The Comparison and Analysis of Buffalo Soul Festival of Zhuang Nationality and Buffalo Racing Festival of Thai Nationality

Abstract

The Zhuang nationality and the Thai nationality once lived together in the same area and they are closely related on the language culture, but their languages and customs have changed and have been split. However, it occurs that they have established lots of customs of farming festival which are similar with each other in the long-term agricultural industry. Used as an important implement, buffalos make huge contributions to agricultural production, which is the reason why the farming customs of the Zhuang’s Buffalo Soul Festival and the Thai’s Buffalo Racing Festival are related to them. By using the methods of documentary, comparative and utilizing induction analysis, this paper explores similarities and differences between the customs of the festivals of the Zhuang and the Thai and found out it exists that the two festivals have similarities in the property, goal and content and the differences in the time, ritual and process, which are related to the environment, culture and religion.

            According to relevant records, Buffalo Racing Festival is only 147-year-old and is only held in Chunburi Province, Thailand. It cannot be further studied whether the festival is a traditional farming festival or just a branch of the Spring Festival or is created by later generations due to tourism needs, for its origin cannot be found out. Folk festivals are likely to change in the process of inheritance and development, so it may become a new point of view to do some research on the current situation of the changes and developments of society.