The unique coconut offering festival in the Mekong Delta.

The festival is held over three days with many rituals.

The "Thak Con" festival, also known as Thac Con, is held annually at Mahasal Thatmon Pagoda. This is considered the only place in Soc Trang province that holds this festival. The festival is similar to a prayer for peace, favorable weather, and prosperous business, usually held at the beginning of the rainy season after the previous year's harvest. Mr. Danh Pung, Head of the Management Board of Mahasal Thatmon Pagoda, said that the Thac Con festival has existed for over a hundred years, linked to the legend of the golden gong of the ancient An Trach village.

Legend has it that, long ago, a mound of earth shaped like a gong suddenly appeared in this area. Anyone who stepped on it would hear a metallic clang. This phenomenon gradually diminished and then disappeared. The Khmer people considered it sacred and erected a shrine to worship it. In Khmer, "Thắk Côn" means "to step on the gong," recalling the legend of the gong sound emanating from the earth with each step.

According to local elders, in ancient times, during droughts, only coconuts contained water. Coconuts saved people from thirst, so the people revered them. Every year on the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month, they decorate coconuts beautifully to offer as sacrifices. The offerings in the festival include a vase made from a fresh coconut, cut in half, with flowers made from green betel leaves and other flowers arranged inside, symbolizing purity and cleanliness. Besides fresh coconuts, the offerings also include fruits, betel nuts, and lotus flowers, symbolizing purity and sacredness. Attendees also place vegetable seeds, bottles of medicated oil, and rolls of red thread on the altar, hoping for health and peace in their lives.

Ms. Thach Ha (60 years old, from Chau Thanh district) said: “The flower arrangement is made of green betel leaves and flowers; the base is made of a coconut, a fruit with pure, sweet water, present in most ceremonies, symbolizing blessings and peace. Flowers, incense, and candles are neatly arranged on the unique base. During these days, children and grandchildren who work far away also take the opportunity to return to participate in the festival and pray for good fortune in the new year.”

After placing the offerings on the altar, the worshipper begins to light incense and pray. The prayers express aspirations for peace and happiness, wishing for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and a peaceful and happy life for all. They also help people remember their roots, ancestors, and grandparents, fostering harmony and love among them.

From a local festival, the coconut offering ceremony has now been elevated to a regional festival, attracting an increasing number of visitors from provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. During the three days of the festival, the main rituals are similar to those of the peace prayer ceremony, including offering rice to the monks, inviting them to chant prayers for the deceased, performing charitable acts to pray for the people's well-being, and finally, giving sermons to Buddhist followers about Buddhist teachings.

During the festival, various cultural and artistic activities, entertainment, and folk singing take place. The final ritual involves bringing offerings from the temple to the land, the spirit of the rice, and the guardian deities of the fields. The festival concludes with a farewell ceremony, where offerings such as salt and rice are placed on a boat made of banana leaves and released into the river.

Text and photos: NGUYEN TRINH

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/doc-dao-le-hoi-cung-dua-o-mien-tay-a186040.html