Celebrating Independence Day in Cư Êwi

10:41, 02/09/2023

Every year on National Day, September 2nd, the Tay and Nung people living in Cu Ewi (Cu Kuin district) organize vibrant cultural and artistic activities to celebrate Independence Day as a way of expressing their gratitude to the Party and President Ho Chi Minh for regaining independence and freedom for the nation.

In 1989, following the migration wave, Mr. Hong and his family settled in Cu Ewi. For over 30 years, they have lived in the Central Highlands, yet Mr. Hong's family has preserved the traditional culture of their ethnic group. “ On National Day, the Tay and Nung people in the village put aside all their farming work, taking time to rest and participate in activities celebrating Independence Day. They will make banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), banh gai (another type of sticky rice cake), cook purple sticky rice, prepare offerings to their ancestors and President Ho Chi Minh at home, then visit each other, exchange good wishes and blessings, and enjoy food and cultural performances together,” Mr. Hong shared.

The Tay and Nung people living in Cu Ewi land celebrate Independence Day in their traditional costumes.

Village 4 is not far from the center of Cu Ewi commune, with lush green rice fields lining both sides of the road. Along the road, adorned with Party and national flags, groups of young women, dressed in traditional costumes and carrying zithers, are gathering for a cultural performance on National Day . Despite being away from their homeland of Cao Bang and Lang Son for over 30 years, the Tay and Nung people living in Cu Ewi still preserve the cultural traditions of Then singing and Tinh playing, considering them an indispensable part of their spiritual life, especially during major festivals.

Ms. Nong Thi No (55 years old, residing in Hamlet 4, Cu Ewi Commune) said that from the very beginning of settling in this new land, the ethnic people from the North faced many difficulties in production and livestock farming. Thanks to the attention of the Party, the State, and the local Party committee and government, the lives of the people have improved significantly. Not only focusing on economic development, but with stable lives, people have also invested more in cultural and artistic activities, especially the Then singing and Dan Tinh playing traditions. From the Then Singing and Dan Tinh Playing Club of Hamlet 4 with over 10 initial members, it has now been upgraded by the Cu Kuin District People's Committee to a district-level club with over 40 members. On Independence Day, villagers and those working far away return to meet , share corn wine, tell each other stories of making a living and establishing themselves in foreign lands, and enjoy the melodies of Then and the sounds of Dan Tinh from their homeland. This reunion is therefore even more meaningful.

People in Hamlet 4, Cu Ewi Commune, are making banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) to celebrate Independence Day.

According to Mr. Lam Duc Trong, Secretary of the Party branch of Hamlet 4, Hamlet 4 has 186 households and 850 people, mainly Tay and Nung ethnic minorities from Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces who came to live here in the 1990s. Therefore, from daily life to holidays, the people's lives are deeply marked by the traditional culture passed down from their ancestors. An indispensable part of Independence Day celebrations for each family is the offering of a meal to their ancestors and President Ho Chi Minh, featuring characteristic dishes of their ethnic group such as boiled chicken, sticky rice cakes made from high-quality glutinous rice, purple sticky rice, thorny rice cakes, corn wine, etc. The Independence Day celebration usually begins on the evening of September 1st and lasts until noon on September 2nd, and is organized according to actual conditions. Besides cultural and artistic activities, this is also an opportunity for children and grandchildren to gather with their grandparents and parents to listen to their advice to study hard, work diligently, and become useful members of society, serving the country and the nation, and repaying the gratitude owed to the Party and President Ho Chi Minh.

The Then singing and Tinh lute playing club of Cu Ewi commune performed a cultural show to celebrate Independence Day.

According to Nguyen Quoc Vien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cu Ewi commune, the commune has 17 ethnic groups, with nearly half of the population being ethnic minorities from the northern provinces. After many years of living in this land, the lives of the people here have become increasingly stable and prosperous. For the Tay and Nung people living in Cu Ewi, celebrating Independence Day has become a tradition for many years with various cultural and artistic activities. To foster interaction and contribute to strengthening solidarity and close ties among ethnic groups.

Besides Independence Day celebrations, Cu Ewi commune also maintains the tradition of organizing the Viet Bac Folk Culture Festival every Lunar New Year with many lively activities, attracting thousands of visitors. This demonstrates the care and attention of the Party and State towards the ethnic minorities, reminding and educating the younger generation to continue inheriting and promoting the beautiful traditional culture left by their ancestors, to cherish freedom, and to cultivate national pride.

Hong Chuyen

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