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The priest was fighting with the bull
卡雀哇(KA QUe Wa)
卡雀哇(KA QUe Wa)
- The Kaque Wa Festival is usually at the end of the first year of the lunar month or the beginning of the first month of the following year. The festival usually is celebrated for 3 days. The Kaque Wa festival is the most important festival for the Derung people. It is the day when people gather together and celebrate the new year.
The First Day
The First Day
On the first day of the festival, the Derung family would hang colorful blankets and the flagpoles in front of their wooden houses. Then they would ignite the pine branches and knock on the cockroaches to start the celebration of the annual Kaque Wa festival. At night, in their homes, people would prepare meals including wine and meats. They would drink wine and pray for a good harvest in the coming year. Later, young people gather at the square, dancing and blessing each other.
Derung women were dancing to celebrate the festival
Derung people were inviting the visitors to drink the wine they made as a way to welcome.
The Second Day
The Second Day
On the second day, Derung people would hold events to worship the mountain god. They would use the noodles to pinch out the images of mountain gods and various beasts.
In the morning, people would go to the place where clan makes sacrifices. Here, each family would piled up a pile of stones to make sacrifices.
They would place the offerings on the stone piles, and recited the sacrifices to pray for the good fortune in the coming year.
There will also be shooting competitions and dancing activities. Then, people would gather for dinner.
Derung women were dancing around the yak
The leaders were trying to pick the best yak in the village for sacrifice
Derung people gathered together around the bull to celebrate the festival
The Last Day
The Last Day
On the last day, Derung people would hold the most important activity, that is, the yak sacrifice ceremony.
The ceremony is held to pray for the prosperity of humans and the harvest of coming year.
During the ceremony, Derung women would wear dragon blankets for the sacrifice. They would put colored beads on the yak horns.
After the yak(the strongest yak in the clan) is placed on the sacrifice places, all the people danced around the yak. Then, the clan leaders would hold the shuttle or the bamboo spear, take a bowl of wine, danced around the yak and start the sacrifice.
After the sacrifice is over, clan leaders would cut down the yak tongue. People would divide the yak meats evenly. They would cook the meats while singing.
Then, everyone would eat the meats, drink wine, sing and dance. Leaders would carry the yak head and dance the "yak head dance."
After the feast, everyone would sit next to the fire, chatting, drinking and singing all night.
Interestingly, Derung people is not the only Chinese Minority group who would celebrate this festival.
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