Maturity ceremony of Dao people

The maturity ritual is one of the oldest and most unique customs of the Red Dao ethnic minority and is recognized by the government as a national heritage. It has no fixed date but is usually conducted between the 11th lunar month and the 1st month of the next lunar year (October/November), when farm work is least intensive.

In the past, it is said that evil spirits came to harm people, cattle and crops, disturbing the peaceful life of the Red Dao. So the King of Heaven conferred special powers and titles on Red Dao men who would fight the evil spirits alongside troops sent from heaven. The maturity ritual is a must in the lives of Red Dao men when they reach the age of 13. Any man, who has not passed this is considered immature. Nowadays, because it is too costly to have an individual ceremony, each ritual is organized for 30 – 40 boys.

To prepare for maturity, a man must go through a rigorous self-improvement process, learn procedural aspects of rituals and know by heart prayers and magic words written in ancient sacred books of the Red Dao people. The date of the ritual is carefully selected by a shaman. For many days before that, both the shaman and the maturity candidates must keep themselves pure by observing strict abstinence from sex, from urinating and defecating toward where the sun rises and other strict practices. 

A 12-candle enlightenment ritual ¹
It takes a lot of work to prepare a 12-candle maturity ritual. About 4 years before the ritual, dozens of parents of candidates chose a wide clearing to plant many fruit trees. A year before the great event, they begin raising a batch of pigs, chickens and vegetables to feed the villagers and guests.

On the date of the ritual set by the most respected lead shaman, a dozen shamans together with the families of the maturity candidates and villagers gather to prepare all sorts of vegetarian food offerings such as steamed sticky rice, puddings, cakes etc.

The lead shaman in dragon-and-pattern-embroidered dress burns incense, reads prayers and makes respectful movements to ask the gods’ and ancestors’ permission to begin the maturity ceremony. Over 40 men about to become mature and hundreds of villagers are attending.

The shamans light the candles to enlighten and cleanse the candidates. Then they beat drums and gongs, walk 9-11 rounds circling each candidate while reading words from the ancient Red Dao sacred books and using sticks, seals, dice, rice bundles and candles to transfer power to them together with 180 soldiers from the underworld. The process repeats over and over, day and night, and finishes only after 10 days of continuous rituals. At the end of the process, the shamans thank the gods and ancestors.

The Red Dao believe that a man upon whom the 12-candle enlightenment has been conferred has the right to go to heaven and the underworld at any time, to mobilize his 180 soldiers from the underworld, and to attend and help shamans in different rituals. After death, they can rejoin the ancestors. In the village’s daily life, the men who have passed the enlightenment rituals are considered mature, both mentally and physically. They know right from wrong and can take part in all the major matters of the community.

The ceremony ends with a big feast and a lot of fun. The candidates’ families butcher pigs and chickens. Crowds of guests gather to share their happiness. Hosts and guests eat, play drums, gongs, cymbals and sing together.