Mongolian folk custom

Mongolian Spring Festival is divided into "farewell to the old" and "welcome to the new". Sending the old one away is to clean the house on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, and to "sacrifice fire" at night. "Sacrificing fire" was introduced from Shamanism. After the Mongols believed in Lamaism, they changed. Mongolians make sacrifices with sheep breasts, white hada, meat rice porridge, butter and wine. Then the elders lit nine small lamps, burned the sacrifices in the flourishing fire, chanted praises and wished their families happiness. Red chopsticks should not be used to sacrifice fire, but white or black chopsticks should be used, because Mongolians all think that "fire" represents the inheritance and prosperity of a family. After burning the sacrifice, the whole family eats. Some people give the rest of their sacrifices to relatives nearby. The time for "offering fire" is dusk in the evening. When offering sacrifices, men are in front and women are behind. In ancient times, rich people would also invite lamas to make offerings.

After the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, we will celebrate the New Year. There are all kinds of things, such as fried fruit, especially the products offered to Buddha. Followed by Bao jiaozi. New Year's Eve is the busiest day. The whole family is wearing new clothes. In the morning, they will offer sacrifices to the Buddha. On the altar of the Buddha's cabinet, they will put all kinds of milk food and oil food in small tower-shaped containers with special honeysuckle inserted on them. Twelve small copper cups are also filled with white water, which is changed once a day, and then lit with a ever-burning lamp. At the same time, it began to be composed of couplets (like the Han nationality, only writing Mongolian). In the evening, after preparing food, find a flat outside the courtyard, lay a new carpet, put on tables and meat, and begin to worship the ancestors. The elders read the names of their great-grandfathers, spilling wine on the ground and into the sky. After the ancestor worship, the whole family went to eat, and the younger generation toasted the elders to see off the old year. On this day, the whole family can play anything, regardless of sex, age. In pastoral areas, men play Mongolian chess, while women and dolls play "sheep flip", which is called "sand" in Mongolian, until dawn. In the early morning of the first day, arrange meals to toast the elders. When toasting, bow. Men kneel on their knees and swing their hands up and down when they bow their heads. At this time, the elders wish you a long life and lifelong happiness. Unmarried women bow down like men, married women bow down on their right knee, their left knee is half kneeling, and their right hand swings up and down on the right side of denomination. A new wife must sing. In the first day of junior high school, the first words when men and women meet are "Happy New Year" and "Happy New Year", not "meet and get rich". When visiting relatives, everyone brings blue hada and wine. Go to relatives' homes, go to Buddhist temples or places where Buddha statues are worshipped, kowtow to the Buddha statues, and then respect the elders with their own wine. When toasting an elder, the toaster must wear a hat. When brother toasts you, he must stand up and wait. It is polite to drink coffee. You can pay it back if you don't drink it. Nowadays, New Year greetings have been changed into new customs such as shaking hands. In the pastoral area, whether you eat or not, you always have to pay a visit to jiaozi. You can't eat it. You can try one.

2. Mongolian hospitality

If you visit Mongolian families in Ordos, you will be warmly received. In the hearts of kind and hospitable Mongolians, all ethnic groups are one family. Mongolians pay great attention to politeness, treat people with courtesy and gentleness, which makes foreign tourists feel more cordial.

Mongolians greet distinguished guests, having weddings, funerals and celebrations, and offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors. The most solemn ceremony is to put five teas. Mongols think: "Without feathers, no matter how big the wings are, they can't fly;" No manners, no matter how beautiful, are laughed at. "

Five teas mean: offering Hada, drinking milk tea, tasting fresh milk, putting sheep on the back and drinking wine.

Present Hada:

When the host greets the guests, when the younger generation meets the elders, they should present Hada to show their high respect and cordial greetings to the guests or elders. When the host holds Hada in his hand, he bends over his head, respectfully hands it to the guest, and then kneels down and kowtows devoutly. When the guest received Hada, he thanked him and respectfully returned Hada to the host, who then kowtowed to the guest very politely. It is said that when Genghis Khan was alive, he often used Hada as a link and made many friends, which played an important role in consolidating the political power.

