Customs of Chinese Ethnic Minorities in the Spring Festival

        The Spring Festival is the most important festival for Chinese. Mentioning customs of the Spring Festival, what crowds in your mind first? Setting off firecrackers and fireworks, giving children lucky money, having family reunions or visiting relatives? These are the most common Chinese customs. As for ethnic minorities in China, they have their own different ways to celebrate the new year.

Devout pilgrims move on despite of coldness

Tibetans will flock to Baoping Mountain and Yaowang Mountain to worship gods on the third day of lunar January. On the fifth day of lunar January, they will hold a ceremony to celebrate planting in spring. On that day, not only Tibetans will dress up, but also cattle. People will draw special patterns on cattle’s foreheads, put red flags and colorful feathers on their horns and tie colorful ribbons on their tails.

The Bai people are diligent and musical

After the New Year’s Eve, the Bai people will rush to carry water from rivers or wells. They show how diligent they are in this way. On the morning of the first day of the new year, they will drink syrup, which signifies they will have a happy life next year.

The Yi people’s dance - bell dance

The Yi people will select grasses without being trodden which usually grow on the cliffs or the top of mountains. On New Year’s Day, they will cover the floor with the grasses that they select, which signifies their business will thrive like the grasses next year. 

There are 56 nations in China. The customs of celebrating the new year are different in nations, but their wishes are similar—better lives.