|
Corban (Korban)
(1)
Origin
Corban is the traditional festival of Moslems.
In Xinjiang, there are more than ten ethnic
minorities such as Uyghur, Kazak, Uzbek, Hui,
Tajik, etc. take it as their national festivals
and celebrate it with various activities.
“Corban" is originally an
Arabic word, which contains the meaning of
"sacrifice”, and
it is also known as the Day to Slaughter Animals
About the festival, there is a legend.
The legend has it that Ibrayin, ancestor and
prophet of the Northern Arabian people, received
a message from Allah in his dream to sacrifice
the life of his son to show loyalty to Allah.
Just at the moment when Ibrayin was about to
kill his son, Allah sent a special envoy with a
sheep to be killed instead of his son.
After
Islam was established, Ibrayin was recognized as
the holy ancestor and December 10th each year
according to Islamic Calendar as Corban. Its
date is not fixed in Gregorian calendar.
(2) Activities
Corban is the grandest, and most lively Uyghur
festival. Before it, each household will make
some preparations such as thorough-cleaning,
cooking food and cakes, making new clothes, etc.
Muslims get up in the early morning on the day
and put on their best clothes. Women also wear
some jewelries and bright-colored scarves.
When the sun rises from the horizon,
the deep and melodious sound of prayers is heard
almost simultaneously from the famous Id Kah
Mosque and perhaps a dozen of other mosques
throughout the city. Thousands of people throng
to the square in front of the Id Kah mosque and
other mosques from all directions to celebrate
the festival and pray devoutly for a better
life. While praying, everyone, whether young or
old, rich or poor have similar movements with
same reverent.
When the ceremony is over, men go home and kill
livestock, it should be healthy camels, oxen or
sheep, and the choice depends on one's financial
condition. After that, they go to the mosques
again to have “Sama” dance, a kind of religious
dance with a long history and only held in front
of Id Kah mosque annually. When the dance
begins, strong and deep drumbeat will draw
people far and wide to come and join in the
joyous activity. According to custom, women can
only act as spectators, but they are as happy as
the dancers. I t usually lasts for three days,
during which people visit their friends,
relatives and colleagues.
Fast-Breaking Festival
(1).Roz festival is also called
Fast-Breaking festival in Islamic world. It is a
three-day holiday. The celebration at the end of
Ramadan is called the Festival of Fast-Breaking,
or Eid-ul-Fitr in Arabic. It is one of the most
important festivals of the Islamic world,
celebrated by the Hui, Uyghur, Kazak, Uzbek,
Tajik, Tatar, Kirgiz, Salar, Dongxiang, and
Bonan ethnic minorities. In China, all ethnic
minorities that believe in Islamism celebrate
the festival. It falls on October 1 according to
Islamic calendar.
There is also a legend about the festival. It
is said in order to prevent from the persecution
of the heretics, ancient Arabs hid in the
mountain areas in the daytime and they only lit
fire and cook after the moon rose at night.
Later, it evolved into a custom and is passed
down to the latter generations. According to
Islamic record, in the initial period of
Islamism, after a successful fight, Mohammed,
the founder of Islam led Muslims to pray in the
open fields. After having a shower, Mohammed
dressed up and gave money to his subjects to
expiate his sins. From them on, it was
designated as an important festival.
(2). Every September is the fasting month of
Muslims. On the 1st night of the month, Muslims
will ascend the praying hall of the mosque to
see if there is crescent in the sky. If they can
see it, the night is the beginning of the
fasting month, or they will wait one to three
days to begin fasting.
Throughout the fasting month, all Muslims
besides those who are too young, too old,
pregnant or sick must not have any food and
drinks after sunrise and before sunset. They
must not do anything that is considered evil or
against Allah’s will.
In the last day of the month, Muslims look for
crescent moon again. The second day after they
see the crescent is Fast-breaking festival. If
they do not see the moon, they continue to fast
for one to three days before they break fast.
It is the second grandest festivals for
Muslims. Before it, every family blast "Sanzi"
and gain "fried cake" to celebrate their
festival. They also make new clothes, cut hair,
white –paint their houses. On the fast-breaking
day, every adult must bathe before worship. Then
they pray together in the mosques.
Nuoruz Festival
Nuoruz Festival
is a traditional holiday with a long history. In
Xinjiang, all national minority believe in Islam
celebrate the festival. The word came from
Iranian, means "Spring Water", equating to
vernal equinox (4th solar term). It falls on
March 22.
Before Uyghur national
minority believed in Islamism, they worshipped
many god such as sun god, moon god, star god,
water god, God of the
Earth, fire god (stove god), ancestor god and so
on.
In their mind, the star god was the main god who
was in charge of one’s fortune. Among the gods
Aries is one of the gods that bless them, while
Pisces bring mankind and animals diseases.
Therefore Muslim began a celebration at the time
when Pisces descends and Aries raises, i.e.
Nuoruz festival.
On that day, people of all
ages get up at early morning and dress up. The
head of the family lights some branches of firs
and pines in the middle of the main room and
whips the lighting twigs around the heads of his
family members to wish them the very best of
luck in the coming year. Then he puts it before
the door of sock barn for domestic animals to
stamp so that they will be plump and
reproductive.
After sunrise, they cook a kind of porridge
called "Keque" or "Chongkeque". At noon, they
begin to pay visits to each other. After sunset,
they treat each other with nice dishes. Then
they sing and dance to their heats’ content.
After the festival, spring
ploughing begins.
|