Hada is made of cloth and silk. There are white, blue and yellow, but most of them are white.

Drink milk tea:

Inviting guests to enter the yurt, the host first puts Huang Chengcheng ghee, coral cheese, cake-like thick milk skin, fried rice, brown sugar and fried food on a small red table. Then, he took a small bowl with exquisite porcelain and gorgeous patterns, scooped a small spoonful of fried rice with a wooden spoon, and made hot and delicious milk tea for the guests to drink. Mongolian milk tea boiled with brick tea, milk or goat milk and salt is salty and delicious, and people who taste it for the first time will be very satisfied. Taste fresh milk: It is essential to taste fresh milk. The host pours white fresh milk into the silver bowl, and after handing it to the guest with both hands, the guest puts the ring finger of his right hand into the silver bowl and dips it three times. Thank you for jumping to the sky for the first time; The second time, it bounced to the ground, showing respect for God and offering sacrifices to the stove. The third time, I tasted it myself. Tasting fresh milk expresses the Mongolian people's good wishes for peace and bumper harvest in animal husbandry.

Swing the back of the sheep;

Pasturing sheep's back is the most grand, exquisite and spectacular project among the five teas. Sheep shell is the "glory in the rice" of Mongolian people. It consists of a sheep's head, a sheep's body, shoulder bones and four legs, and is placed in a rectangular wooden red paint tray according to certain specifications. When eating, everyone cut the whole meat into small pieces with Mongolian knives and ate it with their hands. The back of the sheep is fat and tender, and the meat is delicious.

To wine:

When the sheep is carried on the table, the host will first propose a toast to the elders or people with high status to show his welcome and respect to the guests. When pouring wine, sometimes pour a silver bowl of wine; Sometimes, instead of a silver bowl, a toast is made with a small glass, but all guests are required to drink it in one gulp.

When drinking, the host will also sing carols for the guests. There are as many songs as there is wine. Wine songs are not only an activity to persuade wine, but also a way to entertain guests.

After a full meal, when the guests leave, the host will also sing to wish them good luck and a pleasant journey. Please don't forget to come to Ordos again in the future.

Mongolian people in Ordos and snuff bottles

Snuff bottle is a kind of utensil that Mongolians can't put down. When the guest enters the yurt, the attentive host will enthusiastically hand the snuff bottle to the guest to show respect and friendship. When a guest receives a snuff bottle, he should put it under his nose and smell it, and then respond politely. Doing so can make the feelings of both sides communicate in time and quickly eliminate the strangeness and indifference between them. When handing snuff bottles, there are still some places to pay attention to. When you meet with your peers, you should hand the bottles in your right hand and exchange them with each other. When the elder meets the younger generation, the elder only needs to give it to the master with his right hand, and the younger generation needs to kneel down and hold the snuff bottle in his hand. Mongols regard snuff bottles as treasures and often keep them as collectibles. Its preciousness lies in that the raw materials for making snuff bottles are gold, silver, copper, amber, agate, jade and so on. Some of the patterns on the snuff bottle are outside, and some are inside (painting). Colorful patterns, elegant artistic conception, rich and simple, with both form and spirit, are magnificent. There are flying dragons, birds and animals, wrestling and archery, scenery and so on. Ordos Mongolians and Hada.

The Mongols regard Hada as a mascot, and they should present Hada to welcome guests, visit elders, see Buddha statues, weddings, funerals and celebrations. Offering Hada is the most common and honorable ceremony for guests. When presenting Hada to guests and elders, raise your hands above your head and lean forward slightly; For peers or subordinates, it is required to hold each other's necks by hand. The length of time given to Hada depends on the social status of Hada people. Hada is usually white, because white symbolizes purity and good luck, and there are also blue and yellow ones. Hada's materials include raw silk fabrics and cotton fabrics.

Ordos Mongols and Fire

Speaking of fire, it reminds us of the Mongolian way of life in the past: in the cold winter, Mongolians hunt in pairs, and they happily put their prey in the forest or grassland, and soon get branches and leaves to make a fire, roast the prey half-baked, and eat happily while keeping warm and driving out the cold. How important fire is! The cycle of everything in the world is inseparable from fire everywhere. Mongolians regard fire as life and wealth. Fire is also a bridge to communicate people's hearts and enhance friendship between countries. Delicious milk tea, all kinds of ethnic food. ...

