Yi people think that the ears of grain that grow after Torch Festival are as thick as torches. Later generations used this as a sacrifice to drive away ghosts and evil spirits at home, so as to keep people and animals safe. During the festival, young men and women of all ethnic groups light torches made of pine and go to the fields in the village for activities. While walking, sprinkle rosin on the torch to pray for the new year, and get rid of filth for good luck; Or singing, dancing, horse racing, bullfighting, wrestling; Or hold a big bonfire party and party all night. Nowadays, people also use parties to socialize or meet lovers, and conduct business activities on festivals.
Torch Festival is also a grand festival for Bai people. Every year on June 25th in the summer calendar, the Bai people hold activities to wish people and animals a bumper harvest and prosperity. That night, a torch was erected in front of every house. There are red and green paper flags on the public torches at the entrance of the village, and some auspicious sentences are written. The villagers held torches high and marched in the fields for a week to catch pests. In addition, there are a series of literary and artistic activities, such as "going around three souls", "playing in the sea" and boating and releasing people.
On June 24th of the lunar calendar every year, in Xichang, the famous space city and the "moon city", Yi compatriots living there should put on festive costumes, sing and dance, hold a huge beauty pageant and costume-playing, horse racing, wrestling and archery competitions, and light torches to March in the wilderness at night to commemorate their heroes.
Torch Festival is a unique traditional festival of Yi people, which has been followed for more than 1000 years since Han and Tang Dynasties. Torch Festival is usually held on the 24th of the lunar calendar every year and lasts for three days. There are dozens of records and legends about the origin of Torch Festival, which are rich in content and beautiful. A more common saying is:
1. According to legend, Entiguzi (the god in Yi mythology) sent his minions to the mortal world to kill all living beings and crops. People, led by Zhige Aru, a hero in Yi mythology, were fearless and burned pests with torches on June 24th of the lunar calendar, defeating God. Therefore, the Yi people designated this day as Torch Festival, which was handed down from generation to generation.
Secondly, this book compiled the Xichang County Records, which contains: ... Deng Geng's letters, one of the six letters in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. Nanzhao wants to merge five imperial edicts. Because of Qixi, they are told to drink in Songming Building. Deng Geng's wife is charitable, but she is afraid that her husband won't do it or listen, so she makes an appointment with her husband with a shovel and says goodbye. Compared with Nanzhao, the building caught fire, and the whereabouts of the husband's remains were unknown in all imperial edicts, and only charity returned the remains. Nanzhao welfare is different, and it is paid. It is good to say that my husband is not buried, but buried in Sakura City. Nanzhao was surrounded by soldiers, and in March, he was exhausted. It's a good thing to wait and die on an empty stomach, but Nanzhao found regret. Its city is called An Deyu. Today's Yunnan custom is June 24th, which is looser than every household. It was burned for a long time, and it was burned at night to pray for the New Year and apologize for the richness of the torch. Friends and relatives get together, cut livestock and drink, and barbarians meet Han Chinese. Just like Xichang County Records. The Records of Literature and Art (Zhi Zhu's Ci of Jianchang) contains: The prophet who went to the banquet could not return, and the smoke in the firewood house was still sad. Now the wahoo has become a custom, and the ice heart has turned to dust; Hui Xin has long gone, and it is difficult to return. Give him a golden cup to cover up his sorrow. People throughout the ages still light up festivals, swallow six imperial edicts and turn them into ashes.
3. In ancient times, a Hercules in the sky wrestled with a Hercules on the ground. The Hercules in the sky was defeated by the Hercules on the ground and fled to the sky in panic, making trouble in front of the gods, so the gods took it out on people indiscriminately and sent a large number of pests to the ground to destroy crops and endanger the people. People lit torches to drive away pests and defeated the gods. This day happened to be June 24th of the lunar calendar, which was decided by the Yi people.
Torch Festival is the biggest traditional festival of Yi people in Liangshan, Sichuan. At that time, every family drank, ate tuotuo meat and killed animals to worship their ancestors. People put on new clothes and carry out cultural and sports activities with national characteristics. Men take part in bullfighting, herding sheep, raising chickens, horse racing and wrestling. Women sing, play strings and play Qin Yue. Swim the flashlight around the house at night; On the third night, they traveled around Shan Ye in groups with torches, and then they gathered in one place to light bonfires, burn torches, drink, sing and dance until the end of the morning.