Gia Lai: Quy Thu worship ceremony, a unique cultural feature at the special national relic Cuu An communal house

VHO - On October 8 (August 18 of the lunar calendar), at Cuu An communal house - a special national relic located in the Tay Son Thuong historical relic complex, the Quy Thu worship ceremony took place, attracting a large number of locals and tourists to attend.

The members of the Ritual Committee performed the ceremony in a solemn atmosphere.

The Quy Thu worshiping ceremony is a traditional ritual with profound meaning in the traditional cultural life of the Cuu An people (Cuu An commune, Gia Lai province). This is an occasion for people to express their gratitude to heaven, earth, ancestors, and gods for blessing them with good crops, peaceful life, and favorable work throughout the year.

At the same time, the worshiping ceremony also shows the spirit of "remembering the source of water when drinking", praying for a bountiful harvest, favorable weather, peace and happiness for the family. Besides the spiritual meaning, the Quy Thu worshiping ceremony is also an occasion for family members and the community to gather, bond, look back to their roots and preserve the good traditional cultural values ​​of the nation.

Every year, the Quy Thu worship ceremony will take place at Cuu An communal house from 7:00 p.m. on the 17th to the early morning of the 18th of the 8th lunar month, including the following ceremonies: Ancestors, wind-sweeping and gods worship.

To prepare for the ceremony, from the afternoon of October 7 (August 17 of the lunar calendar), the elders and people gathered at Cuu An communal house to prepare offerings and trays of offerings. The atmosphere at the communal house became bustling, everyone was busy with their own work. The elders took charge of arranging the altar, cleaning, and making the worship space solemn, while the women and girls prepared the offering trays with full traditional offerings.

The Quy Thu worshiping ceremony is a traditional ritual with profound meaning in the cultural life of Cuu An people.

The offering tray usually includes sticky rice, boiled chicken, votive paper, cakes, fruits, wine and seasonal specialties made by the people themselves. Each dish is carefully cooked and presented neatly, showing respect to ancestors and gods. The fragrant scent of new rice and incense spreads throughout the house, signaling a full, prosperous and peaceful autumn.

Before the main ceremony begins, members of the Ritual Committee will write a prayer to heaven, earth, gods, and ancestors to report on the achievements of labor and production during the year. At the same time, they pray for the gods to continue to bless and protect the villagers to be healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and happy.

At exactly 7:00 p.m., the sound of gongs, drums and ceremonial music resounded, opening the ancestor worship ceremony.

Offerings to ancestors and gods usually include fruits, incense, rice trays, and votive paper. In that sacred atmosphere, the elders in the Ritual Committee respectfully offer incense, wine, and perform sacrificial rituals according to the traditional customs of the village communal house.

Following the ancestor worship ceremony is the wind-sending ceremony. This is a ritual offered to the god Son Tinh, with the purpose of praying for favorable weather, storms to dissipate, and peace for the village.

The final ritual is to worship the gods. This ritual is to express respect and gratitude to the mysterious gods who protect and bless people so that they have more strength and faith to overcome all difficulties in work, production and even in the years of fighting to protect the homeland.

The offering to the gods and the dead will include a whole pig (a whole pig that has not been cooked).

At the end of the ceremony, local people offered incense to express their gratitude, praying for a year of favorable weather, family warmth, happiness and gathering to enjoy good fortune.

In 2022, Cuu An communal house and Ba palace (located in the Tay Son Thuong Dao historical relic complex) were recognized as special national relics.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nguyen - Deputy Head of Cuu An Communal House Management Board, said: "The Quy Thu worshiping ceremony is one of the long-standing traditional festivals, closely associated with the cultural and religious life of the people at Cuu An Communal House.

Through the festival, we hope that people, especially the young generation, will have a deeper understanding of cultural values ​​and gratitude towards their ancestors and deities, and at the same time join hands to preserve, conserve and promote the precious traditional beauty of their homeland."

According to documents, Cuu An communal house was built in the late 18th century and early 19th century. After many relocations and restorations, the communal house is now built majestically on a high mound in An Dien Bac village. Cuu An communal house worships the ancestors, descendants, Thanh Hoang and Tay Son Tam Kiet: Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue, Nguyen Lu.

In 2022, the Cuu An communal house and Ba palace relics in the Tay Son Thuong Dao historical relic complex were recognized by the Prime Minister as special national relics.

Every year, ceremonies such as Khai Son on the 10th of January, Quy Xuan (19th and 20th of February in the lunar calendar), Quy Thu (17th and 18th of August in the lunar calendar), Chu Thien ceremony (23rd of December in the lunar calendar) and Nguyen Dan ceremony welcoming Chu Thien on the 1st of Tet will be performed at this communal house.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/gia-lai-le-cung-quy-thu-net-van-hoa-doc-dao-tai-di-tich-quoc-gia-dac-biet-dinh-cuu-an-173476.html