Nothing can be done without fire. The cold current at high altitude, as long as there is fire, can drive away the cold and keep warm, which is exciting. Herdsmen living on grasslands are often restricted by traffic conditions, and they can't burn coal. Therefore, they used local materials and used livestock manure and shrub branches and leaves such as Caragana korshinskii and Shagan as fuel. Cow dung, horse dung and sheep dung are piled up in front of the yurt, or the dead branches of sand stalks, Caragana korshinskii, Nitraria tangutorum and Haloxylon ammodendron are piled up in disorder, just like beautiful genre paintings, dotted on the Senecio Plain.

The dried animal manure is flammable, flaming and odorless. Sheep dung is used as fuel and does not stick to each other. Shrubs growing in sandy land are oily, hard, fire-resistant and burn-resistant. Obviously, even in the twelfth lunar month, in the snow and ice, tourists will feel warm as spring when they stay in yurts.

With the progress of science and technology, although some herders have used electricity or solar energy to serve their lives, their worship of fire remains the same, and they have the habit of worshipping and offering sacrifices to fire every year. On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month (off-year), the fire sacrifice is the most exquisite and grand. As night falls, the male host and the boy who attended the fire sacrifice, dressed neatly, came to the burning brazier together, lit a column of incense, walked around the yurt first, then turned around the brazier three times from left to right, inserted the incense into the brazier, and the fire sacrifice began. At this time, there are many offerings on the small table next to the brazier: Hada, wine, fried rice, red dates, ghee, brick tea, mutton and so on. Until the New Year's Day, they would throw their sacrifices into the brazier. He also recited a memorial to the effect: "Pray for the gift of Vulcan: filial son, virtuous daughter-in-law, docile girl, kind son-in-law ..., Fulai! Fulai! Fulai! " The whole family should also eat meat cooked in clear water and jiaozi cooked in clear soup.

Mongolian and white people in Ordos

Mongolians advocate white, which they believe symbolizes purity and auspiciousness. Therefore, the first month of the lunar calendar is called "Bai Yue". On festive occasions, they always like to wear white Mongolian robes; Eat "free food" (Mongolian name for dairy food): not only foods made of white milk, such as white oil and cheese, but also fruits fried by sheep. White is very solemn in Mongolian etiquette: to greet distinguished guests, you should first present a white hada, and then hand over a white refined milk to the guests. When relatives travel far away, they will send away VIPs and spill milk to pray for peace. Living in a snow-white yurt, covered with a snow-white felt, and grazing under the blue sky and white clouds is Aries. "From the perspective of literary works and spoken Mongolian. White has also become a sign of affirming the nature of things from the front in Mongolian. " Mongolian words such as "great happiness and virtue", "lofty work", "new soul", "aboveboard things" and "innocent thoughts" all take white as their roots, symbolizing truth, goodness and beauty in human social life. White also means smooth sailing. They call kind people "white-hearted" and use "white" to protect the health and prosperity of the nation.

Mongolian horses in Ordos

When you see Ma Benteng and galloping horses on the TV screen, you will undoubtedly think of Mongolians who "live by weeds". Mongolians have had an indissoluble bond with horses since they appeared as nomadic people. Horse is a right-hand man in Mongolian nomadic life and production, and a representative of national vitality. Therefore, a good horse trainer is a hero that everyone admires. As long as a herder has a good horse, it is more important than anything else.

