Tet of Compassion
Amidst the resounding prayers from the mosques, the Cham people, who follow Islam, celebrate the Royal Haji festival. A vibrant atmosphere permeates the Cham villages along the Hau River, where everyone focuses on positive human values, praying for peaceful lives, bountiful harvests, and a stronger, more united and loving community. This is also considered a season of sharing, kinship, and compassion, spreading throughout every home and every small street in the peaceful Cham villages.
Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of An Giang province , Tran Thi Thanh Huong (third from the left), Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang province, Le Van Phuoc (second from the right), Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religion of An Giang province, Danh Phuc (third from the right), and delegates pose for a photo with the Cham people at a gathering to celebrate Roya Haji Tet.
According to Mr. Go Sa Ly, Deputy Head of the Muslim Community Representative Board of An Giang province, during each Royal Haji festival, the Cham people in the province gather at mosques to perform prayer rituals in a solemn and sacred atmosphere. Many families and Muslim believers who can afford it perform the Kurbal ritual by buying livestock such as cows, goats, and sheep to offer as sacrifices, and then share them with poor and disadvantaged households in the village to celebrate the festival. The meat given directly to them not only has material significance but also demonstrates the spirit of love and mutual support within the community.
Roya Haji is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) for Muslims. It is one of the major pilgrimages and a duty that adult Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetime, provided they are healthy and financially able.
On the morning of the festival, the Cham people gather at the mosque to perform rituals. Everyone wears their most beautiful traditional costumes to celebrate the New Year. “After the ceremony, people will visit relatives and neighbors and perform rituals to ask for forgiveness and resolve conflicts in their lives. This is a beautiful and humane cultural tradition of the Cham people in An Giang that has been preserved to this day,” said Mr. Go Sa Ly.
The Representative Board of the Muslim Community (Islam) of An Giang province handed over houses to disadvantaged Cham people in Chau Phong commune.
What makes Roya Haji so special is the spirit of compassion in community life. During this time, the local government and the Representative Board of the Muslim Community (Islam) in An Giang province actively mobilize resources to care for the lives of the Cham people who are still facing difficulties.
Celebrating Roya Haji in her spacious new home, Mrs. SalyMah, residing in Chau Giang hamlet, Chau Phong commune, said: “Having a new house to celebrate the New Year in warms my heart. I thank the An Giang Provincial Islamic Community Representative Board for their care and support in providing my family with a comfortable home. This will be a motivation for my family to work hard and stabilize our lives.”
The house handed over to Ms. SalyMah was built in the traditional stilt house style with a total area of approximately 32m², ensuring it meets the "three solid" criteria. The construction cost of about 90 million VND was raised through donations by Ms. Siti Hara, a member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and a member of the Representative Board of the Muslim Community (Islam) in An Giang province.
Preserving cultural identity
In villages with large Cham populations, many days before the Roya Haji festival, people are busy cleaning their houses, preparing offerings, and sewing or buying new clothes for their children and grandchildren. Men, dressed in traditional attire, go to the mosque to pray, while women are busy preparing characteristic dishes to welcome relatives, neighbors, and guests who come to celebrate.
Cultural performances at the 2026 Royal Haji festival gathering of the Cham people.
In Chau Phong commune, from the beginning of the village, colorful flags and banners can be seen, and every household is busy cleaning up to prepare for the New Year. During the Roya Haji festival, mosques and families are bustling with joyful atmospheres. Many tourists who come to the Cham villages of Chau Phong to visit and celebrate are warmly and sincerely welcomed by Cham families, creating a unique and interesting traditional cultural feature.
Visiting the Cham village for the first time during the Roya Haji festival, Ms. Nguyen Thao Vy, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, said: “I was impressed by the warm atmosphere and hospitality of the Cham people here. Everyone was very friendly and open. Enjoying traditional dishes and learning about Cham culture during the festival made my trip even more special and memorable.”
Cham ethnic children perform a ritual to ask for forgiveness and erase grudges in their lives during the Royal Haji festival.
In the midst of modern life, the Cham people in An Giang province still preserve their beautiful traditional values during the Roya Haji festival. From religious rituals and traditional clothing to family life, these traditions are maintained and passed down through generations. Children are reminded by their parents to be respectful to elders, to show deference to those younger than them, and to live harmoniously within the community. The Roya Haji festival is an opportunity for Cham families to educate their children about morality, love, and responsibility towards society.
Nour Ha Ni, a 9th-grade student at Quoc Thai Secondary School, said: “I really enjoy Roya Haji because I get to wear new clothes, visit relatives with my family, and help my parents prepare traditional dishes. Through the stories of my grandparents and parents, I understand more about the meaning of the festival and appreciate the beautiful values of my people.”
The Royal Haji festival has arrived again, bringing with it the joy of reunion and the warmth of human connection. In the peaceful Cham villages along the Hau River, the spirit of love and sharing is preserved and passed down as an enduring cultural tradition through generations.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/roya-haji-tet-cua-su-yeu-thuong-va-se-chia-a486844.html
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