The O Du people in Vang Mon celebrate Tet

Lam Tung - Thanh Cuong• February 1, 2022 12:44

(Baonghean.vn) - The New Year's offering tray of the O Du people must be full of mountain and forest products such as rat meat, squirrel meat, bamboo rice, sticky rice wine, and khau hang to offer to the sacred beings who have nourished the O Du ancestors for generations.

These days, the Tet atmosphere has filled every corner of Vang Mon village - Nga My commune - Tuong Duong district, where the O Du ethnic community lives. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Products such as rat meat, squirrel meat, bamboo-tube rice, sticky rice wine, khâu hang and, of course, a young rooster for the New Year offering tray are also prepared by the O Du people in Vang Mon. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Dried rat and squirrel meat is dried by the O Du people to prepare for the new year. Photo: Thanh Cuong

According to custom, in the past, the O Du people lived mainly depending on wild animals and fish in the streams. Wild mice and squirrels were the two main foods in their daily meals. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Rat and squirrel meat have also become dishes that the O Du people offer to the sacred beings who have fed their ancestors for generations. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Photo: Thanh Cuong

Offerings are prepared by family members with the utmost care, thoughtfulness and sincerity. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The offering tray is placed in a solemn position in the main house, where the altar of the ancestors of the O Du people is located. The homeowner is accompanied by a shaman who sits next to him to perform the ceremony. In the New Year's prayer, they pray to their ancestors, heaven and earth, mountain gods, and forest gods to grant favorable rain and wind for a good harvest in the rice and corn fields, and to have many children and grandchildren, and to always be grateful for the birth of their ancestors. Photo: Thanh Cuong

After the ceremony, family members and relatives come to the offering tray to enjoy the blessings, wish each other good luck, pray for a healthy new year and a bountiful harvest. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The O Du people are very hospitable. They believe that if they have strangers visiting during Tet, they will have good luck all year round. Therefore, while worshiping their ancestors, the shaman also prays for the guests to have a happy new year. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In addition, the host also welcomes guests very thoughtfully. Guests are invited to eat, drink and sleep at home. Before leaving, the O Du people also give their guests bamboo tubes of sticky rice and bottles of sticky rice wine made by themselves. Photo: Thanh Cuong