Mongolian customs and habits

Mongolia is a traditional nomadic nationality, one of the main ethnic groups in northern China, and also the main ethnic group of Mongolia. It originates from the Donghu ethnic group living in the northeast of China today. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the Turkic peoples, the residents of the Mongolian plateau, gradually declined. The Shiwei tribes (including the Mengwu Shiwei tribes of the ancestors of Genghis Khan) living in the present-day Daxing’anling Prefecture began to move westward to the Mongolian plateau. The Shiwei tribes were called Tartars in Turkic, and the Mengwu Shiwei tribes were called Black Tartars. After the Khitan people conquered the Shiwei tribes, the Black Tartars called themselves Nilun tribes. At the beginning of the 12th century, Hebulhan (great-grandfather of Temuzhen) unified the tribes of Nilun and called their tribe "Mongolia." In 1206, Temuzhen unified the tribes in Mobei, and the word Mongolia became the common name of each tribe.

Scenery of Morigele, Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia According to the sixth national census data in 2010, the Mongolian population of China is about 6.5 million. The Mongolian population of China is mainly distributed in Inner Mongolia and Northeast China of China, and is distributed in Xinjiang, Hebei, Qinghai, and the rest is scattered in Henan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Beijing and Yunnan. In addition, the Mongolian people are also distributed in Russia and other Asian and European countries, and the Ewenki and Tu people are sometimes considered to be branches of the Mongolian people.

The Mongolian people also have their own spoken and written language. Mongolian belongs to the Mongolian family of the Altaic family, including Inner Mongolia, Oilat, and Barhubulyat. There are four dialects of Horqin. The common writing was created based on the Uyghur script in the early 13th century. In the early 14th century, the Mongolian scholar Keji Osir reformed the original writing and became the Mongolian language that is universally standardized today. The Mongolian people in Yunnan can speak Yi and Chinese, and their Mongolian language is roughly interlinked with Mongolian in the north.

Mongolian people have lived in the grasslands for all their lives, living in animal husbandry, and living a nomadic life of "living by water and grass." Although this way of life has been weakened in modern society, it is still regarded as a symbol of the Mongolian people. Mongolian yurts are unique houses for Mongolian herdsmen. They are a kind of canopy dwelling with a round spires and are usually covered with one or two layers of wool felt. There are two types of yurts. One is for summer use in pastoral areas, which is a transfer type, and the other is for winter camps, which are semi-fixed. Mongolian calls the transfer package "Urguoger". Now, as the Mongolian nomadic customs shift to targeted grazing or semi-house feeding, the Mongolian people have almost completely settled in brick houses or buildings. Only in those tourist areas can you see yurts in the traditional sense.

In the habit of the Mongolian nation, it is necessary to visit herdsmen's homes on horseback and by car. When approaching the yurt, you must ride slowly and lightly to avoid alarming the herd. Before entering the yurt, you must leave the whip and horse stick outside the door. If you bring it into the yurt, you will be regarded as disrespectful to the owner. After getting out of the yurts, don't get on the car immediately. You have to walk for a while and wait until the owner returns before getting on the car. When you are a guest in the bag, the host will bow to serve the milk tea, and the guest should bow with both hands to accept it. The northwest corner of the bag is a place for Buddha worship. Your feet cannot reach out to the northwest corner when sleeping. It is not advisable to use a cigarette bag or finger a person's head. You are not allowed to touch the stove with your feet, or you are not allowed to roast your feet on the fire, otherwise it will be tantamount to insulting the kitchen god. In the yurt, if there is a patient, tie a rope to the left side of the door and bury the head of the rope in the ground, indicating that the owner cannot entertain guests and the visitor should not enter the door.

Mongolian families generally consist of husband and wife and minor children. Because of its tradition of respecting the elderly, the most senior man in the family is the parent and holds real power, and the husband has a higher status than the wife. Pastoral areas and semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral areas are slightly different. When a man handles family affairs, he generally requires his wife's consent. After his son got married, he separated and established a separate family. They usually live in their parents 'yurts and are now mostly houses) nearby, walking together "Aotel" means nomadic, and now they are designated areas for grazing). In terms of property inheritance, a certain amount of property is generally distributed at one time when the children get married, and there is no longer any opportunity to distribute and inherit the property. Children who live with their parents and are responsible for their later years will be the ultimate heirs of all their parents 'property.

