Special features of the new rice festival of the Muong ethnic group in Ban Ca

Coming to Ca village, Ky Phu commune (Nho Quan district) on the full moon day of October (lunar calendar) in 2023, local people and tourists can immerse themselves in the unique cultural features of the Ky Phuc new rice festival of the Muong ethnic people here.

The Ky Phuc New Rice Festival of the Muong people in Ca village, Ky Phu commune is held every 3 years (in leap years of 13 months according to the lunar calendar) on the full moon day of the 10th lunar month. The festival is held after the harvest to honor the rice plant, thank the earth, gods and ancestors of the Muong people. Descendants harvest rice to make a new rice tray, along with some offerings to invite the tutelary god, gods and ancestors to enjoy the blessings, and bless the village with a bountiful harvest in the new year.

The festival begins with spiritual rituals such as the palanquin procession and the new rice offering ceremony at the village's tutelary god temple. The shaman performs rituals to express gratitude to heaven, earth, and ancestors, praying for favorable weather and bountiful crops; praying for ancestors and gods to bless the next crop with favorable weather and bountiful crops. Participating in the new rice offering ceremony are village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people in the village.

Special features of the new rice festival of the Muong ethnic group in Ban Ca — New rice offering ceremony at the festival.

Mr. Dinh Ngoc Luu, 66 years old, a prestigious person in Ca village, said: The new rice festival has the meaning of ending the harvest season, thanking heaven and earth, ancestors, and thanking the pioneers who founded the village. The festival shows the unique values of the Muong people in Ca village, Ky Phu commune.

To preserve the cultural identity of the festival, especially to implement the Resolution of the 5th Central Committee, Session VIII on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity, prestigious people in the village try to pass on to their descendants the cultural beauty of their people in terms of festival implementation, such as prayers, language, songs, ceremony procedures, restoring Muong people's costumes when participating in the festival... From there, promoting identity in the current period of integration and development.

The Ky Phuc New Rice Festival is held to honor traditional culture, continue to promote the exploitation of the potential of the original culture, and serve local tourism. This is also an opportunity for children working far away to return home to reunite or gather with their families and villages; creating community cohesion in the village. Therefore, the people of Ca village always preserve and promote the good traditional cultural values of the nation, educating their children on the morality of "When drinking water, remember its source".

To prepare for the festival, before the day of the festival, many people in the village together prepared offerings from rice plants such as rice, sticky rice, sticky rice cakes, etc. to offer to heaven, earth, and ancestors.

Quickly pounding sticky rice cake, Ms. Dinh Thi Tuyen, 42 years old, Ca village said: Since I was little, my grandmothers and mothers taught me to wear Muong ethnic clothes, how to make sticky rice cake on the days of the new rice festival; to learn and preserve the cultural beauty of my people. Sticky rice cake served in the festival is made from sticky rice, steamed until cooked, then pounded in a mortar, then shaped into a round, flat shape. Sticky rice cake is offered to heaven, earth, and ancestors.

Mr. Dinh Van Huong, Head of Ca village, said: Ca village has 119 households and 395 people, with over 98% being Muong ethnic people. Muong people in Ca village still preserve many unique cultural features, such as language, costumes, new rice festival...

Deeply aware of the viewpoint that "Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, the driving force of socio -economic development", in the process of building new rural areas, advanced new rural areas, and model new rural areas, Ca village has considered Muong culture as a particularly valuable cultural asset of the Muong people and has been preserved and promoted by the people in the village.

In particular, the Party committee, government, associations and unions in the village regularly promote propaganda for people to preserve cultural characteristics, actively participate in village festivals; regularly use and teach Muong language to children and grandchildren in the family and clan; build Muong language cultural and artistic clubs...

Up to now, Ca village has mobilized many social resources to participate in preserving, conserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group, contributing to the comprehensive development of the homeland.

Currently, the average income per capita in the village reaches over 52 million VND/year; the rate of well-off and rich households reaches over 50%; the rate of cultured families reaches over 82%. The material and spiritual life of the people is increasingly improved.

Tien Minh - Minh Quang

Source