Quick Answer: What Is the Hani October New Year?
The Hani (哈尼族, Hānízú) October New Year (十月年, Shíyuè Nián) marks the turn of the year around the rice harvest in parts of southern Yunnan. Honghe County calls it Zhalete (扎勒特, Zhālètè). The name refers to the tenth lunar month, so the Gregorian dates can shift.[1][4]
- Some local records start the observance on the first Dragon day of that lunar month.[1][2]
- Family visits and ancestral offerings are documented.[2]
- A long-table banquet can be part of the festival.[1][3]
The tenth month identifies the season. The local observance determines the length and activities.
The October New Year follows a calendar tied to the rice year. The month sets the season, and the day cycle helps set the date.
How the Tenth-Month Date Works
The tenth month is counted by a lunar calendar. A Dragon day is a position in a repeating day cycle. Readers who know the Chinese lunar calendar will recognize the distinction between a month and the label used to select a day. Honghe County describes a period from the first Dragon day to Monkey day, while a Yuanyang account runs from Dragon day to Horse day.[1][2]
How Families Mark the Turn of the Year
The Yuanyang account describes households preparing glutinous rice cakes and other food, making offerings and visiting relatives. Married daughters may bring rice wine and food to the families they grew up in. Household ties are part of the meaning of New Year in these Hani communities.[2] The Four-Season Production Songs offer another view of a year ordered by agriculture.
Where the Long-Table Banquet Fits
A Hani long-table banquet can bring neighbors and guests together to celebrate the harvest. It is one part of a wider observance that can include visits and offerings. Other Honghe festivals can also include a long-table meal.[1][3]
FAQs About the Hani October New Year
Does October mean Gregorian October?
It means the tenth lunar month in the local calendar description.[1][2]
How long does the festival last?
Published accounts from Honghe County and Yuanyang record different endings and lengths.[1][2]
What season does it mark?
It is associated with the rice harvest and the turn of the year.[4]
Sources
[1] Honghe County People’s Government. Ethnic festival traditions in Honghe County
[2] Yuanyang County People’s Government. Hani festivals in Yuanyang
[3] Honghe Prefecture Bureau of Culture and Tourism. Three types of Hani long-street banquets
[4] Bai et al.. Indigenous ecological knowledge and natural resource management in the Hani Terraces