Ordos has a long history and is naturally the hometown of horses. If you have a chance to have a look on the lush grassland, herds of horses will rush to the ground like clouds. Horses of various colors, such as bordeaux, crimson, snow blue, tiger yellow, spotted jade and sea chestnut, some of them hold their heads high and whistle happily; Save your strength and forage for grass by the lake; Some run around. People not only see the beauty of horses, but also appreciate the magnificent style of the nation on horseback. Mongolian people live such a boiling life, why not praise singing! Horses are brave, obedient and considerate. Accept people's control over it and never bully weak animals; Get along with others and love collective life. Because Mongolians live with horses year after year, it is precisely this rough and bold character, sincere and simple feelings and astute and courageous temperament of the Mongolian nation that has been tempered. Mongolians love horses, and their reverence for horses can be seen in every field of their lives: between the two flagpoles standing in front of the yurt-"Manihong" flagpole, there is a wool rope tied with five flags: blue, yellow, green, white and red. The blue flag symbolizes the pure blue sky, the yellow flag symbolizes the lush land, the green flag symbolizes the grassland with blooming flowers, the white flag symbolizes the herds with rolling financial resources, and the red flag symbolizes the happiness of life, the country and the people. Flags of various colors are painted with nine horses strutting with galloping hooves. In the blank space between horses, it is also written in Mongolian and Tibetan: "Hope for Ma Benteng to leap forward and wish our nation prosperity and all the best." The door of the yurt is painted with a Mercedes-Benz BMW, flying in the air, expressing their yearning for happiness. In addition, the waistcoat they wear is called jacket, the boots they wear are called riding boots, the musical instrument they play is called Ma Touqin, and the wine they drink is called mare milk sprinkling. You should choose excellent horses to ride when grazing, going out for a long trip and participating in Nadam. And the saddle and halter are exquisite. Gold and silver carved saddles, cloisonne saddles and shark skin saddles are the best in price and quality. Five-color cloth and chest climbing bell are tied together and worn on the halter. A large number of people made up stories, wrote hymns and sang hymns for horses. Every year on March 2 1 day of the lunar calendar, the commemoration of Genghis Khan begins with offering fresh horse milk. In the memorial ceremony, there was also a white horse that was especially respected by Mongols. It is said to be a deity sealed by Genghis Khan and the incarnation of the jade emperor Tianmali. Herdsmen often worship it as an idol. According to the data, the criteria for selecting a white horse are black eyes, black hooves, pure white fur, a little white and shiny, and no scars and scars on various organs. Emperor Xuanyuan defeated you with a chariot, and it was a "white horse" that drove him.

In addition, in the herdsmen's residence, there is also a flag of Lumafeng, which is to let it fly and is engraved with the image of a horse. Mongolians regard it as a symbol of prosperity. What is Luma Fengqi? "It is the white god horse worshipped by Genghis Khan (the monarch) and all Mongols and the horse pile of the eight horses in the galaxy." Besides, Baima Longquan and Ma Quan, named after horses, are used in Iksu, Hangjinqi.

Every time the grass is fattened in Mazhuang, herders hold horse milk festival, horse mane festival and horse racing festival. Horses are the second life of Mongols. A horse can provide 2-3 thousand kilograms of horse milk every year. Horse milk is a good nutrient, with a higher sugar content than milk. Koumiss or sour koumiss is very effective for tuberculosis, tracheitis, anemia, indigestion and other diseases. Especially horse meat, with less lean meat, low fat and high calorie, can keep out the cold and prevent and treat heart disease.

Mongolian shepherd dog in Ordos

For a long time, herders have always regarded dogs as close partners. Dogs are smart. They are the most humane and emotional animals.

Dogs have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, which is 654.38+00000 times more sensitive than people. And strong vigilance, galloping strength, vigorous. It often plays an important role in helping people to detect, identify, search and track.

Herdsmen live on vast grasslands without barriers. Often attacked by wolves and wild animals, they started to keep dogs for their own safety.

Herdsmen are inseparable from dogs everywhere. At night, as long as the dog is waiting outside the door,

Herdsmen can avoid or reduce the danger of being attacked by wild animals. When hunting, herders often take it with them, and dogs can also help herders find game and catch wild animals. When grazing, herders regard their loyal dogs as a great comfort and happiness. At night, after thousands of sheep lie in a circle, dogs take care of herders. It is said that dogs are very clever in monitoring the whereabouts of wolves: when wolves first enter the sheepfold, they don't eat sheep first, but turn around to see if they have escaped. If it can't escape, it would rather lie in the sheepfold for one night than take the sheep away. When the dog found it, it gave a cry and the wolf ran away. Herdsmen love dogs very much, and everyone eats food with dogs. On New Year's Day, the owner specially prepared some delicious food for the dog. Therefore, the dogs raised by herders are smooth and hygienic.

