The Munao Festival for the Jingpo people is held on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It is the biggest sacrifice ceremony, the Munao Mass Dance, which has turned into a yearly festival. It lives up to its name – everyone dances – and lasts for around four or five days. The dancing and singing is supposed to invite joy and happiness for years to come.
The legend goes that only children of the Sun (God) can dance in this special way and later, birds also joined in, making human and animal productivity increase.
Two huge poles, each standing twenty metres high, stand in the centre of a grassland or square and are the focus of this important festival. The Jingpo people’s bravery and persistence is symbolised by two large swords placed between them. The belief among the Jingpo is that anyone who stands on either of the high platforms in front are able to look into the future. The dancing at these celebrations often involves thousands of people.
The dances are not simply entertainment – the moves dramatise daily activities such as farming and hunting – and people wear traditional costumes, women wave handkerchiefs and men wave swords. Music from gongs and flutes is often loud and the dancing has been known to continue unbroken for two days.
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