The unique Boc Mo festival of the Tho ethnic group in Nghe An

The Boc Mo ceremony is also known as the Mo temple worship ceremony, opening the Mo water source at the beginning of the year - an important ritual of the Tho people since ancient times. Mo water is a natural underground water source serving the daily life and agricultural production of the Tho ethnic community in the mountainous district of Quy Hop. The Boc Mo ceremony is held with the meaning of opening the water source, praying for favorable weather and rain, praying for the Mo water source to flow abundantly to serve the daily life and irrigation of the whole community. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

The main offerings in the Boc Mo ceremony include a tray of sticky rice, chicken, buffalo horn cakes, floating cakes, wine, betel and areca nuts... The shaman is the representative of the villagers to perform the worship rituals in the Boc Mo ceremony, asking the gods to witness the sincerity of the villagers. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

At the end of the worshiping ceremony, all the people together danced and sang unique folk songs, bearing the cultural characteristics of the Tho ethnic group such as: Da oi; Khai khai re; Tap tinh tap tang; Hat giao duyen; dance bamboo poles, dance bamboo poles... Photo: Dinh Tuyen

According to the elders, the land of the ancient Mo village, called "Mu Qua" land, is the land of the widow whose husband went to join the army to protect the country and was sacrificed. Since the time of the ancestors when they founded the village, they had to fight for land and water resources. Seeing that this place had a spring, a river, a stream, and a dangerous terrain with a strategic position of "easy to defend, difficult to attack", the big families gave priority to the widow ancestor in this Mo village land to build a village here. They knew that this land of virtue had many geographical advantages but also beautiful terrain, very sacred, so the people here took care to worship, protect, embellish and cherish the spring. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Worshiping the god Mo and performing the Mo picking ceremony usually takes place on the 10th of the 3rd lunar month every year. If the drought lasts for a long time, the ceremony can be held on the 10th of the 6th lunar month. They pray to deities such as mountain gods, tree gods, and Mo gods, to the local land god, and especially to the Jade Emperor, who always witnesses and protects the water source so that it never runs dry, no floods, no muddy water, favorable weather, full ponds, good fields, and people's prosperity and happiness. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Along with the sacred worship ceremony, imbued with the Tho ethnic identity, the people here also participate in folk games together. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

This is also an opportunity for the Tho ethnic people in Quy Hop district to introduce to tourists the unique traditional culture of their people. At the same time, it contributes to preserving, maintaining and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the community of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups in general and the Tho ethnic people in particular. Thereby, calling for the attention of the community, propagating for people to understand and gradually preserve and practice the rituals at Cua Mo to ensure good spirituality. Photo: Dinh Tuyen