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Many Mongolian herdsmen love to drill flowers in tobacco pots and pipes. There was a saying that "a cigarette pot is exchanged for a sheep." Five kinds of metal raw materials are used to drill into a cigarette pot with patterns such as flowers, birds, fish, and animals, coupled with a red agate cigarette holder and a sandalwood cigarette rod. It is not only practical, but also a very exquisite handicraft. When visiting in a yurt, the hospitable host often takes out a small pot that looks like a porcelain bottle and gives it to the guests to sniff. This is a snuff bottle containing snuff. There are also certain rules for delivering snuff bottles. If you meet each other of the same generation, you should hand the pot with your right hand and exchange it with each other, or raise your hands slightly and bow to exchange it, then pour out a little snuff, wipe it on your nostrils with your fingers, smell the smoke, and exchange it after tasting it. If an elder and a younger generation meet each other, they should bow slightly and pass the pot with their right hand. The younger generation should take it with both hands, each lift it up to smell it, and then exchange it.

Mongolian people strictly practice monogamy. Young men and women are free to fall in love and choose their own spouse. The vast majority of parents accept and agree to their children's choice. Parents go to the woman's home to "obtain consent" is just a necessary procedure. Most of those backward marriage customs were abolished. Due to insufficient labor force, some families have also recruited son-in-law into their families.

The name and content of son-in-law recruitment vary in different places. Alxa Banner in the west is called "Furgen Abna", which is a son-in-law), and once recruited into the marriage, it is considered a family member. After a certain period of time, the father-in-law thought that he could replace it and allocated part of the property for separation. The name of eastern Mongolia is "Fchenfrgen", which means the hired son-in-law, which is manifested in an employment relationship and is not regarded as a family member. In modern society, families with more brothers in the man's family and no boys in the woman's family will also choose to live in the wife's family, but they are no longer discriminated against in society and families.

Mongolian costumes change due to the living environment of the Mongolian grassland. Mongolian men, women and children all like to wear long robes, which are also the traditional dress of the Mongolian people. This kind of robe has broad sleeves and long sleeves, the lower end is generally not divided between left and right, the collar is high, and the buttons are on the right side. Beautiful lace is often embellished on the neckline, cuffs, and edges of the robe. The color of the robe varies from place to place, person and season. In winter, shepherds can warm themselves and keep out the cold when grazing, and in summer they can prevent mosquito bites. They also like to make belts out of red and green satin and wear knives for eating meat. The scabbard is very beautiful. Some also hang fire sickles, snuffboxes, etc. I like to wear soft cowhide boots that reach my knees.

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Farmers in rural areas mostly wear plain clothes, including long robes with split ends, cotton-padded jackets, shirts, shirts, etc. In winter, they wear felt boots and silk boots, and few wear high boots, and also wear belts. Men like to wear blue, black, and brown hats, and they also use silk to wrap their heads. Women wrap their heads with red and blue cloth, and wear conical hats like men in winter. The unmarried woman separates her hair from the front and middle, ties it with two roots, with two large beads on it, and hangs down at the ends, and decorates it with agate, coral, jasper, etc.

Nowadays, Mongolian costumes have undergone great changes. In winter, both men and women wear trendy leather coats and down jackets, which are light, warm and beautiful; in summer, there are many varieties of clothing, and the clothing styles and materials are basically the same as those of the Han people. Men wear suits and shoes, and women also wear suits and skirts. Only during the Oobao Festival or the Nadam Conference will its hosts, people participating in song and dance performances and a very small number of participants wear traditional costumes.

Mongolian people are also a very warm, hospitable and straightforward nation. There are no hotels on the vast grassland, but the owner of each yurt will happily entertain those strangers. They serve milk tea, pour milk wine, cook mutton, or use songs to encourage wine, or offer hada to warmly entertain guests. The whole family, men, women and children sat down around the guests and asked questions as if they were family. When saying goodbye, they often send them far away, give directions, and are very cordial.

The Mongolian diet is roughly divided into three categories, namely meat, milk and grain. Three meals a day, two sparse and one dry. In the morning and noon, we usually drink milk tea to soak fried rice, milk food, and hand-braised pork. In the evening, we boil mutton to make noodles and eat steamed buns. The meat is mainly cow and sheep meat, followed by goat meat, camel meat and a small amount of horse meat. Yellow mutton is also hunted during the hunting season. Common traditional eating methods of mutton include more than 70 kinds of whole sheep banquet, tender skin whole sheep banquet, whole wool whole sheep banquet, roast sheep, roast sheep heart, fried mutton tripe, sheep brain stew, etc. The most distinctive ones are Mongolian roast whole sheep (skinned roast), oven roast whole sheep with skin or Alxa roast whole sheep, and the most common one is hand-grabbed mutton.

