Unique Tet of Flowers and Fruits - the 'Vu Lan' season of the Thai people in Nghe An
Dao Tho•August 30, 2023 16:28
(Baonghean.vn) - The Flower and Fruit Festival of the Thai Khang people in Nghe An is usually held in the seventh month (lunar calendar). For this ethnic community, the Flower and Fruit Festival is not only for fun and feasting but also an opportunity to show filial piety to grandparents, ancestors, and those who have contributed to their birth.
The Thai Khang community in Ky Son district is scattered across villages in Pha Danh, My Ly, Huu Lap, and Nam Can communes… The Thai Khang people have a tradition of celebrating the Flower and Fruit Festival in the seventh lunar month. In Pieng Hom village (Pha Danh commune), this community always chooses the 15th of the seventh lunar month to hold the "Khau Sac" festival (eating the full moon). Photo: Dao ThoBefore the festival, the women in the family usually prepare many dishes from items gathered from the forest or from streams and rivers to make the offering tray. Some dishes have become indispensable customs, such as mooc (a type of wild vegetable), grilled fish, flowers, fruits, and banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cake)... Photo: Dao ThoWhen Thai people invite a shaman to perform a ceremony, they always prepare three offering trays: one in the house dedicated to the deities, one in the ancestral shrine, and one outside the door to offer to wandering spirits. Photo: Dao ThoAfter the head of the household completes the ceremony at home, each household sends someone to bring their family's offerings to the head of the clan's house for the head of the clan to worship their ancestors. The offerings, wrapped in banana leaves, may include small portions of sticky rice with meat, fish, etc. (Photo: Dao Tho)The offering tray at the home of the head of the Lo clan in Pieng Hom village (Pha Danh commune). This offering tray is then divided among the descendants of the clan who sit and eat together. Photo: Dao ThoAccording to Mr. Lo Xu Lin, an elder in Pieng Hom village: "The main purpose of celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) with flowers and fruits is for descendants to remember and honor their ancestors. While the lowlands have the Ghost Festival (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month), the Vu Lan Festival, the Thai people celebrate Tet with flowers and fruits solely for the purpose of showing filial piety." (Photo: Dao Tho)Similar to some lowland areas, the Thai Khang people also hang some food in front of their houses to offer to wandering spirits. According to this community, this is a way to provide food for the spirits and prevent them from entering the house and causing trouble. Photo: Dao ThoThai children persistently go to the doors of families in the village to collect offerings for the Hungry Ghost Festival. The homeowners happily agree to this. (Photo: Dao Tho)After the ceremonies, everyone sits together to eat and drink happily, wishing each other good health, favorable weather, and a bountiful harvest. This can be said to be a beautiful tradition of the Thai Khang community in western Nghe An that deserves to be preserved. Photo: Dao Tho
