The Dong Sua festival of the Black Thai people is a prayer for a year of favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 09:28 AM (GMT+7)
The Dong Sua ceremony (also known as the sacred forest worship ceremony) of the Thai ethnic group in Kha village, Sapp Vat commune, Yen Chau district ( Son La province ) is a traditional religious ritual that signifies a prayer for good health, a year of favorable weather, and a bountiful harvest.
Video: The Dong Sua ceremony of the Black Thai people, praying for a year of favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.
When the forests begin to sprout new leaves, the animals emerge from their hibernation to forage, and the highlanders clear their fields and prepare for a new harvest... it is also the time when the Black Thai people in Kha village, Sapp Vat commune, Yen Chau district choose an auspicious day and month to hold the Dong Sua Festival.
According to village elder Quàng Văn Phanh of Bản Khá, Sặp Vạt commune (Yên Châu, Sơn La), the Đông Sửa ceremony has become a custom, a tradition, and a proud cultural feature preserved through many generations for the Black Thái ethnic group in this area.
The Thai ethnic people have always regarded God (Pu Then) as an important deity who influences and governs the lives of individuals and the community. Dong Sua is a sacred forest where people offer thanks to Pu Then, the local deities, the Pu Muong and Pu Ban (these are the first people to establish the village), and their ancestors for bringing peace, prosperity, favorable weather, and abundant harvests to the villagers.
According to village elder Quang Van Phanh, the Dong Sua festival consists of interwoven ritual and festivities. The offerings include pigs, ducks, chickens, wine, sticky rice, betel leaves, areca nuts, and the sacred robe of the forest spirit.
In addition, each household in the village brings a pair of silver bracelets and a roll of tightly woven white cloth for the ritual. During the ceremony, all the villagers gather around the shrine; the chief officiant (the shaman) performs the rituals to invite the deities, such as the river god, mountain god, earth god, god of the fields and villages, and the spirits of those who contributed to the village's founding, to attend and receive the offerings presented by the villagers, in prayer for the health and bountiful harvest of the villagers.
Ms. Lu Thi Lua from Kha village, Sapp Vat commune (Yen Chau, Son La) shared: "The Dong Sua ritual holds an important place in our spiritual life and is a unique cultural feature of our Thai ethnic people. When we come to the Dong Sua ceremony, we bring rolls of white, tightly woven cloth for the offering. After the ceremony, we usually use the cloth to make clothes for our family members for good luck."
The festival space is highlighted by activities such as basket weaving competitions, making bamboo flutes, throwing the "con" (a type of ball), and fishing competitions. Bản Khá is one of the few Thai villages in Yên Châu district that still preserves many unique cultural features. Along with its unique cuisine , costumes, and captivating dances, the craft of basket weaving is still preserved by the people here today, creating distinctive characteristics of this land.
Mr. Dao Quang To, a member of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association, said: "The Dong Sua Festival is a cultural feature that needs to be preserved and promoted to enrich the cultural and spiritual life of the Thai ethnic community in Yen Chau district in particular and Son La province in general."
To preserve and promote the traditional festivals of ethnic groups, Yen Chau district has directed its specialized departments to coordinate with the Provincial Museum, the Provincial Cultural and Film Center, and the People's Committees of the communes to collect, research, and protect folk cultural values. They have reviewed customs, beliefs, and festivals of ethnic groups still preserved in the area to organize their restoration, such as: the Rain Prayer Festival, the Dong Sua Festival, and the Han Khuong Festival of the Thai ethnic group; the Muong A Ma Festival of the Sinh Mun ethnic group; and the New Rice Festival of the Kho Mu ethnic group.
The Dong Sua Festival is a harmonious blend of the unique atmosphere of a traditional festival with cultural activities, cuisine, and traditional folk games. It is a place to gather, introduce, and promote the indigenous culture of the Thai ethnic group in Yen Chau district to tourists and locals.
Van Ngoc
Source: https://danviet.vn/le-dong-sua-cua-nguoi-thai-den-20240610170419419.htm
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