Mongolians pay attention to boiled mutton clearly and eat it immediately after it is cooked to keep the mutton tender. When making hand-grabbed mutton, avoid overcooked. However, Mongolians in the mixed Mongolian and Han areas in eastern Inner Mongolia also like to add seasoning when cooking and cook the meat into crispy hand-grabbed mutton. Mongolians in some areas also like to cut the meat from the sheep's waist nest into large pieces and fry it into fried meat slices. Folk calls it "big fried sheep". Beef is mostly eaten in winter. There are beef banquets, but more are stewed, braised, and soups. Camel meat and horse meat are also eaten, fried hump slices dipped in white sugar, and are regarded as delicacies. Experienced chefs are also good at cooking beef tendons, deer tendons, and bulltail into various therapeutic dishes. For ease of preservation, beef and mutton are often made into dried meat and bacon.

Mongolians cannot live without tea every day. Except for drinking black tea, almost everyone has the habit of drinking milk tea. The first thing every morning is to cook milk tea. It is best to use freshly brewed water to cook milk tea. After boiling, pour into a clean pot or pot with tea ground, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add fresh milk and salt, and bring to the boil. Mongolian milk tea is sometimes added with butter, milk skin, or fried rice. It is fragrant, salty and delicious. It is a nourishing drink containing multiple nutrients. Some people even think that it is okay to go without food for three days, but not drink milk tea for one day. Mongolians also like to use the fruits, leaves, and flowers of many wild plants to make milk tea. The cooked milk tea has different flavors, and some can also prevent and cure diseases.

Most Mongolians can drink alcohol. Most of the wines they drink are white wine and beer. Some areas also drink milk wine and horse milk wine, and they have the habit of drinking heavily during festivals or when guests and friends gather together. "Qige" sour horse milk is a precious drink for the Mongolian people at various gatherings and feasts. At the Nadamu Conference, we always drink to celebrate the bumper harvest and good luck in animal husbandry production.

The Mongolian people have always been known as the "music nation" and the "poetry nation." There is a saying circulating in the Hetao area: "The folk songs of Hetao are full of cow hair. I have been singing it for three years and I have sung it with an ox ear." It reflects the number of folk songs in Inner Mongolia. Mongolian folk songs can be divided into two genres: short and short tunes. Mongolian folk songs fully reflect the simple, cheerful, enthusiastic and unconstrained character of the Mongolian people. Hearing it makes people feel like they are in the Mongolian grassland.

"Haolibao" is a popular singing form in Inner Mongolia. It has a fixed tune and the lyrics are improvised creations that touch the scene and are very popular among the masses. In addition, there are also contents and forms such as "Mahatale's Praise","Yugele's Blessing","Dai Rileqi's Singing", myths, fairy tales, legends, storytelling, etc.

horse-head qin is the most popular national musical instrument of the Mongolian people. It is named after the exquisite horse head carved on the top of the stem. The earliest horse-head qin was called "Xi Qin" or "Huqin", which originated from the "Xi" of Donghu, namely Kumoxi), and was called "Chaoer" in the late Qing Dynasty. Most of the performance forms are solo or self-singing. The sound played by the horse-head violin is vast, low, melodious and beautiful, as if it takes people into the vast grassland.

Mongolian dances have long been famous. Traditional dances include sword dance, chopsticks, Andai, horse trainers, small green horses, etc. The horse dance refined through immediate life on the grassland has a straight and heroic shape and a light and free pace. Between a wave of the hand, a whip, and a leap, it makes people feel the galloping of the horse and the fierce and brave character of the Mongolian people. It has a strong national characteristics.

