Reenacting the Thai people's New Rice Celebration right in Hanoi

(Fatherland) - The Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism (Son Tay, Hanoi) is organizing activities with the theme Spring in the village. The event introduces spring activities at the beginning of the year along with rituals, festivals, and customs of Vietnamese ethnic groups.

Performed by: Bao Trung | January 2, 2025

(Fatherland) - The Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism (Son Tay, Hanoi ) is organizing activities with the theme Spring in the village. The event introduces spring activities at the beginning of the year along with rituals, festivals, and customs of Vietnamese ethnic groups.

The “new rice celebration” is a traditional cultural feature with profound humanity, respected and preserved by the Thai people from generation to generation. This is an occasion for family members and neighbors to meet, have fun, share work, build families and strengthen community solidarity.

The new rice celebration is one of the most important and sacred ceremonies of the year, carefully prepared by the people, from choosing the date, preparing offerings, especially indispensable rice wine to invite guests to attend the ceremony.

The offering tray is full of chicken, pork, sticky rice, fruit, etc. Food offered to gods, ancestors and to guests is very important, so it must be carefully prepared.

In the culture of the Thai ethnic group, the Pieu scarf contains many profound meanings in life and spirituality. The Pieu scarf and silver bracelets are also prepared for offerings.

During the “new rice celebration”, the shaman and the homeowner perform the worship ritual together. The main purpose of the New Rice Celebration is to thank the ancestors, those who are “assigned” by the descendants to look after the fields, to thank the gods, and to celebrate a successful harvest, favorable weather, and pray for the descendants to be healthy, united, happy in every family, and peaceful and prosperous in the country.

The shaman reads a prayer about the process of heaven and earth being born, humans struggling with the harsh nature, reclaiming land to create fields, so that descendants can work to produce rice to offer to their ancestors.

When the ceremony ends, the host invites guests to enjoy dishes made from new rice, pork and drink rice wine, and the visitors join in the bamboo dance.

Xoe dances and folk games such as throwing con and bamboo jumping create a joyful, warm and cohesive atmosphere among community members.

The Thai people's new rice celebration has many different characteristics depending on the region.

However, the festival is imbued with the cultural identity of the Thai people with traditional rituals and a jubilant, bustling atmosphere.

Thai boys and girls dressed in traditional costumes, dancing and singing cheerful folk songs together.

Games such as swinging, tug of war, cockfighting... create a fun and exciting atmosphere.

Then, everyone enjoyed traditional dishes made from new rice such as five-color sticky rice, bamboo rice, banh chung...

Source: https://toquoc.vn/tai-hien-le-mung-com-moi-cua-dan-toc-thai-ngay-tai-ha-noi-20250102140229752.htm