New Rice Festival of Wa Ethnic Minority in Menglian County, Puer

Chinese Name: 孟连县佤族新米节
English Name: New Rice Festival of Wa Ethnic Minority in Menglian County, Puer
Location:

“New Rice Festival” is a day to celebrate the maturity of rice and the harvest season. Due to differences in climate, the timing of grain maturity varies in different regions, villages, and even households. However, it was generally held in the seventh or eighth month of the lunar calendar (September or October in the Va calendar). The date is determined by selecting an auspicious day based on the maturity of individual crops, and the day of the animal sign of the parent or grandparent who has passed away is considered the best. The purpose is to invite the spirits of the ancestors to come back and share the new rice with their family, and to ask for their blessings for the happiness of their descendants, good weather, and abundant food. In order for the Va people from different regions to be able to celebrate the “New Rice Festival” together, in 1991, the Cangyuan Va Autonomous County and the Ximeng Va Autonomous County jointly decided to designate the 14th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar as the “New Rice Festival” for the Va people.
http://www.okmeeting.com/tour/chainhotelec/2014/0909/9531.html