Module Three Session 3 Yunnan Nationalities’ Festivals

Lead-in Questions  List the festivals of ethnic groups you know  Which ethnic group share the same festivals?  The categories of the festivals?

Vocabulary / Key words  water- sprinkling, torch, pouch-throwing  thread-tying, trade fairs, bumper harvest  wrestling, arrow-shooting, tug-of-war,  swinging, horse racing, bull-fighting.  lunar month, rattle-stick dance

Contents  Basic Facts ：  Yunnan is a multinational province, so the Festivals of the ethnic groups are varied and colorful. Festivals of the ethnic groups are varied and colorful.  Some minorities have festivals for different purposes.  Some groups share the same festivals.

 Case ：  The water- sprinkling festival of Dai people  Torch festival of Yi people  The 3rd month fair of Bai people

The Water- sprinkling Festival of Dai People (text P186) Time: In the middle 6 th month of Dai calendar, usually falls in the middle of April Origin: ( text P186) the ceremony to clean the Buddha statues, the new year of Dai calendar (have finished harvest and house construction, turning month when the 2nd farming cycle replaces the 1st)

singing, dancing, water-splashing to give good wishes to each other, setting off fireworks, pouch-throwing, thread- tying, dragon boat racing, folk operas, trade fairs, etc. Activities:

Torch Festival of Yi People (P184) Time: 24th in the 6th month in lunar calendar, 3 days. Origin: To use rosin and torches to kill harmful insects in farmland, to celebrate the bumper harvest Activities: bonfire, torches in hands, singing, dancing, wrestling, arrow-shooting, tug-of-war, swinging, horse racing, and bull-fighting.

Time: 15 th of the 3 rd lunar month, last for one week Origin: the Buddhist fair of God of Mercy Activities: horse-racing, products- trading, rattle-stick dance The 3 rd Month Fair of Bai People (P189)

Rattle-stick Performance :

Homework  List the most famous festivals of ethnic groups in Yunnan  To study the origin of Water-sprinkling Festival, Torch Festival and  To study the origin of Water-sprinkling Festival, Torch Festival and The 3rd Month Fair