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The New Year customs of Yunnan Province's Ethnic Minorities
The Yi Ethnic Group in Yuanyang County of Southwest China's Yunnan Province celebrates two new years every year, based on their ancient sun calendar, which has only ten months. Each month begins with the rat day and ends with the pig day, following the pattern of the Chinese zodiac (represented by 12 animals). There are 36 days in each month with the twelve animals cycling three times. Thus there are only 360 days in a year, with the remaining five or six days considered as New Year days, which are celebrated in two periods.
The Drung Ethnic Minority celebrates their only traditional festival, the New Year Festival, in the twelfth month of the year. The length of the festival, ranging from two to five days, depends on the amount of food prepared. What's more, there is no fixed day for the festival, with each family or tribe celebrating the New Year Festival on the day they consider auspicious.
Around a great lake in the mountains of Southwest China lives a matriarchal group called the Mosuo. As the Musuo people are part of the Naxi ethnic minority -- one of China's 55 ethnic minorities --, to date the matriarchal system is still practiced in some Mosuo villages. The mother enjoys the highest position in Mosuo families, hence the place's designation as the "kingdom of women."
For the children aged thirteen from the Pumi Ethnic Minority , the New Year is specially important, because of the holding of the "wearing trousers or skirts" ceremonies, in which they will afterwards become young adults. (Author: Jeff) |
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The Yi Ethnic Group
Wooden invitation for the New Year celebration 
New Year in the kingdom of women 
Becoming adults after the New Year  |