for the Buddha statue. It is also a prayer for the gods to bless people's health in the new year. After the "bathing Buddha", the collective mutual splashing of water began. Groups of young men and women use various containers to hold water, pouring out of the streets, chasing and playing, and splashing everyone.

Packet Loss:

The Water-splashing Festival is also a beautiful time for unmarried young men and women to find love and cultivate happiness. During the Songkran Festival, unmarried young men and women of the Dai people like to play the game of "losing packets". The flower bag carefully made by the girl in her hand is a token of love. "Bao" is a token of love. It is carefully made by Dai girls with cotton seeds in it, and the four corners of the bag are decorated with colorful flowers. When the bag is lost, men and women stand in a row on the grassy lawn. First, the Dai girl throws the bag to the young man, and then the young man throws it to the girl to convey their feelings.

on the day of packet loss, the girls tried their best to dress up, and then came to the "booking field" with flower umbrellas and small flower bags, separated from the boys by thirty or forty steps, and began to throw flower bags at each other. If the young man can't pick up the package thrown by the girl, he has to insert the flowers prepared in advance into the girl's hair. If the girl can't pick up the package thrown by the young man, he has to insert the flowers into the young man's chest, so he gradually chooses the other person, and a series of romantic love stories begin.

Dragon boat race:

Dragon boat race is one of the wonderful events of the Water-splashing Festival, which is often held on the third day of Maipaya Evening Horse Festival. On that day, people dressed in festive costumes gathered on the banks of Lancang River and Ruili River to watch the dragon boat race. Dragon boats dressed in green are moored on the river, and dozens of lean sailors are sitting on the boat. As soon as the order rings, the dragon boats ready to go fly forward like arrows. Suddenly, the whole river is full of drums, gongs, trumpets and cheers, one after another, and the sound is corresponding. The festive atmosphere has reached its climax here.

Gao Sheng:

Gao Sheng is a kind of fireworks made by the Dai people. The bottom of bamboo pole is filled with gunpowder and other ingredients, placed on a high-rise frame made of bamboo, connected with wires, and often set off at night. When lifting, igniting the fuse to make the gunpowder burn will produce a strong thrust and push the bamboo into the sky like a rocket. Those who are promoted to the highest position are appreciated and rewarded.

Flying Kongming lanterns:

A unique activity in the Dai area: At night, people light lanterns and candles in the open space of the square, put them in homemade balloons, and use the buoyancy of the air to fly Kongming lanterns into the sky. Bright lanterns fly higher and higher and farther in the dark night. People use this to commemorate the ancient sage Kong Ming.

Border Fair:

It is of great significance that small businessmen from Thailand come to buy and sell local specialties and snacks, so as to increase the friendship between the two countries. Border fairs generally last for 3 days, the first 3 days of the Songkran Festival, and then the folk customs investigation has been added.