Recreating the new rice festival of the Ca Dong people

Ca Dong people in Phuoc Gia commune participate in the ritual of recreating the new rice festival. Photo: Contributor

According to the Ca Dong people's customs, when all the farming work has ended and the rice has been threshed, the Ca Dong people will hold a new rice celebration with the meaning of praying to the gods for favorable weather, bountiful crops, prosperity, happiness and peace for the villagers.

The festival is restored with main rituals such as: praying to the gods and rice spirits; calling the rice god, thanking the rice god, welcoming the rice spirit... performed by prestigious village elders recommended by the community.

The new rice celebration is meant to pray to the gods for favorable weather and bountiful crops. Photo: Contributor

In addition, production activities in the development cycle of upland rice from crop preparation to harvest are also carefully recreated such as clearing the fields, pruning rice, weeding, fertilizing, threshing rice, etc.

After the rice god worshiping ceremony, the bustling gong beats blend with the rhythmic dance of the village elders and Ca Dong boys and girls around the pole.

Within the framework of the festival, folk games imbued with the cultural identity of ethnic minorities such as pounding rice, wrapping snail cakes, cooking tube rice, preparing dishes, etc. attract a large number of people to participate.

Reconstructing production activities in the growth cycle of upland rice from crop preparation to harvest. Photo: Contributor

Mr. Dinh Van Linh - Head of Ha Son village (Phuoc Gia commune) shared that the new rice festival was formed a long time ago, closely associated with agricultural production of the Ca Dong community.

This custom has been passed down through many generations and still retains its traditional identity. The festival is held when the harvest is finished and is an opportunity for people to report to the gods, grandparents, and ancestors that the harvest has been completed, to thank heaven and earth for blessing the village and family with a year of favorable weather and wind, bringing a bountiful harvest and a prosperous village. This is also an opportunity to connect feelings within families, clans, and communities...

Men in the village perform the ceremony of raising a pole to celebrate the new rice crop. Photo: Contributor

This custom has been passed down through many generations and still retains its traditional identity. Photo: Contributor

The festival was restored to raise awareness, responsibility and pride of the community in the good traditional cultural values ​​of the Ca Dong people. Photo: Contributor

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized the restoration of the new rice festival to preserve and promote the fine traditional cultural identities of ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas of Quang Nam in general and the Ca Dong community in particular.

Thereby contributing to propagating, promoting and preserving intangible cultural values; at the same time raising awareness, responsibility and pride of the community about good traditional cultural values; motivating and encouraging people to join hands to protect, promote and spread traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic communities in the current period.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/phuc-dung-le-hoi-mung-lua-moi-cua-dong-bao-ca-dong-3142353.html