Grasshopper Catching (Zhuomazha) Festival of Hani Ethnic Minority
Overview and Lengend of the Festival
- Chinese Name: 哈尼族捉蚂蚱节
- English Name: Grasshopper Catching (Zhuomazha) Festival of Hani Ethnic Minority in Lvchun County, Honghe
- Location: Lcchun County, Honghe
The Grasshopper Catching Festival is a traditional holiday of the Hani ethnic group in the vicinity of Luxi County, celebrated on the first day of the Rooster or Monkey in the lunar calendar after the 24th day of the sixth lunar month. It symbolizes the elimination of pests and the prayer for abundant harvests.
In Hani language, the Grasshopper Catching Festival is called “Abao Nian” and is held on the first Rooster or Monkey day after the “lunar June year” (the 24th day of the sixth lunar month).
Origin of the Festival: The Hani people live in mountainous areas and plant a season of rice. After the “lunar June year,” rice begins to head out, and to ensure a bountiful harvest, the Hani people engage in the “Grasshopper Catching Festival” to drive away and prevent pest infestations.
On “Grasshopper Catching Festival” day, everyone in the village, young and old, goes to the fields to catch grasshoppers. Each household aims to catch enough for one bamboo basket (about two pounds); after catching them, the grasshoppers are divided into four piles: one for the heads, one for the legs, one for the bodies, and one for the wings. These piles are then skewered with split bamboo strips and placed along the ridges and drainage ditches to scare off any grasshoppers and other insects yet to be caught. After half an hour, these grasshoppers are collected back into bamboo tubes and taken home as food or mixed with rice cakes. It is said that grasshopper meat is very sweet.
As people leave the fields, they loudly shout, “Hey, grasshoppers, we won’t catch you for three days, and you shouldn’t eat rice for three months!”
The Local Activities
The Local Activities1. Catch Grasshoppers:
- Community Participation: On the day of the festival, men, women, and children gather in the fields to catch grasshoppers. This is a communal activity, emphasizing unity and cooperation among villagers.
- Methods of Catching: Participants use simple tools like bamboo sticks or nets to catch the grasshoppers, often sharing tips on the best spots to find them.
2. Dividing and Displaying:
- Once enough grasshoppers are caught, each household divides their catch into specific piles: heads, legs, bodies, and wings.
- These are then skewered with bamboo pieces and displayed along the field ridges and drainage