Dogs are loyal to their owners and will never abandon their owners at the expense of interests. If the owner accidentally falls on the road while going out, the dog will always guard the owner.

Loving life and protecting animals are the virtues of Mongolians. Who wants to abuse dogs, herders must not allow it.

Mongolian dwellings in Ordos

The nomadic life of Mongolian people living on aquatic plants in Erdos was gradually replaced by rotational grazing, and they lived in houses with brick and wood structures or civil structures. In order to adapt to the nomadic living environment, they still need to live in yurts when grazing. The yurt is round, usually seven or eight feet high and more than ten feet in diameter. A reticulated circular wall is formed around the yurt, and an umbrella dome with rafters is formed on the roof. Covered with white cold blankets around and at the top. In winter, the felt is thick, two or three layers; In summer, there is only a thin layer. The surface of the felt is tensioned from the outside with wool rope. There are wooden framed doors on the wall, most of which face south and some face southeast to avoid the cold northwest wind. There is a circular skylight in the center of the roof for ventilation, smoke exhaust and sunlight absorption. There is a stove in the center of the room; There is a cooker on the right side of the door, and a Zhang Kuan 1m, 2m-long low bed is often placed. Paint Xiao Mu: Bedclothes and blankets are on the cabinet, and the floor is covered with thick felt. A yurt weighs about 250-300 kilograms. Two camels or an ox cart can be transported and used in an hour. Due to the cold climate in the north and snowstorms in winter, the structure of yurts is very scientific: round, with little resistance when encountering snowstorms; Top, there is no water when it rains; The door is small and connected with the ground, so the snow is not easy to accumulate. Mongolian yurts have been accompanied by herders for generations and have gone through a long time. Its structure still retains its original and unique style, but the furnishings in the bag have gradually developed into modernization.

Ordos Mongolian clothing

Mongolian costumes are gorgeous and unique. Headdress, robe, belt and Mongolian boots are the four main parts of Mongolian costumes.

This headdress is used by Mongolian women to decorate their heads at festivals, festive banquets and when visiting relatives and friends. Those with better economic conditions are made of precious agate, pearls, precious stones and gold and silver, about 1 m long, hanging from the top of the head to the shoulders and weighing one or two kilograms. Besides, you should also wear earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc. Usually, women in pastoral areas mostly wrap their heads with long red or green silk. Men in pastoral areas like to wear fur hats in winter and forward hats in summer. In pastoral areas, both men and women like to wear long sleeves. The robe is fat, which can protect the knees from the cold when riding and grazing; The sleeves are wide and easy to hold the reins. The robe is long and straight, reaching to the feet. The robe is inlaid with beautiful lace, and the left and right sides of the robe are not separated. The collar is high and the buttons are on the right.

Belt. Both male and female herders like to tie cloth or silk belts around their waists. Herdsmen wear belts to ride horses, which can keep the waist and ribs stable and vertical and keep warm in winter. In addition, "there is a small long knife hanging on the right side of the man's belt, and there is a small pocket on the scabbard with chopsticks in it." There is a silver chain or gold chain on the scabbard, a small chain on the left, flint for lighter and a cigarette case. "

Mongolian boots. Mongolian boots are easy to wear, and the uppers are equipped with various delicate patterns. Some boots are lined with leather, while others are padded with felt. Mongolian boots are made of single cotton, which young people especially like to wear. The tips of Mongolian boots are upturned to meet the needs of riding.

