The unique custom of washing chicken eggs in the sacred stream of the O Du people.

GĐXH - After the first clap of thunder echoed through the mountains and forests of western Nghe An, the O Du people in Van Mon village brought boiled chicken eggs to the sacred Nam Ngan stream to "wash away bad luck," praying for a bountiful harvest, peace in the village, and good health for their children and grandchildren.

It is one of the most unique rituals in the New Year's thunder-welcoming ceremony of the O Du community, one of the five smallest ethnic groups in Vietnam.

During the New Year's thunder-welcoming ceremony, the O Du people in Van Mon village bring their daily necessities to the sacred Nam Ngan stream to perform the ritual of "washing away bad luck," praying for a peaceful and prosperous new year.

Bringing chicken eggs to the stream to "wash away bad luck"

In the beliefs of the O Du people, the first thunder of the year signals a change of seasons, awakening plants and animals and ushering in a new production cycle. After the night of thunder, from early morning, the villagers bring pots, pans, knives, baskets, trays, bowls, etc., to the Nam Ngan stream behind the village to perform the ritual of "washing away bad luck".

In the cool waters of the sacred stream, old and young alike held hard-boiled chicken eggs in their hands, gently dipping them into the water and washing them repeatedly.

After the offering ceremony, the boiled chicken eggs on the offering tray are distributed to the children attending the naming ceremony, and their names are tied around their wrists as a wish for health, peace, and good fortune.

According to village elder Lo Thanh Binh, the ritual of washing chicken eggs is an indispensable part of the O Du people's New Year's thunder celebration for generations. "People wash eggs to pray for fertility, a bountiful harvest, successful livestock farming, and thriving trees in the forest," Mr. Binh said.

For the O Du people, the egg symbolizes the beginning of life, a complete and fulfilling start. After the "washing away bad luck" ritual, boiled eggs are given by adults to children and elders in the village as a New Year's gift. The elderly receive the eggs with the wish for good health, longevity, and mental clarity. Children are given the hope of growing up quickly, being well-behaved, and having good fortune.

Today, the O Du people live concentrated in Van Mon village, Nga My commune, with over 100 households. Despite experiencing many changes and living together with other ethnic groups for many years, the O Du people still preserve many customs and rituals that bear the distinct mark of their own culture.

According to shaman Lo Van Cuong, during ancestor worship and spirit worship ceremonies for the villagers, a whole boiled chicken egg is always placed on the offering tray. After the ceremony, the egg is peeled and given to the children before the next rituals, such as naming, registering their surname, or tying threads around their wrists. "The adults entrust this to the children's wishes for good health, pure souls, and a fulfilling life, just like the egg," Mr. Cuong said.

The first dish after the thunder.

Not only appearing in rituals, boiled chicken eggs are also a familiar dish on the first day of the year when the O Du people welcome the first thunderclap of the year. According to the people of Van Mon village, each family boils eggs to eat or bring along to the festival. Each family prepares at least enough eggs for all its members.

After the "washing away bad luck" ritual by the Nam Ngan stream, boiled chicken eggs, washed with the sacred water, will be given to children as a wish for peace and good fortune at the beginning of the year.

Explaining this custom, shaman Lo Van Cuong said that in the folk beliefs of the O Du people, thunder is the call of the sky god and the rain god. The first thunder of the year signals the coming of the rainy season, the beginning of plant growth, and the start of a new production season.

"Boiled eggs are the food that initiates humanity's harmony with the rhythm of nature," Mr. Cuong said.

According to him, the O Du people choose chicken eggs because they are a familiar food, closely associated with the community's livestock farming life. The eggs are boiled whole to maintain their round shape, a symbol of life and fertility.

On May 9th, Nga My commune held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing the "O Du people's Thunder-Welcoming Ceremony" as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Mr. Luong Van Thai, head of Van Mon village, said that in 2006, when the policy of relocating to make way for the construction of the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant was implemented, the O Du ethnic people moved together to live in the Van Mon resettlement area. After nearly two decades, life here has changed significantly. Currently, the village has 29 well-off or wealthy households, 30 households with an average standard of living, and the number of poor households has decreased sharply each year.

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Most encouragingly, the people have gradually changed their production mindset, applying science and technology to farming, diversifying crops and livestock, and no longer relying solely on rice cultivation as before. To date, all 99 households in the village have been recognized as culturally exemplary families. New, spacious houses have sprung up, the village's appearance is increasingly improving; community cultural institutions are also receiving attention, investment, and preservation from the local government and the people.

In particular, the New Year's thunder-welcoming ceremony, a unique spiritual and cultural activity of the O Du people, has been included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, under the category of social customs and beliefs. This is not only a source of pride for the people of Van Mon village but also contributes to preserving the distinctive cultural values ​​of one of the smallest ethnic groups in Vietnam.

On May 9th, the People's Committee of Nga My commune held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing the "Thunder-Welcoming Ceremony" of the O Du people as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and also to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Van Mon village, the place with the largest population of O Du people in the province.

Previously, on June 27, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism included the social customs and beliefs of the "Thunderclap Welcoming Ceremony" of the O Du people in Nga My commune in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition not only affirms the historical, cultural, and unique spiritual values ​​of the traditional ritual but also becomes a great source of pride for the people of Nga My, especially the O Du people in Van Mon village.

According to Mr. Lo Thanh Nhat, Secretary of the Party Committee of Nga My commune, the ceremony of welcoming the first thunder of the year is a unique spiritual and cultural activity, reflecting the aspirations for a peaceful life, abundant harvests, and community cohesion of the O Du people. Through many generations, this ritual has been preserved, passed down, and continues to be a enduring part of life today.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/doc-dao-tuc-rua-trung-ga-o-suoi-thieng-cua-nguoi-o-du-172260522090043411.htm