The unique rice offering festival of the Bh'noong people

*Before organizing the hundred-rice offering, the homeowner asked villagers to help harvest the rice in the fields. Photo: NC*

The traditional rice offering ritual is considered a religious festival about agricultural culture of the Bh'noong people (a branch of the Gie Trieng ethnic group) in Phuoc Son district, which has been passed down for a long time.

When the rice harvest season comes, the homeowner offers a hundred rice offerings and goes to each house to call on villagers to join in threshing the rice. At the field, before praying to the gods, the homeowner goes to the "tail" of the field, ties a bunch of rice stalks together, implying that he prays for the gods to bless the family with a good harvest.

*Bh'noong women follow their landlords to the fields. Photo: NC*

After the rice is brought back, it is taken to the warehouse. The owner divides the rice into storage portions, supports the poor and prepares for the hundred rice offering ceremony, and enjoys it with the villagers.

Usually, the host will choose 12 women in the village, all of whom are the kitchen owners, to perform the ritual of offering a hundred rice. Then, everyone sits around the offering tray and the jar of rice wine to perform the ceremony. The girls have flowers pinned on their heads and another bouquet of flowers in their hands to perform the ceremony.

*Before harvesting, the homeowner goes to the "end of the field" to tie the rice roots, implying a report to the gods. Photo: NC*

Mr. Ho Cong Diem - Vice Chairman of Phuoc Son District People's Committee said that the hundred-rice offering festival of the Bh'noong people is a beautiful feature of daily life, connecting the folk cultural beliefs in the Bhnong community.

"Through this festival, we aim to honor and preserve the unique cultural values of the Bh'noong people, contributing to tourism development and connecting the local community," said Mr. Diem.