Breast-touching Festival of Yi Ethnic Minority in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong

Chinese Name: 双柏县鄂家镇彝族摸奶节
English Name: Breast-touching Festival of Yi Ethnic Minority in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong
Location:双柏县鄂家镇

Breast-touching Festival is a traditional ceremony of Yi Ethnic Minority in Shuangbai County (双柏县), Chuxiong (楚雄) in Yunnan, China. In every Spirit Festival, which is from June 14 to June 16 in lunar calendar, except burning paper money to those “good brothers” from the hell, men and women who come to the county need to observe the tradition of “Breast- touching Festival”. Men should delightedly touch the breasts of women, and women should agreeably be touched.

Reportedly, in this day, local single men and women will go out and look for their future spouses. When they find the one they love, the two will, hand in hand, go into the pine woods on the hillsides to spend their romantic moments…as for other people, including travelers, if they meet a girl they like on the street, they are allowed to touch her breasts. In this day, girls will not get angry when they are touched.

On the “Ghost Street”(鬼街), young men and women will chase and play with each other, playing music and dancing in rapture. Their joy will turn the county upside down, and everybody there will enjoy it. Young men could touch the breasts of women they do not know without scruple. And, although seemingly dodging the touch from men, women will not blame men for their touching. Touching breasts is seen as auspice for men, and being touched as lucky and blessing for women.