The Water-sprinkling Festival of the Dais
By admin on 2014-12-10

The Dais are mainly distributed in Dehong and Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. The Water-sprinkling Festival, the New Year by the Dai calendar, held in the last ten days of the 6th month or early in the 7th month of the Dal calendar(April), usually lasts three to five days. 

The first day of the festival is the day for seeing off the old and welcoming the new. On this day, the Dai people dip flowering branches in water and sprinkle the water on one another for blessing. The second day is devoted to splashing water on everyone, as a symbol of good luck and happiness; the more water one is splashed with, the happier one will be. 

On the third day are held the "dropping the pouch" game and the "ascending high" competition. During the festival, the Dal people also hold boat races, dance the peacock dance and conduct the Ganbai game.