Unique Tet "going home to wife"

A family on "Pay Tai" street in Nam Cuong commune, Thai Nguyen province. (Photo: HA TUYET)

As a tradition, a few days before the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, Ms. Hoai in Cho Don commune soaked rice to prepare to make Peng tai (gai cake or banana cake), a traditional cake usually made on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.

Mr. Nghiên, her husband, had contacted the village a few days ago to order a pair of green-necked ducks to raise in the stream. The ducks and ducks were among the indispensable items for the trip to his wife's parents' house in Yen Thinh commune, about 20km from Mr. Nghiên's house.

According to the Tay people's concept, after getting married, women are far away from their parents, working hard all year round, and rarely taking care of their own parents. Therefore, the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is an opportunity for women to return home to take care of their parents. For husbands, this is an opportunity to express their filial piety as sons-in-law to their parents-in-law.

On the other hand, "going back to the wife's parents' house" is also for the son-in-law to show his gratitude for the birth of his wife's parents, who gave birth to his wife and raised her to adulthood, to become his wife.

The Tay people in the north of Thai Nguyen in particular and the Tay people in general often say: "Buon Chieng kin núa cáy, Buon Chat kin núa pet", meaning "In January eat chicken, in July eat duck".

This shows the significance of the fact that sons-in-law often have to buy ducks to bring to their parents' house on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. This is also related to the seasonal cycle when the 7th lunar month is usually the rainy season, favorable for raising ducks in rivers and streams.

Mr. Nghien shared that, in addition to cakes and duck, there must be wine, betel, and incense to light on the ancestral altar to commemorate the deceased. On this day, even though the children and grandchildren live far away, they try to arrange to return home to gather. Thanks to that, the children and grandchildren also understand and appreciate the traditions of their nation.

According to the old tradition, also due to the undeveloped economic life, when “Pay Tai”, the husband would weave baskets to hold cakes, wine, offerings and weave cages to hold ducks to carry offerings with his wife and children to walk to his wife’s parents’ house. Nowadays, life is better, every family has motorbikes, traveling is more convenient but the traditional meaning and beauty of maternal love remains unchanged.

Tay people in Nam Cuong commune, Thai Nguyen province make handmade noodles on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. (Photo: HA TUYET)

When arriving at the maternal home, everyone will roll up their sleeves and go to the kitchen to prepare. The Tay people in northern Thai Nguyen often cook duck soup with Vietnamese coriander to eat with vermicelli. In the past, vermicelli was made by hand.

The rice is soaked and ground into flour. On the stove, a large pot of boiling water is set ablaze. The villagers use a wooden vermicelli press with a perforated wooden mold and a presser. The flour is put into the mold and hung over the pot of boiling water. The sons-in-law and children use force to press the presser into the mold. Each strand of white flour falls into the pot of boiling water, and when cooked, they are quickly scooped out into a basket. Thus, the handmade vermicelli is completed.

Because the rice is soaked and naturally fermented, handmade vermicelli often has a slightly musty smell, and is jokingly called “stinky vermicelli”. However, this vermicelli dish is served with duck broth and Vietnamese coriander, mixed with a little garlic vinegar or with soy sauce with chopped Chinese yam, which is a specialty. In addition, in the full moon meal of the seventh lunar month, people also have dishes such as wild vegetables, bamboo shoots, roasted duck, roasted pork, etc.

Full moon meal with many attractive traditional dishes. While eating, the elders told stories about family traditions and stories of their predecessors to the children.

What is special is that the meaning of this beautiful custom is still spreading. Many Kinh ethnic households have lived for generations in the north of Thai Nguyen, started families, and settled here, also "Pay Tai".

Through many generations, amidst the hustle and bustle of life, for many generations, the Tay people in the north of Thai Nguyen in particular and the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in the north in general have maintained this beautiful tradition of "Pay Tai".

“Pay Tai” is a beauty, a “string” connecting generations in a family, contributing to preserving the cultural identity of the Tay ethnic group in mountainous and highland areas.

TUAN SON

Source: https://nhandan.vn/doc-dao-tet-ve-nha-vo-post906182.html