(Baonghean.vn) -It has become a tradition that at the beginning of the new year, people in Trung Kien boat building village (Nghi Thiet, Nghi Loc) hold a tree-breaking ceremony.
Each shipyard will choose a different time to start the boat, depending on the owner's age. The offerings to the gods and ancestors are simply products close to life such as sticky rice and chicken, a tray of five fruits, a cup of pure wine, a stick of incense... but above all, it is a sincere heart, praying for a new year of favorable weather and smooth sailing. The boat-starting ceremony, besides its spiritual significance, also has traditional cultural value, educating the younger generation to remember the time when the village was founded, and to show gratitude to the boat-building profession that has brought the village lasting vitality for more than 700 years.
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| Respectful and solemn ceremony. |
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| Water sprinkling ritual in the ceremony |
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| Offer the axe and prepare to cut wood. |
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| Start the important step: clearing the wood |
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| Green pineapple tops - an indispensable item in the tree-breaking ceremony. According to folk beliefs, green pineapples are an exorcising plant, preventing bad luck from coming to the ship. |
Phuong Chi - Huu Quan
