| The Khalkhas mostly reside in the Khalkhas Autonomous Prefecture of Kezilesu in the south of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. One branch of them lives in Fuyu County of Heilongjiang Province. The Khalkhas have their own language and letters.
Nuolaozi Festival The Nuolaozi Festival is the New Year of the Khalkhas. The word Nuolaozi comes from the Iran language, which means the day of spring raining. The date of the Nuolaozi Festival of the Khalkhas is reckoned according to the old calendar of the Khalkhas. It falls on the 22ndday of the third month of the solar calendar year, which is the 1stday of the 1stmonth of the Khalkhas' solar calendar.
In regard to the origin of the Nuolaozi Festival, legend has it that the Aries is a god, who is the first to equalize the daytime with the nighttime. In addition, it can also harmonize the season and temperature, unfreeze the ground, resuscitate everything on the earth, germinate the plants, and keep sheep propagating. Hence, the Khalkhas regard the rise of the Aries as the symbol for Nuolaozi Festival and start arranging production plan and life from this very day.
During the festival, male or female, old or young, the Khalkhas dress up and hold various festal entertainments. The host of each family has to first get up, burn a pile of pine twigs and turn around with smoking twigs on everyone's head, and wish them to be happy in the New Year. Afterward, the host will take the smoking twigs to the door of the livestock pen and let the animals go through the smoke praying for the smooth growth of the livestock. During the festival, people in some regions will make a fire in front of the home, and let all family members, then the livestock, jump over the fire, meaning to prevent from the disasters and bless the family and livestock with a safe New Year. On the morning of the festival, people prepare the Nuolaozi rice, which is made of more than seven sorts of foods such as the wheat, barley, shallot, beef, mutton and salt. People name it Keque or Chongkeque, which stands for abundance and surplus of the fortune every year.
From noon, people ride on horse and pay New Year calls on each other in groups. After then, they gather on the grassplot and hold the horserace and arrow shooting on horseback, besides, there are also contests such as Diaoyang (mutton scrambling on horseback), wrestling, push-and-pull and swinging. In the evening, every family invites people for supper. After dining, they will sing the Nuolaozi songs and other ballads by playing a special musical instrument. They sing and dance over the night and enjoy themselves as much as possible.
Kurban Festival
The Kurban Festival, i.e. the Livestock Slaughter Festival, is carried out by sacrificing the muttons for the worship on the 10thday of the 11thmonth of the Huis' calendar. It is the New Year of the Muslims in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Before the festival, all households tidy up their courtyards, livestock pens, wash the bedding, take bath and put on new clothes. Women will make pancakes of wheat or corn flour, fried pastry and oil fried wheaten food, etc. On the early morning of the festival, men will go to worship in mosques and then prepare mutton to serve guests when they return.
Diaoluobozuo Festival
Being an old festival of the Khalkhas in Xinjiang, it originated from the activity to memorize heroes of the ethnic minority.
Long ago, the other clans humiliated the Khalkhas. There was a national hero, Luobozuo, who rebelled and led 40 warriors to fight stoutly against the oppressors. In one battle, enemies besieged them. At last, Luobozuo succeeded in breaking through after a hard fight. His horse was seriously wounded and died of excessive hemorrhage when it saved his master from the brink of the precipice. In order to mourn for his horse, Luobozuo cut a wisp of tail hair and made a Keyake music instrument. He stayed with his horse and played the music. When people heard his music, they gathered around him and cheered for his survival and safety. They held a great celebration for him, which became the folk traditional festival.
Now, the festival is celebrated from March 7 to 9 each year,lasting three days. This is a festival for both the elders and young people.
Aktuoyi Festival
The word Aktuoyi is the Kirgiz language, which means White Month Celebration. During the festival, it is getting colder on the pasture. The grass turns yellow and bare ground reveals on the pasture, hence the name of White Month. The festival lasts about half a month. On the festival day, people get up at daybreak. The host leads family members to pray, and then have a dinner together and drink milk tea. After then, they will slaughter livestock to regale the guests. The host will check the number of the livestock and distribute Anqi and Tianke (alms of Muslim). After the sunset, the livestock are slain to welcome visitors. People start paying visits to each other and holding the entertainments such as sheep catching, wrestling, horse racing and antiphonal singing. The wedding also coincides with the festival, which enhances the festal atmosphere.
Dongximan Festival
Each year when the autumn falls with the bumper harvest, the Khalkhas dress up and gather on the grassplot. They sing, dance, and hold contests such as horserace, shooting on horseback, swinging, and so on. The most special programs are the Twin Swinging and Grasping on Horseback. Both programs, requiring high skills and courage, reflect the prowess and courage of the Khalkhas.
Gaideer Night
It is said that Allah imparted the Alcoran to the Prophet Mahomet on September 27 of Xijilai calendar, in order to establish the dayspring of the Islam and to realize the plenary indulgence of his adherents. It is recorded in the Alcoran that the Angel and Holly Spirit would befall in the world and pray for the adherents. The Muslims pay great attention to this event considering that this night precedes thousands of days and nights. Hence, when the festival arrives, people will go to the mosque and patter over night. In some regions, September 25 or 29 is fixed for the festival.
Kemizi Muruiduke Festival
The words Kemizi Muruiduke come from the Kirgiz language, meaning horse milk. As Khalkhas produce and consume horse milk, they set up the festival. Prior to the festival, every family prepares full supply of horse cream, other dairy products and meat. On the festival, the old and young of the family will put on new clothes and come to the horse stake. The host catches the horse mane and the hostess goes milking. The first spoon of primary milk will be reserved for the colt and the second spoon of the milk is fed to the youngest child of the family, wishing that the colt would thrive and children were healthy and happy. Before noon, people greet each other in groups and every family treat their guests with delicious food. The festival generally lasts three days.
Calabash Festival
It is the folk festival for the Muslim ethnic minorities such as the Kirgiz, Uygur, Kazak, Tajik, Uzbek and Tatar. It falls on September 14 to 15 of the Xijilai calendar.
It is said that once in September 15 of Xijilai calendar every year, the Allah will befall into the world and have an inspection tour of poetical justice. Hence, the local Muslims will stay overnight on September 14. On the next day, i.e. the daybreak of September 15, every family will choose a tree or a post and hang the lit calabash on it. They wait till it extinguishes, and then they pick it up and tread it down to show that the evil and disaster have been eliminated. On the very day, they have to strictly follow the fast, and behave carefully to avoid offending the Allah and stirring up a nest of hornets. |
