Miao's New Year

Miao's New Year is a important festival of Miao ethnic minority in southern China, expecially in Leishan city, Guizhou provice. Miao's New Year is an annual event where the Miao people  celebrate the great harvest from the past year. Due to the Miao people spread widely areas, so there are various way of celebrating this holiday. Most of time, this holiday falls in September, October, or November(lunar calender). To the Miao people, this festival is on the same level as the traditional Chinese New Year.

When the day is coming, in the Miao area, every family does cleaning, butchering chicken and pigs, makes polished glutinous rice cakes, makes rice wine and buys special purchases for the new year. At the New Year's Eve, every family worship gods and offer sacrifices to ancestors, praying for an abundant harvest of all food crops and safety of people and domestic animals. Then members of the family gather together happily and share a rich dinner. From the first day of the New Year, people begin to visit relatives and friends, wishing them a happy new year. Youngsters wear rich dress and take part in all kinds of entertaining activities as reed-pipe dancing, stepping to wooden drums, bullfight, horse race, roaming around, antiphonal singing, etc. Everywhere in the whole Miao village is filled with sound of firecrackers and reed-pipes. The whole region is immersed in atmosphere of joy and happiness.

With the influence of the Han Chinese, Miao began to substitute this holiday with the Chinese New Year.  However, traditions and customs remained.  At this holiday, dancing, singing, horseracing, bulling will be see.  In addtion, it is a time for young guys and girls to meet.

Traditionally, after Miao year, Miao will keep their Lusheng at a safe place.  They will cover the "eye holes" of the Lusheng with cotton balls, indicating they are not going to play this instrument.  Some tribes/villages even seal up drum or flutes.  This is a preparation for ready for spring, for a new year of hardworking ahead!