Mongolian people "sacrifice fire" to welcome the New Year. Important Mongolian festivals mainly include the Spring Festival, Animal Development Festival and Nadam. Generally, on the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month, people start making preparations for the New Year. The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month marks the New Year. On this day, the whole family or relatives and friends gather together to eat, entertain and send the Fire God. From the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month to the fifth day of the first lunar month, it is the most joyful days of the New Year. After night falls on New Year's Eve, people gather at the homes of the oldest person to start the New Year's Eve "Nai Day" banquet), and the whole family enjoy the "New Year's Eve". "Three pots" should be prepared for New Year's Eve banquets. One pot is a milk tea pot; the second pot is a sheep back pot; and the third pot is a gravy rice pot. Sing at least three songs at the party.

The first day, start New Year, first of all to worship heaven. One or two old people or women were left at home, and the rest dressed in festive clothes, carrying silver pots of milk tea and milk food, came to the snow pile, scattered the offerings into the lit fire, and then kowtowed to pray for good weather and safety of people and animals. Then came the family's internal New Year greetings. The younger generation bowed to the elders. The old man held a hada in his hand, the young people used small silk, and the young people used long strips of brightly colored silk. The elders gave food and money to their descendants. After the New Year greetings within the family, people first go to the oldest person's home. When entering the door, they enter according to their age. After paying the New Year's greetings, they present at least two tributes and three songs. To the outstanding singer, the head of the household held the milk plate with hada and recited the greetings. After the singer finished reciting the words, he put hada into his arms and took the milk plate for other singers to taste.

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Overlooking the scene of Nadam The most grand and influential festival of the Mongolian people belongs to Nadam."Nadam" means "entertainment" or "game" in Mongolian. It is held every year in July and August when the livestock are fat. When the conference was held, men, women and children dressed in festive costumes, rode and rode horses, and gathered in the green and beautiful grassland. They either participated in competitions or made a special trip to visit and entertain.

The peaceful grassland in the ordinary days fluttered with colorful flags, people surged, cattle and sheep chirped, and herding horses howled, suddenly turning into a sea of laughter. The traditional Nadam Conference only held archery, horse racing and wrestling competitions; modern Nadam has been greatly enriched and developed in terms of content and form. In addition to the traditional men's three arts-wrestling, horse racing, and archery competitions, other sports competitions, cultural performances, photo exhibitions, film screenings, exchange of production experience, bonfire parties and other contents have been added. At the same time, economic and trade activities and material exchanges have been carried out., and model workers must also be commended. The ancient event of Nadam has developed into a grassland event that integrates culture, sports, trade, and tourism, giving off new vitality.

Wrestling competition at the Nadam Conference The most fascinating wrestling competition at the Nadam Conference is national wrestling. The dark-faced and heavy-bodied wrestlers wore a black wrestling suit "Zhaodege" inlaid with copper nails on the upper body, white wrestling pants on the lower body, an apron made of colored silk on the waist, Mongolian boots or riding boots, and bare chest and back. Some wrestlers also wore colorful ornaments "Jiangge" around their necks. When the music sounded, the wrestlers danced on the stage with the majestic "Eagle Steps". The opposing wrestlers also waved their arms in accordance with the ancient traditional style of the nation, like eagles spreading their wings. The fighting of the warriors began.

Horse racing at the Nadam Conference requires a brave and tenacious spirit. Since ancient times, the Mongolians have been known as the horse-back nation. The Mongolian people have a special affection for horses. They grew up on horseback since childhood and are all proud to have a fast horse. Training fierce horses and good riding and shooting are unique skills of Mongolian herdsmen. At the beginning of the horse racing competition, the riders lined up, each wearing colorful belts and colorful scarves on their heads, filled with youthful vitality. The starting point and ending point of the horse racing are filled with various bright colored flags, and people gathered from all directions gather at the starting point and ending point.Hearing the sound of the horn, the riders flew onto their saddles one after another, raised their whips and rode on their horses. For a moment, the red scarves danced like arrows fired in unison. In an instant, the good rider surpassed all his opponents like a flying arrow, rushed to the finish line, and became the best athlete on the grassland. The rider and the horse generally establish a tacit riding relationship during the process of training the horse. As long as the rider whistles from a distance, the horse will whistle and gallop over.

Shamanism traditional ceremony in yurts Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism are the main religions of Mongolian belief, Shamanism is an ancient Mongolian religious belief. The Mongolian sacrifices to heaven, mountains, ancestors, fire, Aobao, stone, river, tree, totem, etc. all belong to the category of Shamanism. Although Tibetan Buddhism, which has been widely spread among Mongolian people since the Ming Dynasty, has greatly impacted Shamanism, the spread of Tibetan Buddhism has to absorb and integrate many forms and contents of Shamanism. Therefore, today's Mongolian beliefs and customs There are still many elements of Shamanism.

