The Folk Custom of Uighur in Xinjiang

"Uygur" is a nation claiming, which means "unity" and "solidarity." Uygur nationality is a ancient nation with a long history and its source can be traced back to "Ding Ling" tribe, "Tiele" tribe, "Huihe" tribe in Han dyansty.In AD 788,it was renamed "Huihu". In 810, Huihu tribe was disjointed, moved and settled in Gaochang Uygur tribes, Yanqi, Qiuzi, Khotan and its western vast region, and its larger one in Congling intake area, and integrated, developed with local residents and thus gradually formed Uygur nationality. Uygurs have their own language which belongs to Altai - Turkic language, uses the Arabic alphabet-based Uygur. Uygurs belived Muslim which influences their family, marriage, food, clothing, funerals, etc. Uygur clothing is diversy and beautiful with unique style. Men usually wear the "loop" (robe)outside shirt with a collar ramped, no buttons,long as to knee and, the square long belt with sporadic objects stored and taken at will around their waists. Women like wearing colourful, collared, head-from- wearing petticoats, inside wearing underskirt, suit jacket, vest. People of all ages are fond of wearing embroidered exquisite hat with four angularity,long boots, and sometimes with set boots. Now urban dwellers generally wear fashionable clothes,women wear dresses and western-style short jackets. Women are fond of wearing earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings and other accessories,colorful headscarf, beautified eyebrows and fingernails. Unmarried girls have 7 or 8 braids and even 10 according to age among which the longest is the most beautiful.Religious workers wear long white cloth around their heads.Uygurs mainly live on pasta. Daily foods are Nang,Uygur Noodles,Food eaten by hand, Buns, Chanpon,Wonton, etc. They prefer beef and mutton and horse, camel, chicken, duck,fish.Melons are Uygurs’ necessities,and they also like Milk tea and Fu tea. Uygur housing, generally is wooded, flattened square cottage with open skylights, whose roof can be used as Basking Platform or shade.Uygurs like ethnic living,among villages,there are vertical and various drains and flourishing fruit trees. Their houses are separate yards in which are planted flowers, peaches, apricots, pears, grapes, figs, etc. Indoor they build Tukang, put up tapestry on the wall, and also have closets of different sizes decorated in a variety of patterns. Uygurs favor cleaning, and it is very clean inside and outside. Uygur nationality is a warm and hospitable nationality which advocates and honours etiquette.When guests come to home even those they did know in the past, Uygurs can also warmly welcome them.Friends and relatives shake hands or say hello with each other when meeting. Neighbors live in harmony and help with each other.When one family has funeral or wedding, neighbours will willingly give a hand. Uygurs have very strict taboos.On diet, eating pork, donkey,dog and died livestock without slaughtering, bloods of all animals are forbidden.On housing, residential doors are forbidden westward opening. When eating and having conversation, spitting,sniveling, gaping, burping, and breaking wind are forbidden. When sitting, sit with kneel and, unwinding with two feet and and pointing at people with feet are forbidden. When accepting and returning something, use two hands and, one hand is forbidden.Discussing others’ shortcoming secretly is also forbidden. Using others’ things without consenting and carrying dirty things into places of combs are forbidden.To be a guest in a Uygur house, wash hands before and after the meal and dry them with a towel , but only three times, swinging one’s arm is forbidden.When eating Nang, eat it with fragments, do not eat as a whole.When dining,do not fiddle with foods in hand,do not go to the front of cookstoves, do not leave foods in the bowl, do not let rice fall.When eating with a public plate,do not put down foods you are taken.After finishing the dish, do not leave untill the host tidy tableware. When olders performing "Duwa,"(a kind of pray) do not look around or stand up. The process of Uygurs’ being marrying generally contains matchmaking, betrothal, wedding and other procedures. Weddings usually are held in autumn when the weather is blue and bright,sheep and cattle are rich, fruits are ripe, and both sides usually invite their guests to the grand banquets during which there are dance,music and toast presenting.Weddings last two days. The first day is in the bride’s home, the dressed bride is sitting in the room, and the groom acompanied by a groomsman and a group of young men striking darobokka,blowing Suona (a kind of musical instrument),yelling, dancing and singing, planing to join wedding ceremony.The ceremony is presided by the imam, and after finishing pattering, two pieces of Nang with salted water will be given to the groom and he will eat it at once. In the evening, the groom and his companions left to return, the bride accompanied by female relatives and friends unwillingly farewell to her parents and came to groom’s home. In the second day in groom’s home it will hold "uncovering" ceremony, guests from both sides get together and do Duwa(a kind of praying ceremony),and a man from the groom’s famliy by surprise uncovers the bride’s cover on the head, and then relatives and friends will be singing and dancing for their best wishes.Uygur wedding is a beautiful scene with nationality characteristics.In Kashi streets, almost every day there is Uygur marriage team led by folk bandsman in a small car performing loudly ethnic musical instruments and followed by the new float patroling in the city's streets. Uygur nationality has ancient and splendid culture. Pieces "12 Muqam "," Turkic language Dictionary, "long poem" Happiness - wisdom, "well-known" Afanti's Story ", as well as danceing,construction, medicine are all famous for a unique style of nationality characteristics. Uygur ethnic musical instruments "Dutaer" and "Tanboer, ""Rewapu"and darobokka and other several dozens.Dancing is very much famous for its hot and expressive,light and beautiful style.Traditional activities include "MaixilaiFu", "Holding Sheep in Mouth " "Dawazi" and "Dagaga", wresting and skating and etc. Maixilai Fu "is Uygurs’ favorite common folk entertainment dance with unity of dance, music and song as a whole,among which"Daolangmaixilaifu" in Markit County and its surroundings is the most fomous."Holding sheep in mouth" is a traditional sports which is held in festivals or celebrations and it can be classified two types according to detachment or disdetachments.In holding sheep in mouth game, the host of the show presents a goat without head and entrails, and the participates of two sides complete for it by riding and delivered it to the set place. "Da Wazi " is steel wire walking in height, which likes acrobatic performances. Uygur festivals mainly include "Rouzi Festival ", "Corban Festival" and "ST.Ji Festival," "Duwa Festival","Nuorozi Festival". Rouzi Festival,is also Kaizhai Festival which oppositely known as Fasting Festival.Every year adult Muslims will be fasting for a month from September 1st to October 1st in Muharram time during which they only eat or drink before sunrise and after sunfall,and in the day eating is prohibited. When the days are expirated ,that is, October 1 for Kaizhai Festival.On this day, Muslims must bath, dresse in their best,gather at the mosque , and then busily start festive activities. Corban Festival, is also known as Slaughtering Festival, held on December 10th , that is 70 days after Rouzi Festival. During the holiday, families with certain economic capacity should slaughter sheep , cattle, and camel,and people say Happy New Year to each other, noisy andlively singing and dancing, this is the most grand Uygur festival.