Celebrating the spring festival in the mountains.

Pơr'ngoóch Festival

One day at the end of the year, the rhythmic drumming of gongs echoed through the mountains. Villagers from the hamlets of Avương commune streamed into Ta Lang, joining together in the traditional Pơr'ngoóch (brotherly brotherhood) festival of the Cơ Tu people. After the administrative merger and prolonged periods of heavy rain and flooding, this was the first time the drumming of gongs had resounded, connecting the community and ushering in a new spring.

According to Mr. Briu Quan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Avuong commune, this year's Pơr'ngoóch festival is being held in the context of Avuong commune being newly formed through the merger of the two former communes of Avuong and Bhalêê, with 16 villages sharing a single administrative unit. Therefore, the festival has special significance, becoming an opportunity for villages to meet, bond, strengthen community ties, and create a foundation for long-term development.

*Katu girls join in the "dance to the heavens," welcoming the new year. Photo: HIEN THUY*

The highlight of the festival is the ritual of reciting and singing folk songs, where village elders representing each hamlet engage in dialogue using simple yet meaningful words. Through each song, the community agrees to set aside any imperfections, striving for consensus, sharing, and brotherhood. As the rice wine is raised, the spirit of unity radiates in the eyes and smiles of the festival-goers.

According to Mr. Zơrâm Bê, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Avương commune, through the Pơr'ngoóch festival, the locality integrates the dissemination of the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws; and awakens the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement in economic development and the building of cultural life in residential areas. At the same time, the festival contributes to raising awareness of preserving traditional cultural identity, especially among the younger generation.

*The Pơr'ngoóch festival becomes even more meaningful when many traditional folk games are incorporated into the event. Photo: DANG NGUYEN*

“For the Co Tu people, Pơr'ngoóch is considered a unique cultural festival, a vivid symbol of the strength of community unity. From traditional rituals preserved through generations, the belief and aspiration for development continue to be nurtured, enriching the Co Tu cultural identity in Avương commune, aiming to make Pơr'ngoóch a special tourist attraction during the New Year celebrations,” said Mr. Zơrâm Bê.

Springtime blessings

The cultural space of village festivals has long been a unifying thread for the communities of ethnic minorities in the highlands. Besides Pơr'ngoóch, the Cơ Tu people in the western part of Da Nang city maintain the tr'záo custom – a beautiful tradition with unique cultural significance, signifying visits and blessings for each other in the early days of the new year.

Towards the end of the year, the people in the highlands often organize many cultural activities that bear the distinctive mark of the ethnic groups living at the foot of the Eastern Truong Son Mountains. Photo: DANG NGUYEN

After some preparation, Alang Thuc and his wife (from Bhlo Ben village, Song Kon commune) brought a basket of black glutinous rice, a few tubes of grilled stream fish, a jar of rice wine, and a few cleaned chickens and ducks to his sister's house. According to the tr'zao custom, at the beginning of spring, the Co Tu people often visit each other, showing the bond and sharing among family and clan members. Alang Thuc said that depending on living and production conditions, tr'zao can take place before or after the Lunar New Year. This is the time when people have finished harvesting the rice crop, making it suitable for visiting.

Not only the Co Tu people, but also the Ca Dong, Xe Dang, Bh'noong, and other ethnic groups organize many traditional activities in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, such as water trough worship ceremonies and harvest festivals, creating a unique cultural atmosphere. Throughout the spring festival days, from ceremonial rituals to visits and greetings, people in the highlands exchange simple yet warm blessings. In this communal cultural space, traditional values continue to be preserved and spread, ushering in a new year of peace, prosperity, and strong bonds of affection.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/vui-hoi-xuan-non-ngan-3322685.html