Unique Tet tray of the Turkish people

Tho people in Tan Ky district worship on New Year's Eve. Photo: Quoc Phong

The Tho ethnic group in Western Nghe An is known for its sociable lifestyle and simple, uncomplicated outlook on life. Therefore, the Tho people quickly adapt to the new life and have cultural exchanges with neighboring communities. However, the traditional New Year still retains its own distinct cultural colors.

The New Year's Eve offering tray of the Tho people on Tet holiday. Photo: Quoc Phong

Coming to celebrate Tet with the Tho people, we can live in the space of traditional festivals, ceremonies associated with the customs of worshipping ancestors and gods, and festivals associated with folk games imbued with the cultural identity of our community.

Talking about the worship customs of the Tho people, the most typical cultural color is clearly present in the New Year's Eve offering tray. On the afternoon of the 30th of Tet, the homeowner prepares an offering tray to invite ancestors to celebrate Tet, then the children and grandchildren gather in the house to prepare the offering tray at the moment of New Year's Eve.

On the New Year's Eve offering tray of the Tho people, there are mainly cakes. Banh chung is indispensable and has the difference from banh chung of the Kinh people in that it is smaller but the number of cakes must be large, each time the whole cake is offered, after the offering, the cake is cut for the children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Turkish people enjoy swinging. Photo: Ho Phuong

In addition, cakes or sweet soups made from honey are indispensable. Honey cake is a blend of the nutty taste of peanuts, the sticky taste of sticky rice, and the spicy taste of old ginger. It cake is a harmony between sticky rice flour, bean filling, and the aroma of banana leaves. Ngot cake is a blend of thick honey water with the fragrant, sticky taste of sticky rice and ginger.

Besides cakes, there are sweet soups made from molasses. Bean sweet soup with the wish for children to succeed in their studies and have a prosperous business. Pumpkin sweet soup with the wish for all family members to have good health all year round. Sticky rice sweet soup with the hope for a bountiful harvest and abundance... All have the sweet, rich taste of molasses.

According to Mr. Lang Van Lien, an elderly person in Nam Son village, Nghia Phuc commune, Tan Ky district, molasses symbolizes the quintessence of heaven and earth. New Year's Eve is a sacred moment. Offering ancestors gifts made from molasses shows respect, gratitude and wishes for good things in the new year.

In addition to traditional rituals, the Tho people attach great importance to healthy recreational activities during Tet. On the 30th night of Tet, the village boys and girls organize a campfire and enjoy a jar of rice wine. In front of the cultural house of each village, people set up a swing for children and young people to enjoy together during Tet.

An indispensable cultural activity is the gong festival held on the second day of Tet. In the community cultural house, the elderly beat gongs and dance, and young people compete in love songs in their traditional costumes.

Gong performance of Tho people in Tan Ky district. Photo: Ho Phuong

Nowadays, under the influence of many new cultural flows into the community, some old customs of the Tho people have gradually faded over the years. However, the people always uphold the awareness of preserving their ethnic culture. It is the unique features in the culture that warm the hearts of children living far away from home when they return home to celebrate Tet with their village, Mr. Lien added.