People were making rice cakes

People were going to the files with rice cakes

Rice cake branches were planted in the garden

People were sharing the rice cakes

Every February 2 of lunar calendar is “Sparrow’s Day”in Guidong county, Chenzhou city. It is is a unique and exclusive festival inherited by Guidong people for hundreds of years.
Invited by Guidong people, the reporters enjoyed this festival with local people on March 13, 2013 which was February 2 of lunar calendar.

What is “Sparrow’s Day”? Sparrow is one of the perennial birds in Guidong county, which mainly eats rice and millet. It is strong fertility capacity with large quantity. In order to feed themselves during winter and other seasons lack of food, the sparrows tried their best to find food in the field even the seeds planted by farmers were eaten by them. Such behavior greatly influenced farmer’s sowing. It was learned from the legend, in order to solve such problems, patriarchs of Guidong county gathered together to discuss the issue and confirmed the solution that every birthday of sparrow (every February 2 of lunar calendar), people made rice cakes and sticked some on the branches to plant in the fields, gardens or house yards. Once all were planted, people started to pray that the sparrow would not eat the seeds after sharing the foods with them.

Sparrow’s day was handed down hundreds of years which was with more contents than the beginning. People gather together during that day to discuss farming issues of the new year, collect the rice cakes back from the fields to share the joy and go hiking together.

Sparrow’s day is in the spring time that everything of nature begin to wake up and grow after such long winter time. Concerned for the sparrows and other birds, they begin to make their new nettles to give born to new birds. For the consideration of environment protection and share the nature with birds, now Guidong county people use the bamboo branches to make rice cake branches on that day instead of bushes and trees. So Sparrow’s day is with new connotation as birds and wildlife protection day now.