Recreating the Rain-Praying Festival of the S'tieng ethnic group.

The Rain Prayer Festival in Soc Ta Cuong (village 3) has been maintained annually and its organization has been elevated to preserve and promote the beautiful cultural values ​​of the S'tieng ethnic group.

On the evening of April 3rd, the S'tieng ethnic group's Rain Prayer Festival was reenacted by the People's Committee of Tan Khai commune ( Dong Nai province) at Ta Cuong hamlet (village 3).

The festival attracts a large number of local people to participate and interact with the gong culture clubs. Every year, around the third lunar month, the S'tieng people enthusiastically organize the Rain Prayer Festival.

To ensure the festival was conducted with solemnity, all preparations were meticulously planned in advance. The offerings, imbued with the spirit of the mountains and forests, included: a pig's head, several golden-brown boiled chickens, and dozens of jars of fragrant, aged rice wine.

In addition, traditional dishes such as bamboo-cooked rice, stewed soup, grilled skewers, stir-fried wild betel leaves, and fragrant sticky rice are indispensable.

In that sacred space, amidst the golden straw of the first harvest and the ceremonial pole erected in the courtyard, young men and women together prepare betel nuts, sticky rice, and share a common reverence to offer the most complete offerings.

In addition, the master of ceremonies and the villagers must carefully prepare traditional costumes and jewelry: Men wear loincloths, women wear brightly colored dresses and blouses, combined with headscarves or ceremonial ribbons.

The ceremonial attire was adorned with various silver and copper necklaces and bracelets, along with exquisite strings of multicolored beads.

Every step was carried out meticulously according to the instructions of the master of ceremonies, ensuring that the festival proceeded smoothly and according to rituals, so as to please the spirits and bestow blessings upon the village.

Once the ceremonial pole was erected majestically in the courtyard and the offerings were neatly arranged, the master of ceremonies (village elder) slowly approached the pole.

Surrounded by villagers whose hands were clasped together in a circle of solidarity, a solemn prayer began to echo.

After the prayer was finished, an elderly woman, holding a ladle full of water, walked along, sprinkling water onto the ceremonial pole, pointing it towards the sky, and showering everyone with it as a blessing ritual.

Immediately, the resounding sound of gongs shattered the silence, and the villagers joined hands to form a circle around the ceremonial grounds, moving rhythmically to the sounds of the mountains and forests.

The village elder solemnly smeared chicken blood onto the ceremonial pole, then took a straw and sipped the first drops of rice wine, beginning the festivities.

Amidst the resounding and lively sounds of gongs and drums, people gathered together to enjoy sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes and strong, fragrant rice wine. The atmosphere became even more boisterous as young men and women began to dance and sing, keeping the festivities going in the joyful spirits of the villagers.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Doi, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Khai commune, emphasized: The Rain Prayer Festival in Soc Ta Cuong (village 3) has been maintained annually and its organization has been upgraded to preserve and promote the beautiful cultural values ​​of the S'tieng ethnic group.

Through the festival, with its prayers for favorable weather, national peace and prosperity, and bountiful harvests, the local community hopes not only to preserve traditional identity but also to widely promote the image of their homeland to tourists from near and far; thereby creating momentum for economic development and improving the cultural and spiritual life of the people in the coming years.

Present at the ceremony, Mr. Dieu Nhem, a respected figure in Ta Cuong village, happily shared: "The Rain Prayer Festival is a beautiful tradition passed down by our ancestors for generations to pray for favorable weather, abundant crops, and prosperity for the village."

I am very pleased that this year the festival has received attention and been organized on a large scale by the authorities at all levels. This is an important occasion to remind and teach future generations to cherish and preserve our national cultural identity.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phuc-dung-le-hoi-cau-mua-cua-dan-toc-stieng-post1102817.vnp