For people in the lowlands, the full moon of the seventh lunar month – the Vu Lan festival, a day to show filial piety to parents or the day of atonement for the deceased – is usually celebrated with offerings to ancestors or a light vegetarian meal. However, for the Tay and Nung people in Cao Bang , the full moon of the seventh lunar month – the "Pay Tai" festival – is one of the two most important festivals of the year, after the Lunar New Year.
The "Pây Tái" or "Pây Chường Tái" ceremony takes place on the 2nd day of the first lunar month and the 15th day of the seventh lunar month every year. The Tay and Nung people believe that after marriage, women must spend the whole year helping their husbands and children with household chores and maintaining the ancestral worship of their husbands' ancestors. Therefore, the 2nd day of the first lunar month and the 15th day of the seventh lunar month are occasions for women to return to their parents' home with their husbands and children to personally care for their parents. This not only demonstrates filial piety towards their own parents but also allows the son-in-law to express his gratitude to his wife's parents for their hard work in raising and caring for the woman he married.
The woman, along with her husband and children, usually prepares very early for this important holiday. In addition to traditional offerings, they also buy many things that their grandparents like .
According to the traditional customs of the Tay and Nung people, "Pay Tai," also known as Chau Nen or Duong Tai, means going to the maternal home. The meaning of the phrase Pay Tai is a festival to express gratitude from children to their parents and ancestors, those who gave birth to and raised them.
The traditional "pay tai" ceremony includes: a castrated rooster (or a kilogram of pork), rice cakes, two pairs of sticky rice cakes, and a bottle of wine. If the couple is more financially well-off, they may buy some sweets and tea as gifts for their parents, siblings, and relatives. Once everything is prepared, the couple carries their gifts to the wife's parents' home with their children, if any. This is one of the customs that reflects the beautiful aspects of the traditional culture of each locality and ethnic group, creating a unique cultural tapestry with many different nuances.
For generations, the Tay and Nung people in Cao Bang have maintained the custom of "Pay Tai." Returning to the family and preparing a feast to offer to ancestors on the second day of Tet (Lunar New Year) not only demonstrates filial piety and gratitude to one's parents for their upbringing, but also reflects the general Vietnamese tradition of "drinking water, remembering the source." The reunion feast on this day of return strengthens family bonds among the Tay and Nung people, and, more importantly, fosters a spirit of unity and solidarity within the community, village, and country.
For the Tay and Nung people, no matter where they live in Vietnam, the custom of "Pay Tai" (paying respects to ancestors) is unforgettable. Although the methods and customs may differ from place to place, the filial piety shown to parents and ancestors during holidays and festivals embodies the beautiful traditional cultural values of the entire nation. Therefore, this custom needs to be preserved and further developed in today's increasingly developed society, contributing to the preservation of the shared cultural space of ethnic groups.
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