Full Moon Day in July - differences in culinary specialties in some regions

GĐXH - The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is called Tet in many places depending on local customs. This is an occasion for families to reunite and remember their ancestors.

Give parents a pair of fat ducks and a dozen sticky rice cakes

For the Tay and Nung people in Cao Bang , the Full Moon of July - "Pay Tai" festival - is one of the two most important Tet holidays of the year, after the Lunar New Year. On this occasion, Tay and Nung women and their husbands prepare offerings to thank their ancestors. The Tay and Nung people also have the belief of "Forgiveness for the Dead" on the Full Moon of July, all the procedures and rituals of worship are the same as those of the Kinh people.

The Tay and Nung people often prepare a pair of fat ducks and a dozen gai cakes as gifts for their parents. The whole family gathers around a cozy dinner table, enjoying local specialties. The indispensable dishes during the Full Moon Festival in Cao Bang are roasted duck with mac mat leaves, served with white noodles, and duck soup with bamboo shoots.

The second meaning of the Full Moon of July is to commemorate the souls of the soldiers of the Nung Tri Cao insurgent army - a Tay ethnic hero who lived during the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century.

Eat the full moon all month

The Red Dao people in Yen Bai consider the 14th day as the main full moon day. However, they do not celebrate the full moon on every 14th day, but spread it out throughout the month. Starting from July 1, every village, village, and household prepares delicious sticky rice, pigs, chickens, and wine to prepare for the full moon. The Dao believe that the more children and neighbors there are on the full moon, the more fun it is. The full moon feast in July is organized by each family. Each family prepares 5-7 trays of food to invite relatives and neighbors. When it is organized at one house, other families contribute their efforts and materials, and after one house is finished, it is the next house.

The Dao people's full moon feast in July is organized by each family. Each family prepares 5-7 trays of food to invite relatives and neighbors. Illustrative photo

The ancestral offering tray is elaborately prepared by the villagers, including a pig weighing about 40-50 kg, a boiled chicken, wine, and paper money. The shamans are invited to report and ask the ancestors and gods to bless the villagers with a prosperous life.

The Red Dao people's Full Moon Festival in July is also special in that only on this full moon do mothers and grandmothers wrap black hump cakes - a typical cake of the Dao people. This type of cake is made from rice, pounded with ash and sesame stalks to create a black cake, which when boiled has a very strange taste. In addition, sticky rice cakes and honey cakes are indispensable cakes on Tet and the full moon of July. Perhaps this is the reason why many children look forward to July.

Full moon of the seventh lunar month of the La Chi people in Lao Cai

The full moon of July is the biggest festival celebrated by the La Chi people in Lao Cai. The people believe that this is an occasion to "celebrate the completion of planting and ask ancestors to protect the fields and fields". On this occasion, offerings and ethnic cultural and sports activities are held enthusiastically. The offerings on the full moon day include: sticky rice, chicken, pork, goose or duck.

The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the biggest festival celebrated by the La Chi people in Lao Cai.

Activities often held include singing, playing infantry, spinning tops, swings, throwing balls... at the most prestigious village elder's house.

Full moon of the seventh lunar month of the Green Mong people

The full moon of July is an important occasion for the Green Mong people in Tu Thuong village, Nam Xe commune (Van Ban, Lao Cai). Families celebrate the full moon from the 11th to the 15th of July (lunar calendar).

The full moon feast of the Green Mong people cannot lack sticky rice. People often mix purple sticky rice with white sticky rice from sticky rice grown by the people. After preparing the dishes, the homeowner invites the ancestors to eat the full moon. Each family will choose a different place to worship the ancestors. The offerings are usually a chicken, a cup of wine… the homeowner is the one who prays.

The large area in the village center was chosen as the venue for the festival during the July New Year with unique folk cultural activities. Photo taken from Lao Cai Newspaper

After the ceremony, the Green Mong people burn incense and votive papers in many important places in the family such as the door, kitchen, etc. to invite the gods to come and eat the full moon. On the full moon day, people often organize folk games such as swings, playing Mong flutes, etc.

Full moon of the seventh lunar month of the Giay ethnic group

The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is considered a major festival by the Giay people in Lao Cai province. In the Giay language, the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is called "Xip Xi festival". This festival is usually held on the afternoon of the 14th day of the 7th lunar month.

According to custom, the Giay people hold a ceremony to offer sacrifices to their ancestors with the wish to pray for health, peace and prosperity for the family. The offerings are carefully prepared such as: boiled chicken, pork, five-color sticky rice, soup... Especially, families organize to wrap banh rom to offer to their ancestors.

The 15th day of the 7th lunar month in the concept of the Giay people in Lao Cai province is a big holiday.

Another thing that makes the Giay people's July Full Moon Festival different is that they buy colored paper to cut gold money, clothes, and votive offerings according to their traditional costumes.

In addition, the ceremony to worship all living beings is held by the people at 9-10 pm. The simple ceremony procedure is to place 7 incense sticks in a row in front of the alley, then mix sticky rice, porridge, pork, and broth, sprinkle along the incense sticks and perform the ceremony.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/ngay-ram-thang-bay-nhung-khac-biet-cua-dac-san-am-thuc-o-mot-so-vung-mien-172250825161709155.htm