Tet of the Mong people in Dooc May
(Baonghean) -In the days before Tet, when going to the Mong people in Dooc May (a remote commune of Ky Son district, Nghe An), the atmosphere of preparing to welcome the New Year is as bustling as in the lowlands. Motorbikes carrying dong leaves, peach stones, wild orchids, black chicken, ginger, taro, mustard greens, wild bamboo shoots hurry down to Muong Xen town, then hurry back with fish sauce, salt, MSG, necessities, household items...
From Muong Xen town to Doc May, it takes 60 kilometers. During Tet, traders bring trucks to the villages, unload goods to sell to the people, then return with mountain specialties to sell to people from the lowlands.
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When Tet comes, spring comes, Mong men and boys in Dooc May are busy repairing their houses, offering offerings to their ancestors, and going to the town market to buy food. Wealthier families slaughter pigs and buffaloes. Women and girls clean the yard, prepare firewood, buy new clothes for their children, choose the most beautiful dresses and jewelry to wear when going out in the spring and to welcome distinguished guests to drink wine and wish the family a happy new year. Families with daughters over 15 years old must prepare con balls for their children to go to the con throwing festival to choose their lover. Mong people do not wrap banh chung like those in the lowlands. Their typical dish during Tet is banh nep. At first, sticky rice is broken into sticky rice, then pounded and wrapped in giong or banana leaves.
Noong Han Ly Chin Chu, head of Noong Han village, shared: “If Kinh people celebrate Tet for 3 days, our Mong people's Tet lasts up to 15 days (from the 1st to the 15th of the lunar calendar)... But for poor and hungry households, they may only celebrate Tet for 1-2 days before going back to the fields...”
The Party Secretary of Gia Chong Nhenh commune said: Dooc May has 362 households, 1,998 people in 6 villages with 6 main clans: Gia, Lau, Song, Tho, Ho, Ly. On Tet holidays, Mong people usually go to wish the village elders, the village chief in the clan, then their parents, siblings, neighbors and people from other clans. During Tet holidays, people in the clans take turns visiting each other's houses, drinking wine, wishing each other a happy new year, singing cu xia to celebrate the new year. Unmarried men and women dress up in colorful costumes typical of Mong people, participate in the con throwing festival, express their feelings through love songs, through the sound of the panpipe and flute. Usually, girls throw con (made of seeds) to each other, while boys stand outside to watch. If they see a girl they like, they jump in to catch the con. If the girl is also willing, they do not ask for the con back, if she is not willing, they will come and ask for the con. “In the past, Mong girls threw balls to choose their husbands, now they only choose their lovers. They have to study…” Gia Y Mai (18 years old, studying in high school at the Ethnic Boarding School) boldly expressed.
The happiest thing during Tet holiday of Mong people in Doc May is the buffalo and cow fighting festival, usually held on the 2nd or 30th. Any family with a big and strong buffalo or cow will bring it to compete. The owner of the winning buffalo or cow will receive a prize from the organizing committee. The prize is sometimes just a thermos, bowls, chopsticks, candy, etc. but the villagers still enthusiastically participate. Although life is still difficult (the whole commune still has 217 poor households), the weather is harsh, and the roads are not convenient, Mong people in Doc May still celebrate Tet in a happy atmosphere, solidarity, mutual support, imbued with the national cultural identity.
Khanh Ly
