Admire the bamboo calendar - a priceless treasure of the Muong people

The bamboo calendar model is enlarged to introduce to the people.

People's Artisan Bui Van Minh (Van Son Commune, Lac Son District) said that bamboo calendars play a special role in the life of the Muong community and are a priceless treasure of Muong folk knowledge.

Nowadays, besides the common lunar and solar calendars, all production activities, daily life, customs, rituals, festivals of the community, and important matters of each person are based on the calculation of good and bad luck of the bamboo calendar.

The bamboo calendar of the Muong people in Hoa Binh province consists of 12 cards, made from bamboo sticks that are carefully peeled, whittled, and polished. On the bamboo cards are engraved lines and dots representing the days, months, and natural phenomena of the year.

Each bamboo card has main parts including calendar base, calendar spine, calendar face. Each card has 30 engravings corresponding to 30 days in a month.

According to the calendar, days 1-10 are called "tree days", days 11-20 are called "cage days", and days 21-30 are called "last days".

People's Artist Bui Van Minh guides how to calculate bamboo calendar.

In which, the number of days in a month is recorded in brick carvings as good days, bad days, rainy days, windy days, fish days, animal days, great luck days or bad luck days... for doing business, building a new house, getting married or doing important things in the village.

“Muong people often hold important ceremonies on the first days of the month (tree days), avoiding taboo days,” said Mr. Minh.

The normal sized bamboo calendar is used daily by the Muong people.

Currently, in addition to being used by the people, the calendar is kept at the Muong Cultural Space Museum in Hoa Binh City to preserve and introduce to the people and tourists.

“The calendar is a synthesis and conclusion of many generations of the ancient Muong people, a brilliant expression of the Muong people's thinking in perceiving the world , through observing the movement of the moon. Especially the characteristics of the moon's cycle, the movement of the stars to determine time, day, hour, week, month, year", Mr. Minh added.

The whole province still has 5 sets of ancient bamboo calendars that are hundreds of years old. Along with that are sets that are copied and used by people.

The bamboo calendar is hundreds of years old.

"In terms of spirituality, the bamboo calendar is a symbol of the connection between humans and the universe and ancestors, a compass to live in harmony with heaven and earth. In the modern context, when traditional values are being lost, the bamboo calendar becomes even more valuable, because it is not only a material heritage but also a symbol of the identity, memory and independent spirit of a nation," Mr. Minh added.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/ngam-bo-lich-tre-bau-vat-vo-gia-cua-nguoi-muong-post1740968.tpo