Putin visits Mongolian Tibetan Buddhist temples Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Mongolia very early and is the main religion of the Mongolian people. Starting from the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century, the court of the Mongolian feudal ruling class converted to Red Tibetan Buddhism, but the majority of herdsmen still believed in Shamanism. From the second half of the 16th century, many princes and aristocrats began to accept the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and actively spread it among herdsmen. In the Qing Dynasty, especially after Qianlong, a comprehensive protection and reward policy was adopted for Tibetan Buddhism. The Qing court not only encouraged various league flags to build a large number of temples, but also built temples by the emperor himself, giving various preferential treatment to the upper echelon of monks and awarding various noble names and titles. As a result, the upper echelon of monks formed a huge group of monks and feudal lords that coexisted with secular feudal lords. They not only ruled people's minds, but also occupied large amounts of land and livestock, and combined with secular feudal lords to control local political and economic life. It even profoundly affects the daily life of Mongolians, such as relocation, marriage, birth, old age, illness, etc., all of which are asked by lamas to ask about good luck to relieve themselves.

The lamas of Wushenzhao Temple do not marry wives and do not participate in social production. Most teenagers are encouraged by feudal dynasties to leave home and become lamas. During the hundreds of years of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the population of Mongolian monks gradually increased, reaching almost 1/3 of the total Mongolian population. Removing such a large population from production and eliminating childbearing has serious consequences for the social production and population proliferation of the Mongolian people. On the other hand, with the spread of Tibetan Buddhism, scholars among lamas, such as doctors, writers, painters, etc., as well as monks, also played a certain role in cultural exchanges between Mongolia and Tibet. Many Lama temples were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Bailing Temple in Darhan Maomingan United Banner, Ganjuer Temple in Xinbaerhu Zuoqi, Wudangzhao in Guyang County, Beizi Temple in Xilinhot, Meidaizhao in Tumote Right Banner, etc. are all famous large temples.

The Mongolian lamas of Wushenzhao Temple also have many taboos in daily life: for example, when riding or driving close to the yurts, avoid riding heavily and fast, so as not to disturb the herd; If there is a fire in front of the door or signs such as red cloth strips are hung, it means that there are patients or pregnant women in the house, and outsiders are not allowed to enter; guests are not allowed to sit on the west kang because the west is the place to worship Buddha; they are not allowed to eat meat from self-dead animals, donkey meat, dog meat, and white horse meat; Avoid red and white when hosting funerals, and black and yellow when hosting weddings; avoid baking feet, shoes, socks and trousers on the brazier; it is forbidden to smoke, spit and touch magic tools, classics, Buddha statues and loud noises when visiting the temple's scripture hall and memorial hall, and are not allowed to hunt near the temple.

Because the Mongolians worship fire, fire god and kitchen god, and believe that fire, fire god or kitchen god are holy things that drive away demons and avoid evil. Therefore, after entering the yurt, it is forbidden to bake your feet on the stove, and it is not allowed to bake your boots and shoes wet next to the stove. You are not allowed to cross the stove or step on the stove. You are not allowed to crack cigarette bags, throw things, or throw dirt on the stove. You cannot use a knife to raise the fire, insert a knife into the fire, or use a knife to remove meat from the pan.

网站图片位burial and Mongolians believe that water is a pure god, so it is forbidden to wash hands or bathe in the river, let alone wash women's dirty clothes, or throw unclean things into the river. Grasslands are dry and lack of water, so they are grazed by water and grass. Without water, they cannot survive. Therefore, herdsmen are accustomed to saving water, pay attention to keeping water clean, and regard water as the source of life.

Mongolian funerals generally include cremation, earth burials and wild burials (also known as sky burials). Wild burials are common in western pastoral areas. After death, the body was put on a wooden wheeled cart and pulled away until it fell off. The body is placed in the wilderness and eaten by wolves or wild eagles, and the soul of the deceased can rise to heaven. Seven days later, if the body of the deceased is still there, it is considered unlucky, so we must continue to ask the Lama to recite scriptures and give alms to the Lama, and pray for the deceased to eliminate the disaster. The cremation was mainly for upper-class lamas, while the burial was mostly for princes and aristocrats and Mongolians in agricultural or semi-agricultural and pastoral areas.