What is the origin of social rice?

Community rice originated from the ancient custom of worshiping ancestors on social days in Tongren. It has developed into today’s communal rice worshiping ancestors on social days, and the content has not changed much. The fifth day after the beginning of spring every year is the Spring Society Day. Every family must have a spring banquet to sweep the tomb, or the whole family gathers for a banquet. The ceremony is grand and the scene is lively. If relatives and friends from out of town come to visit at this time, they can attend the communal dinner.

Every year spring returns to the earth, and everything revives and is full of vitality. At this time, the important raw materials for making community rice - fresh and strong artemisia annua and wild onions are all over the mountains and fields, which is a great time to make community rice. To a certain extent, eating community meals expresses the local people’s sentiments of remembering the ancients and placing their hopes in the future.

Extended information:

Distribution area

Tongren City, Guizhou Province, Xiushan and Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous Counties, Chongqing City, Zhuxi Township, Lanzhou, Tianzhu County Tianzhen, Bangdong Town, Fengcheng Town, Shexue Township, Duma Township, Pingdi Town, Zhenyuan County Baojing Township, Jinbao Town, Jianggu Town, Wuyang Town and other places also passed Shexue Township. In Fenghuang in Xiangxi Hunan Province and Miao Village in Tuxiang, Mayang, Xinhuang, Zhijiang, Huaihua, there is a custom of celebrating Spring Society and eating communal meals.

Community meals are mainly held on Society Day (i.e. the fifth Wu day after the beginning of spring), which is also the Spring Society. Wu Day belongs to the earth, so this day is also the day to worship the earth god. People use this to pray for a smooth year, a bumper harvest, and good luck for their family. On this day, every household will cook communal meals to show their respect for the community. If guests come across this festival, they will be in for a treat.