Ordos Mongolians and Religion

The religious belief of Mongolians is mainly Lamaism. Mongolian belief in Lamaism began in Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the spread of Lamaism in Monan Mongolia was encouraged and fostered by the rulers of the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, many temples were built in Monan, and the number of monks increased sharply. In this way, the center of religious activities in Mongolia has become a Lama Temple all over the country. In their religious life, in addition to worshipping Buddha at home, they also attend temple fairs. There will be a grand ghost dance. Sacrificing temple fairs to Aobao is also an important religious activity of Mongolian people every year. The Mongols' worship of Aobao is sincere and respectful. Moreover, there are special organizations to make preparations, inviting lamas to Aobao, or playing the trumpet, or playing drums and chanting. Lamaism is a branch of Tibetan Buddhism, which originated in Tibet and its leader is Zong Kaba. Monks wear yellow hats.

Ordos Mongolian Festival

Mongolian festivals are an important part of Mongolian customs.

Nadam convention is usually held in summer or autumn, when aquatic plants are abundant and cattle are fat. During the conference, in addition to horse racing, wrestling and archery competitions, large-scale sacrificial activities will be held. When offering sacrifices, lamas also burn incense and light lamps, recite scriptures and praise Buddha. Pray for God's blessing and wish people and animals prosperity. In addition to singing and dancing performances during the day, whenever night falls, people will gather around the bonfire on the vast grassland of Liao country and stay up all night, singing and dancing happily all night with the melodious and passionate beat.

Sacrificing Aobao is also an important festival activity. On this day, herders went to Aobao in droves to offer sacrifices. They placed Buddha statues on Aobao, erected prayer flags and offered sacrifices to cattle, mutton and milk together in front of Aobao. Then, the lamas burned incense and lights, chanted prayers, and the masses made three turns from left to right around Aobao, hoping to usher in a bumper harvest year for animal husbandry.

Mongolian New Year can be divided into small years and big years.

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is a small year, and this day is the "annual fire" day to send Vulcan. In addition to cleaning the environment, we should have family reunion, set off firecrackers, drink good wine and have a good meal, and offer sacrifices to beef, mutton, candy, cakes and milk in front of the shrine, burning incense and offering sacrifices to the kitchen god.

New Year's Day is also the Spring Festival. Mongolians take milk and eat it white without dirt, calling the Spring Festival "White Festival". On New Year's Eve, the younger generation will give their elders "farewell wine" and eat jiaozi around the fireplace. After dinner, we will play chess, play "Garaka" (sheep bones), and sing and play all night with the accompaniment of Ma Touqin. At dawn the next day, men, women and children put on brand-new folk costumes, and the elders took the whole family to worship heaven and bowed to the southwest in front of the piled "Aobao". Then, I began to pay New Year greetings. The younger generation kowtowed and toasted the elders and offered Hada, wishing the elderly a long and healthy life. From grade one to grade four, they generally don't travel far. After the fifth day, they rode horses, happily went to visit relatives and friends with gifts, and * * * entered the all-sheep banquet. During the festival, there are songs and laughter on the grassland, and people of all ethnic groups are immersed in the joy of the festival.

Ordos Mongolian taboo

Respecting the customs and habits of all ethnic groups is the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, which is of vital importance to enhancing mutual understanding and deepening friendship among all ethnic groups. Mongolian taboos are also one of their customs. So, what are the main taboos of Mongolian people?

Put the riding boots outside the door before entering the yurt. Don't step on the threshold when entering the bag. After entering the bag, sit by the side. Take the same road when you leave the bag. When bidding farewell to the master, the master returns to the yurt before getting on the bus or getting on the horse.

When the host serves tea, the guest should bend over and pick up the tea with both hands. When sleeping, don't stretch your feet to the northwest. If there is a patient in the bag, tie a rope to the right outside the door, and one end of the rope is buried underground, indicating that the host can't entertain guests. Don't point at people with a pipe or finger, and don't roast your feet on the brazier. Mongols are forbidden to sit in the northwest corner of yurts. Mongolian women can't go home to visit before the full moon. The sign they made at the door was: Give birth to a boy, and branches (like bows and arrows) wrapped in hada or cotton cloth hung on the right side of the door. If it is a girl, the red cloth is hung on the left side of the door. Guests are strictly forbidden to beat and scold dogs. It is absolutely forbidden to use livestock tied with red cloth. Pay attention to visiting religious ceremonies: don't intervene rashly; Don't comment or make noise when visiting; Don't imitate; No smoking, no walking.