| Apart from the Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, they have their own traditional festivals, such as the Pan King Festival, Spring Worship Festival, Danu Festival, Singing Festival and Paga Festival.
As there are many people on the festival day, wooden pot instead of iron pot will be used to cook dishes. The rice cooked in such wooden pots smells even better. On the festival, the Yaos will make sticky rice cakes. The main menu of the festival includes chook, duck, fish, pork, bean curd, vermicelli and other vegetables. In some areas, the Yaos will cook black rice on April 8. Girls of Yao in Jiangshui County of Hunan Province will take eggs, make sticky rice cakes and eat candy while they celebrate the Picnic Festival on April 8 of each lunar calendar year. While the girls are eating the eggs, candy and sticky rice cakes, and the young men are not allowed to peek; otherwise, they will be punished.
The Singing Party is the large entertainment of the Yaos to worship their ancestors and celebrate the bumper harvest. It mostly takes place after October 16 of the lunar calendar. It lasts 3 to 9 days. On the occasion, every family will prepare rice wine and sticky rice cakes to feast their guests. The Yaos worship their god. The offerings are commonly made of pig, chicken, duck, eggs and fish. The offering taboos include dogs, snakes, cats and frogs.
In case of the bereavement, the Yaos will slaughter cattle to worship. The number of cattle to be killed varies according to the wealth of the family. Some kill as many as 7 or 8 cattle. A feast is also to be arranged. In some areas, the pork and bean curds are served as the main dishes. |
