SON LA – Tet of the Mong ethnic people in Son La takes place from November 30 of the lunar calendar and lasts for a month, an opportunity for tourists to learn about traditional customs and participate in folk games.
Ta So village in Chieng Hac commune, Moc Chau district, Son La province, was discovered and immigrated by Mong ethnic people in Yen Chau district in 1964. In the Mong language, Ta So means Ngai Cuu because originally When I came here, the whole land was full of wormwood trees.
Ta So village has a colder climate than other lowland villages in Son La, 4 – 6 degrees Celsius. After many years of living, the Mong ethnic people here still retain their traditional and typical cultural features. The picture is the traditional Tet custom of the Mong people, according to the website of the Ethnic Committee of Son La province.
Unlike the Kinh people, the Mong people in Son La celebrate the traditional Tet for one month from the 30th day of the 11th lunar month. Going to Ta So, Van Ho, Pa Pach and Pa Khen villages on this occasion, visitors can join in celebrating Tet with the Mong ethnic people.
Hoang Van Thanh, from Hanoi, went to Ta So village to learn about the Mong people’s Tet on January 11 and was enthusiastically invited by the people to stay and experience Tet with them.
The Mong people have the custom of “the 30th day of the pig year, the 1st day of the chicken year”. The people of Ta So village start slaughtering pigs from the 25th day of the Lunar New Year to give thanks to their ancestors. Heaven and earth have blessed the villagers with good health, good harvests and all the luck. Part of the pork is used for offerings, part is used to make sausage, smoked pork belly, pork meat is hung in the kitchen, part is used to invite relatives and distinguished guests to eat with the family.
Chickens are slaughtered in the afternoon on the last day of the year to serve as offerings to ancestors.
An indispensable item in the Tet feast of the Mong people is banh day made from upland sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, similar to banh chung of the Kinh people. Banh day can be fried or grilled to eat.
Mong people believe that banh day symbolizes the Moon, the Sun, the universe, and the origin of humans and all species on earth. The bigger and rounder the cake, the fuller and more prosperous their lives will be. Banh Day is not only used for worshiping and celebrating Tet, but also as gifts for guests.
Mr. Thanh said the banh day is soft, flexible, fragrant and sweet. The cake mixed with the scent of wild dong leaves creates a typical aroma of the Northwest mountains and forests.
In the Tet feast of the Mong people, there are also other dishes made from pork and chicken such as tripe, blood pudding, stewed pork, boiled chicken and especially corn wine. Wine is made a few months before Tet, stored in jars, covered with dried banana leaves to preserve the aroma.
From the 5th day onwards, the Mong people organize festivals and games for people in the village to interact and chat with each other.
Besides folk games such as crossbow shooting, stick pushing, and tug of war, the Mong people also organize modern sports such as volleyball, football, and badminton to increase solidarity. Among them, playing tulu (pictured) is a game loved by Mong boys, demonstrating their health and dexterity in carving tulu.
Under the cold weather, mustard flowers and plum flowers bloom, many couples have become husband and wife thanks to the traditional Tet. During Tet, young men and women wear new clothes and the most beautiful jewelry to participate in folk games. This is an opportunity for them to meet and get to know each other. Mong people also organize weddings and engagement ceremonies in January.
When experiencing the traditional Tet of the Mong people, Thanh advises visitors to ask the host about some taboos such as not stepping on the stove, not letting banh day burn while baking, and abstaining from blowing fire during the 3 days of Tet. “Traditional New Year is important for the Mong people, so avoid committing religious issues that make the homeowner unhappy,” Thanh said.
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Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)