Xên Bản Ceremony

(Baonghean)"Xên bản" means offering sacrifices, more broadly, praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest; it is considered a village festival. Every year, the Xên bản ceremony is held in April. According to the customs of the Thai ethnic group, April is the month for sowing rice seedlings (previously there was only one crop), and at the beginning of summer, with plenty of sunshine, the people organize the Xên bản ceremony to pray for rain.

To prepare for the festival, the villagers appoint a representative from the first clan that pioneered the settlement and established the village to invite a shaman. At exactly 8:00 AM, the shaman begins the ritual under an ancient tree in the village, or in a designated field. The offerings include a bottle of white wine, a jar of rice wine, a boiled chicken, a bowl of rice, two pieces of plain brocade, a pair of silver bracelets, and various kinds of herbs. The shaman prays to the mountain god, the water god, and other deities for favorable weather, a bountiful harvest, and good health and prosperity for all families. Afterward, the shaman takes two bamboo sticks (split in half) and tosses them into the air. If the two sticks land "heads down and tails up," it is considered a good omen, signifying that the prayers have been accepted by the gods. The ritual lasts nearly an hour, after which the representative sets out the offerings on the spot, and invites the shaman and villagers to eat and drink together joyfully.

After the Xên bản ceremony, the villagers also organize games such as throwing the ball, bamboo pole dancing, singing folk songs, and playing games by the stream...

Photo series: Tran Ngoc Lan