The beauty of originality

Beneath the smoke-filled stilt houses, the Dao people in Yen Thanh commune celebrate their traditional New Year with rich cultural identity. Without extravagance or ostentation, their New Year is deeply rooted in reverence for their ancestors and a wonderful harmony with the vast natural landscape.

I had the opportunity to visit Yen Thanh – a remote commune in Zone 3, still facing many difficulties but possessing an incredibly rich cultural treasure of the Dao ethnic group. Following a recommendation, we went to the home of Mr. Hoang Huu Dinh, an outstanding son of the village, who is always deeply committed to collecting and preserving the customs of his ancestors. In his spacious and tidy stilt house, Mr. Dinh was meticulously copying each ancestral prayer in Dao Nôm script onto paper. He said that this was the most important part of preparing for his family's ancestral worship ceremony.

Over cups of fragrant tea, the story of the Dao New Year gradually unfolded lively. Mr. Dinh shared: "The Dao people also celebrate the New Year according to the lunar calendar, but their New Year usually begins on the 20th day of the 12th lunar month. They also worship the Kitchen God and the Stove God like the Kinh people; however, the Dao people don't worship on the 23rd but combine it with the New Year's Eve feast."

To ensure a prosperous Tet (Lunar New Year), families begin raising pigs and chickens from mid-year. Most of the offerings to their ancestors are "homegrown," the result of a year's hard work and sweat. Before the 30th day of the lunar month, all house and garden cleaning must be completed. An important ritual that cannot be overlooked is the cleaning of the ancestral altar. This ritual must be performed by the male head of the household. For the Dao people, keeping the altar clean is not just about tidiness, but also carries spiritual significance: sweeping away the misfortunes of the old year to welcome peace and prosperity in the new year.

An interesting difference is that the Dao people's altar doesn't necessarily have to include a plate of five kinds of fruit. Depending on their circumstances, each family will arrange things differently, but a vase of fresh flowers is absolutely essential. "The Dao people avoid using silk or paper flowers. When offering something to their ancestors, it must be real, real flowers, and a sincere heart," Mr. Dinh emphasized.

Once the cleaning is finished, the host will prepare the New Year's Eve feast. Besides familiar dishes like pork, chicken, sticky rice cakes, steamed rice cakes, and strong corn wine, the feast of the Dao people of Yen Thanh also includes the distinctive "banh chit" cake. This cake is made from glutinous rice soaked in water infused with forest leaves, carrying the pure flavor of the vast mountain forests.

Notably, homeowners are not allowed to light incense and offer prayers on this day; they must invite a shaman or respected community members. The shaman will, on behalf of the family, recite prayers, perform rituals to ward off bad luck, dispel misfortune, and invite "house spirits" (ancestors) to celebrate Tet with their descendants.

After a warm and cozy New Year's Eve dinner, an indispensable ritual is bathing in fragrant leaves. This special herbal water helps cleanse and purify the body so that everyone can wear their most beautiful traditional clothes to welcome the New Year. To protect the sacred space of the family, the Dao people also place thorny branches at the gate and on various objects to prevent evil spirits from entering and causing trouble.

New Year's Eve in Yen Thanh has a mystical atmosphere. At the moment of transition, the head of the family will go to the well to fetch a bowl of fresh water, pour it into a bamboo tube containing loofah fibers, and then place it on the stove to boil. The whole family will listen in silence to the sound of the water boiling.

"If the water boils loudly and joyfully, then that year the children will excel in their studies and prosper in business. Conversely, if the water is quiet, the elderly in the house will worry about a year that won't be very smooth sailing," Mr. Dinh explained this interesting folk belief.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, preparations for going out are also meticulously made. Following the direction chosen by the shaman, the head of the family carries a bouquet of peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, or plum blossoms out of the house. Before leaving, each family member must burn a piece of gold paper money to ward off evil spirits. Upon returning, they bring back a branch of flowers and a few small stones. The stones symbolize lasting wealth, while the branch of flowers symbolizes fertility and growth, bringing the vibrant spirit of spring back into the house.

The Dao people's New Year celebration lasts from 3 to 5 days. This is the time when villages are most vibrant with folk games, such as throwing the ball and tug-of-war. Amidst the dazzling colors of exquisitely embroidered clothing, dances and love songs echo across the hillsides. Many young men and women have found their spouses at these spring festivals. The New Year is not only a time for family reunions but also a bond that connects the community, where cultural values ​​are naturally passed down from generation to generation.

Leaving Yen Thanh, my heart still lingers with the heartfelt and warm melody of Ai Dung. Tet in Yen Thanh is not just about cakes, fruits, and strong wine, but about the beauty of a pristine cultural region, where people always live with filial piety towards their ancestors and cherish every breath of the mountains and forests.

Presented by: Thanh Ba

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/net-dep-tu-su-nguyen-ban-post894352.html