Spring Festival in My Hometown

In my small hometown of Dejiang in South West China, Guizhou Province, there still remains a very traditional way of celebrating Spring Festival, the most important annual festival in China. In this video, I will introduce our distinctive customs to you.
Spring Festival lasts half a month from the Eve of the New Year to the 15th of the first month and is based on the lunar calendar.
I think, the climax of the Spring Festival falls on the last days, the 14th and 15th of January. In these two days, most young males carry bamboo dragons to the main streets for spectator to see. These dragons are made by local craftsmen and have three parts; head, body, and tail. Usually, the one to support the tail dresses up to play a woman, usually a matchmaker or an old granny. But custom changes with the passage of time. The tail-carriers are also young girls in costume. Apart from the Dragon Show, there are fleets of vehicles with some advertisement boards, and children parading in the streets often in costume. These kids usually dress up as well-known figures in Chinese ancient legends or myths.
In the evening of the 14th day, those dragons stroll not only in the main streets but to all narrow lanes to call on the householders. They go to the door of a house or apartment building, beat the drum and cry out blessings to the people in the house. Then, the host of the house come out to welcome the dragon and give presents to the dragon-holders. The presents are usually cash and wine. After that, the host lights a string of firecrackers to send them away.
On the evening of the 15th day, the bamboo dragons are burned with firecrackers. The "burning the dragon" ritual is considered to be the most exciting and most primitive part of the Spring Festival in Dejiang. I think it is as crazy as the Pamplola Bull-running Fiesta in Spain. After the dragon-holders have some wine at supper, the streets in the town become their stage, and battlefield. They keep their upper body naked and wear a helmet to protect their head. Carrying their dragons in the streets and waiting for the firecrackers to blow up their dragons. At the same time, generous citizens play an equally important role. They buy firecrackers and tie them around a bamboo pole. During this, the dragon-holders carry their dragons under the firecrackers. The event doesn't stop until the dragons are entirely broken. This is done according to tradition. The people receive blessings from the gods for returning the dragon to the heavens by means of burning it with firecrackers.