Podcasts Culture Holiday a Day Torch Festival Yi people of China

Torch Festival Yi people of China

Published: Aug. 12, 2014, 4 a.m.

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Hello and welcome to Holiday a Day, your daily dose of Holidays, festivals, celebrations and remembrances from around the world.

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I\\u2019m Jeffrey Johnson

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On August 12th 2014 we celebrate

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Torch Festival Yi people of China

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The current celebration started in 1993 and consists of wrestling, horse racing, dance shows and a beauty contest. Historically it is to remember the the wrestler Atilaba who drove away a locust plague using torches. Celebrated by the Yi people, one of the 55 ethnic minority groups in China. A culture of 8 million people, they have their own written language that dates back some 3,000 years as well as their own religious practices.

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Happy Torch Festival!

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If I have missed anything for this date or if you think I might miss a future holiday let me know by emailing me at holidayaday@gmail.com or you can tweet me @holidayaday. Remeber to subscribe to the podcast at \\u201cHoliday a Day\\u201d in iTunes or Stitcher or you can just visit holidayaday.com so you won\\u2019t miss out on any celebrations

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And remember to have a great day because there is a holiday out there somewhere.

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