The sacred dance of the Red Dao people to welcome their ancestors home for Tet.

Amidst the misty mountains of Sa Pa and Bac Ha (Lao Cai), every spring, the sound of horns echoes with the sacred footsteps of the Red Dao people. The New Year's dance – with its 14 guiding dances – not only marks the beginning of the new year but also serves as a journey to invite ancestors and spirits to return and reunite with their descendants.

Wishing you a prosperous New Year!

From mid-December, many families in the communes of Ta Phin, Ta Van, Muong Bo, and Ban Ho ( Lao Cai province) have begun preparing the New Year's offerings according to the customs of the Red Dao people.

The Red Dao people, who live at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, gather in their community space every Tet holiday.

Depending on the family's circumstances, the feast can be large or small, but it must be complete with all the necessary rituals. In the wooden house of Mr. Tan Van Sieu – an Outstanding Artisan of Sa Seng village (Ta Phin commune), the Tet atmosphere arrives earlier than usual. The pig raised all year is slaughtered for the ceremony, sticky rice cakes with pumpkin seeds and peanuts are pounded evenly and neatly arranged, waiting for the time of the offering.

According to custom, no matter how poor a Red Dao family is, they must slaughter at least one pig for the Tet (Lunar New Year) offering. Wealthier families may slaughter two or three pigs. After cleaning, the pig is divided into three parts: the head, two front legs, and two hind legs. Along with these are six sticky rice cakes, three cups of water, a cup of wine, an incense burner, and paper money, all arranged solemnly on the altar.

According to Mr. Tan Van Sieu, the person presiding over the ceremony must be a shaman or an elderly person with prestige within the family lineage. In a quiet space, in the presence of all family members, the shaman performs a ritual to ward off bad luck from the past year, inviting ancestors and deceased relatives to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with their descendants.

"Today, our family is preparing a New Year's feast including pork, cakes, fruits, wine, gold coins... We ask our ancestors to witness and bless our descendants with good health, lush crops, thriving livestock, and smooth sailing in all endeavors," shaman Ly Sai Ngan murmured in prayer.

The elderly tell old stories and reminisce about customs, while the younger generation sings, dances, and plays folk games.

After the ceremony, the offerings are taken down and prepared into New Year's feasts. Relatives and neighbors are invited to celebrate with the family. The New Year celebration of the Red Dao people is not confined to one house, but revolves throughout the village, from one house to another, creating a long-lasting atmosphere of togetherness throughout the first days of spring.

During the Lunar New Year celebrations, after exchanging New Year greetings with relatives, the Red Dao people living at the foot of Hoang Lien Son mountain gather in their community space. The elders recount old stories and reminisce about customs, while the younger generation sings, dances, and plays traditional games.

This is also an opportunity for young men and women to meet and connect through simple songs – many couples have found love during such spring outings.

14 dances that guide our ancestors.

On the 30th day of the Lunar New Year, from adults to children, everyone chooses their most beautiful Red Dao costumes, preparing to welcome the New Year's Eve.

The most distinctive highlight of the Lunar New Year celebration of the Red Dao people is the New Year's Dance Festival – a ritual deeply rooted in spirituality, held only in clans that meet the necessary criteria to perform the ceremony. On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the ritual begins with a "threat to chop down the tree."

These dances symbolize paving the way and building bridges to welcome ancestors home for Tet (Lunar New Year).

The clan leader brandishes a knife in front of the peach and plum trees, symbolizing a reminder for the trees to flourish and bear fruit. Clan members try to dissuade him, offering prayers and expressing their hope for a bountiful harvest. Following this, young men – known as "sai co" – under the guidance of the shaman, perform 14 sacred dances.

These dances symbolize paving the way and building bridges to welcome ancestors home for Tet (Lunar New Year) and to receive blessings. To greet deceased parents and ancestors, the dance is performed on only one leg, with the head bowed and the index finger raised.

To invite the celestial maiden to descend to earth, the dance is performed using the crane dance, mimicking the scene of cranes spreading their wings and flying far away, then anxiously searching for a place to land. The dance to invite the deities is depicted with the graceful and powerful steps of a tiger...

Distinguished artisan and shaman Ban A Ton (Bac Ha) shared: According to the beliefs of the Red Dao people, fire has a particularly important meaning in their daily life, culture, and spirituality.

Fire is considered a deity that helps ward off evil spirits and diseases, bringing warmth and a prosperous, abundant life. Therefore, at the beginning of spring, the Red Dao people organize fire dances to pray for a peaceful new year, favorable weather, and a bountiful harvest."

Shaman Ban A Ton explained: "Each dance tells a story, depicting the ancestors descending to earth, and the working, hunting, farming, and weaving lives of their descendants." The sound of the horn echoed repeatedly, and the shaman pointed the buffalo horns in four directions to summon the gods.

The sacred dances of the Red Dao people serve as a thread connecting the past with the present.

Most notably, the ritual involves plunging into a blazing charcoal fire to "bathe in charcoal"—cleansing and purifying the body and mind before welcoming ancestors. When the charcoal fire is lit, young men, in a state of intense concentration, follow the shaman's instructions and jump over the flames one by one without getting burned—a clear manifestation of their spiritual belief and the protection of the gods.

According to the leaders of Bac Ha commune People's Committee, despite the increasingly developed socio -economic life, the Red Dao people still preserve their traditional New Year customs. The sacred dances of the Red Dao people are like a thread connecting the past with the present. The New Year dance is not only a religious activity but also a valuable cultural asset, contributing to the development of community tourism and creating livelihoods for people in the Northwest highlands.

suckhoedoisong.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/buoc-nhay-thieng-cua-nguoi-dao-do-don-to-tien-ve-an-tet-post893954.html