Interesting Drinking Rituals of Minorities 少数民族酒趣

聚居在贵州黔东南的苗族群众，用牛角斟酒迎接客人。他们一般选择一种外形美观的水牛角，用小刀将牛角外刮光，在表面雕刻花纹图案，然后涂漆上彩。当客人来到寨门路障（因怕逃酒，特用柴禾和桌子横放路上，作障碍）前，穿着华丽的苗家姑娘便举起牛角酒相敬，同时另几位姑娘在客人胸前挂两三只紫色彩蛋，表示吉祥如意。初遇这种场面来客，见这大约装有500克酒的牛角，犯了寨规，还得罚酒一杯。其实牛角酒多为自家酿造的米酒，醇香可口，营养极为丰富。尤其在盛夏喝一杯米酒，解渴消暑十分痛快。
The Miao nationality, living in the southeast of Guizhou, greets guests by pouring wine in ox horn. They usually selec a kind of buffalo horn with beautiful figure, finish the external surfaces of ox horn by knife, and carve figure design and paint on the horn. When the guests arrive at the barrier (brushwood and tables put across the road as the barrier to avoid evading drink) at the village door, Miao girls in gorgeous clothes would toast the guests with wine in ox horn. Meanwhile, other girls hang two or three purple eggs on the chests of guests, indicating good fortune. The guest who meets with such ox horn with about 500g of wine for the first time and violates the village’s regulations would be made to drink a cup as a forfeit. Actually, the wine in ox horn is usually home-brewed rice wine, with mellow and pleasant taste as well as rich nutrition. Drinking a cup of rice wine in hot summer quells thirst, removes summer heat and refreshes people.
街心酒
Feast at the Street Crossing Center
哈尼族的“街心酒”规模较大，一般都有上百人参加。每当农闲季节，云南省元阳县哈播乡一带的哈尼族群众，便开始举办象征团结、吉祥的街心酒节。街心酒，一般选择村寨中较为宽阔的街心作活动场所。酒席摆有100多米长，桌上摆有各类蔬菜和肉食，两旁设有长条木凳供人坐饮。在为期两天的节日里，从上午10时开始，全寨人便欢聚在一起饮酒、叙谈、祝福。谁家有困难或第二年有何新打算，可以在此提出，以便得到帮助。
The “feast at the street crossing center” of the Hani nationality, with large scale, attracts hundreds of participants each time. In off farming seasons, the Hani nationalities in Habo Town, Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province hold wine festival at the street crossing center, symbolizing unification and good fortune. The feast at the street crossing center is usually held in broad street crossing center of the village. The tables are put in line for over 100m long, with all kinds of vegetables and meats on tables. Long wooden stools are placed in the two sides of tables for sitting and drinking. In the festival with duration of two days, all people in the village get together joyfully for drinking, chatting and blessing on 10:00 a.m. Families can put forward their difficulties or new plan for the next year in the feast for help.