What is the meaning of the Bana Kriêm people's new rice festival?

The traditional culture of the Bana Kriem people in Binh Dinh province is very diverse and rich. There are many genres such as folk songs, folk dances, folk music... In particular, the Bana Kriem people have a very unique and meaningful festival of eating new rice flakes (xa mok).

Meaning thanksgiving for a good harvest

According to traditional customs, the Bana Kriem people's new rice festival starts from December of the old year to the end of March of the new year.

When the worshiping ceremony ended, it was also time for the bustling fun to begin; people sang and played gongs and drums together. The Bana people in the villages, in traditional costumes, regardless of age or gender, sat together to eat rice, enjoy rice wine made from new rice grains and wish each other good things in the spring.

Bana Kriêm girls in traditional costumes during the new rice festival

In the culture of the Bana Kriem people, the new rice flake eating ceremony is held after the harvest season. This is a ritual to thank heaven and earth, the rice god, and ancestors for a bountiful rice harvest and to pray for a new season of rice and grain filling the house... This is also known as the season of "eating and drinking throughout the year", the season of community cultural activities, and the season of cultural exchange. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for young men and women to find a partner.

Nowadays, the life of the Bana people has changed a lot. In the past, when it came to the new rice flakes festival, people often organized each house, together singing, beating gongs, and drums for 2 days and 2 nights. Now, in many villages, the new rice flakes festival usually takes place during the day, at the same location so that the whole village can enjoy together. Whether the new rice flakes festival is organized on a large or small scale, the flakes to be offered to Giang must be new rice grains taken from the fields and selected by the people beforehand.

The ritual of throwing green rice flakes in the new rice flakes festival is to pray for everyone and every family to be prosperous, warm and happy.

The thanksgiving ceremony includes: a tray of new green rice, rice wine, chicken and a beeswax lamp. After the village elder’s prayers, comes the new green rice eating ceremony. The first green rice grain is placed on the head of the village elder or the head of the family to show respect to the gods who have given people food and clothing. After that, the green rice is divided among the participants. The final ceremony is tossing the green rice with the meaning of praying for everyone, every family to be full and happy.

Bringing cultural products to serve tourism development

Folklore researcher Yang Danh (in Vinh Thanh District, Binh Dinh) said that the Bana Kriem new rice flakes eating ceremony is an occasion for all villagers to meet, share joy, wish each other good health and look forward to a more productive and prosperous year. The new rice flakes eating ceremony is also an occasion to review the results of a year of work.

The traditional festival of eating new rice of the Bana Kriêm people needs to be preserved and promoted.

On March 5, speaking with Thanh Nien reporter, Ms. Huynh Thi Anh Thao, Deputy Director of Binh Dinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the new rice festival of the Bana Kriem people is a very good traditional cultural festival that needs to be promoted in the current period. The reenactment of the new rice festival aims to preserve and promote the traditional cultural identity of the Bana Kriem people in particular and ethnic minorities in Binh Dinh province in general. Thereby, contributing to the propaganda, promotion and preservation of the cultural space of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development in Binh Dinh province, serving the needs of tourists to learn about culture and experience, creating a source of documents to support research and teaching for other scientists ...

"We hope that all levels, sectors and units will pay attention and work together to gradually turn the traditional cultural beauty of ethnic minorities into cultural products to serve the spiritual life of the people and serve the development of local tourism," said Ms. Thao.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/le-hoi-an-com-lua-moi-cua-nguoi-bana-kriem-co-y-nghia-gi-185240305163741982.htm