Wings of Silver

Every year, during the Sister’s Rice Festival, unmarried Miao women dress head to toe in their finest silver weighing up to 40 lbs. Long ago the Miao carried their wealth in silver as they were forced down from the North. The Miao believe that silver represents light which drives out evil spirits.

Colorful glutinous rice dyed with leaves, berries, and flowers is wrapped in a silk handkerchief with treasures hidden inside and is exchanged between unmarried young women and men. A pair of chopsticks or a red petal represents that the woman also likes the young man. One chopstick, or a red chili pepper, is a sign of rejection. Pine needles signify that the young woman is hinting that the young man should present silk and threads and that she will wait for him.