How do the Manchus celebrate Qingming Festival?

The Manchus are a very large ethnic group in our country. As the Qingming Festival is approaching, the Manchus also have many customs and habits of their own. So how do the Manchus celebrate Qingming Festival? Let’s take a look at it together below.

How do the Manchus celebrate Qingming Festival?

Three days before the sacrifice, all members of the clan would start preparations: a handful of straw would be hung in the middle of the courtyard gate, which meant that from the day the straw was hung until the end of the sacrifice, no women wearing dog-skin hats, mourning clothes, or with unclean bodies were allowed to enter the courtyard, and no one was allowed to give alms to beggars at this time.

In addition, some sacrificial foods must be prepared, the most important of which are: yellow rice and a few pigs. When the day of sacrifice arrives, the main priest will bring the ancestral box temporarily stored outside into the house and place it on the table at the south end of the west kang. He will then take down the ancestral box that is usually placed in the house and place it underneath.

Manchu sacrificial customs: Ancestor worship

Usually scheduled during the day. The main priest first sets up the altar and ancestral tablet, then invites the ancestors out, and then carries a pure black pig for sacrifice to the edge of the southern kang in the house. After all preparations are completed, the chief priest reads the sacrificial text. At this time, all those participating in the sacrifice must kneel and listen in order of seniority.

After reading the sacrificial text, they kowtowed and stood up, then everyone carried the pig to the altar and slaughtered it as a sacrifice. When killing the pig for sacrifice, all the pig hair should be removed, and the large and small hooves, horns and gallbladder should be placed on the right side of the altar. Then the pig should be lifted onto the altar with its head facing outwards and its feet facing right.

Manchu sacrificial customs: offering sacrifices to gods

There are two types of festivals: daytime festivals and night festivals. Daytime sacrifices usually take place after ancestor worship. The procedure is: cut the pig slaughtered for ancestor worship into 12 pieces and cook them together with the internal organs in a pot without adding any seasoning. The meat cooked in the pot must not be eaten before it is offered as a sacrifice.

After the offerings are arranged neatly, the chief priest is asked to kneel in front and read the sacrificial text. Those participating in the sacrifice still have to kneel and listen in order according to their seniority, and then the chief priest leads everyone in the kowtow ceremony. Nighttime worship of gods is generally divided into two steps.

First, you need to take out seven ancestors from the ancestral box in order and place them on the ancestral shelf. Then take out two ancestors and place them on the lid of the ancestral box. Set a cup of clean water and a plate of yellow rice for each. Put the incense bowl and altar on the table, and then light the incense and white wax.

Afterwards, the main priest tied bells around his waist and tied his skirt around his waist, and led everyone in beating drums and praying. Then a pig was slaughtered as a sacrifice in front of the altar. Secondly, after slaughtering the pig for sacrifice, the chief priest will lead everyone to perform the lamp-carrying sacrifice. At this time, the doors and windows should be closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave the courtyard. If there are outsiders, they are not allowed to enter the house.

The main priest blows out the lights, holds a copper bell, dances with the waist bell, and mutters something. After the sacrifice, he lights the lights again, kowtows, puts the ancestral statue into the ancestral box, raises his hands and places it on the ancestral board on the west wall, then opens the doors and windows to allow people to enter and exit.

The meat used in the Beideng Festival can only be eaten by the family after three days, and cannot be given to outsiders.

Summary: During the Qingming Festival, the Manchus, in addition to worshiping their ancestors, also have another activity, which is worshiping gods. These two customs of Qingming Festival are very important to them.