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| In the midst of modern life, the Red Dao people in Phieng Lam (Yen Thinh commune) still preserve customs for celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) that are rich in ethnic identity. |
Sacred origins
Following the winding concrete road, we arrived at Phieng Lam and met Mr. Trieu Tai Long. Mr. Long, nearly 70 years old, still vividly remembers the ancient stories and customs of his people. By the crackling fire, Mr. Long spoke in a distant voice: "Tet (Lunar New Year) is a time for us to express our gratitude to our ancestors. It also helps to strengthen community bonds and the village. This is a time to rest after a year of hard work."
For generations, the Red Dao people have regarded ancestor worship as the most sacred part of Tet (Lunar New Year). Starting on the 25th day of the 12th lunar month, families will seek out a shaman to perform a ceremony with the aim of inviting their ancestors to celebrate Tet with their descendants, reporting the end of the old year and beginning a new one. They pray for their ancestors' blessings for their descendants' well-being, prosperity, and success in all endeavors. The ceremony is a strong connection with their ancestors and expresses their deep belief in their origins.
To prepare for the Lunar New Year, from the end of the twelfth lunar month, young men and girls rush to the forest to gather firewood and renovate their houses. Mothers and grandmothers begin searching for banana leaves to wrap sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng). Graceful young women strive to complete the final embroidery stitches on their traditional dresses so they can show off their beauty at the market days and spring festivals at the beginning of the new year.
On the last day of the Lunar New Year, the spring atmosphere filled every house in the village. Everyone was busy preparing for the festivities. The elderly meticulously cut paper, a unique cultural tradition of the Red Dao people. Besides the paintings and couplets prepared beforehand, the Red Dao also cut red paper into sun shapes with radiant halos, pasting them on the altar to symbolize life, warmth, and hope for the new year.
Moreover, four pieces of paper are cut and pasted on each doorway, each in a different color, symbolizing the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Nowadays, with a more comfortable life, many families decorate with more vibrant and eye-catching colors. Other objects such as cupboards, chests, chicken coops, and pigsties also have smaller pieces of paper cut and pasted on them. The elders in the village still say that even the smallest objects need to be decorated to welcome Tet.
The women skillfully wrap the sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng), the strong men pound the glutinous rice cakes (bánh giầy), and the children excitedly hang balloons on the peach blossom branches. The sticky rice cakes of the Red Dao people are particularly unique. Although they follow familiar steps like rice, beans, and pork fat, they only make long cakes, tied with three strings, not square ones. The glutinous rice cakes are also an indispensable treat; the women here pound them by hand, resulting in a very smooth, delicious, and soft texture.
In the late afternoon, the buffaloes and cows are brought back to their pens and tied up for the New Year's Eve night. When the rice cakes are cooked, the Red Dao people will select 12 sticky rice cakes and 12 glutinous rice cakes, symbolizing the 12 months of the year and the 12 zodiac animals. After arranging the five fruits and sweets on the altar, and tying two sugarcane stalks to the two legs of the altar, the homeowner will bathe, dress neatly, and then light incense to pray to their ancestors.
Prosperity in all four directions
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| Mr. Long meticulously cuts red paper to decorate the altar, preparing to welcome Tet according to traditional customs. |
On New Year's Eve, by the warm fires and the faint aroma of smoked meat, families gather together. They don't celebrate the new year with fireworks or music, but wait to hear a familiar sound: the first rooster crow, signaling the arrival of a new year.
For generations, the Red Dao people have believed that the rooster crowing first is a good omen, heralding a peaceful year, while the dog barking or the cat meowing first foretells misfortune. This belief is deeply ingrained in their spiritual lives, as a way of listening to nature to begin the new year.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to the auspicious time and direction chosen beforehand, the whole family will travel in that direction. Before leaving, they bring paper money and incense to a chosen place, call upon the deities to "buy" the things they desire, then burn the incense and place it there. On their way back, they will carry a stone, symbolizing stability and permanence.
Especially during Tet (Lunar New Year), no one is allowed to say anything unlucky. Joining in the festive atmosphere of welcoming the new spring, various festivals take place, attracting large crowds of people. Traditional folk games such as throwing the ball, tug-of-war, spinning tops, and other games are enthusiastically enjoyed. Girls in their flowing skirts, headscarves, and red pom-poms dance and shyly converse with the boys.
The official Tet holiday ends on the 6th or 7th day of the first lunar month. At this time, each family prepares a boiled chicken and banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cake) to offer to their ancestors, informing them that Tet is over, and that their descendants will continue working in the fields and other tasks, promising to return home for Tet next year.
Listening to Mr. Trieu Tai Long's recollections, we were fascinated but also pondered a larger issue: how can ethnic minority communities like the Red Dao people integrate into society while preserving their traditional cultural identity?
Fortunately, in Phiêng Lằm, the people have found a balance. They have abandoned outdated and inappropriate customs, while preserving core values: filial piety towards ancestors, community cohesion, mutual support, and pride in their ethnic identity. This is valuable experience for the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities today.
As spring arrives on every family's rooftop, we would like to send our New Year's greetings in the Dao language that we find incredibly impressive: Phấy xào hèng vẳng! (May prosperity prevail in all directions).
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202602/ve-phieng-lam-nghe-chuyen-tet-eff2a2d/
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